And now for something completely different
by Pete Talbot
(The Montana lefty blogosphere has been cranking out some great stuff, IMHO, on state and national budgets, and on eminent domain; and offering up some honest critiques of Montana Legislators and U.S. Senators and Congressmen on both sides of the aisle, to name but a few of the worthy posts of late. And for the most part, the comments have been lively, thoughtful and informative. But I need a break. Hope you do, too.)
I’d opt for a colonoscopy rather than go to the Wal-Mart Superstore at the corner of Mullan and Reserve Streets. So you know it was extremely important to me; the ‘it’ being the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile.
When I was a little kid in Madison, Wisc., home of Oscar Mayer, the Wienermobile was present at every major event. There was a little person dressed as a chef who would hand out hot dogs and wiener whistles. Those days are gone but new, scaled-down versions of the Wienermobile are criss-crossing the land.
The Wienermobile was in Missoula this past weekend. I know you’re dying for the stats. It’s a converted GM W4 series chassis with a fiberglass body and a four-speed automatic; six litre, 350 Vortec 5700 V-8 engine; 60 mph in 24.81 sec.; miles per gallon are 18 downhill, five uphill.
Since I haven’t been offered an ambassadorship to Fiji or a slot on the Olympic table tennis team, I’d gladly take a Wienermobile driving job, except for the hanging out in Wal-Mart parking lots.
During these times of war, pestilence, retrogression and downright meanness, a diversion like the Wienermobile is just what I needed.
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April 13, 2011 at 12:47 pm
are you saying you are a weiner or a wiener?
April 13, 2011 at 9:26 pm
I remember when I was a kid,the Wienermobile appeared at the World’s Fair and I got a wienerwhistle. There is something perverse about the attraction of something like this that is rooted in our youth, but I totally get it. In another example of agreement, I think the colonoscopy is the right choice.
April 14, 2011 at 9:48 am
I’ll send you an email Lacy. And good luck.
April 14, 2011 at 10:06 am
They still sell Oscar dogs @ Wally World, don’t they?
Thought you WM bashers would enjoy this.
April 15, 2011 at 2:01 pm
Good to know that one of the Oscar Mayer heirs, Chuck Collins, is a strong advocate for raising taxes on the wealthy. Is the Wienermobile coming East? Haven’t seen it since I was a kitten.
April 16, 2011 at 10:48 am
The fact that Oscar Mayer’s headquarters are in Madison, Wisc., might have something to do with there being a progressive heir in the family.
But to answer your question, I don’t know where the Wienermobile is headed next. Seems to be top secret. Couldn’t even find any info on its Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/OscarMayer?v=app_170337039670437
April 15, 2011 at 4:52 pm
I feel like the fire ant at the picnic…but I want to point out that O.M. wieners are factory farmed and their main ingredient is suffering. Of course, the Wienermobile is brilliant marketing that distracts us from that detail with buns and whistles, and the proof is, here we baby boomers are, waxing sentimental about it. I’m pretty sure I had a wiener whistle, too, way back when.
Depending on which variety of wieners you buy, check the label–some are made with mechanically separated meat. Tasty! http://eater.com/archives/2010/10/04/the-mechanicallyseparated-chicken-photo.php
Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation):
“Tyson ads don’t show chickens crammed together at the company’s factory farms, and Oscar Mayer ads don’t reveal what really goes into those wieners. There’s a good reason for this. Once you learn how our modern industrial food system has transformed what most Americans eat, you become highly motivated to eat something else…
April 16, 2011 at 10:52 am
I’m not endorsing factory farming, just the Wienermobile (a trip down memory lane for me).
Your points are well taken, Kathleen.