Considering the most recent episode of the Saturday Supercast deals with not only girl’s cartoons from the 1980s, but specifically Strawberry Shortcake, I thought this would be a great time to share this Bettry Crocker branded flatware advertisement from 1982…
I’m not sure exactly what it is about the “real” little Shortcake in the ad, but she freaks me right the hell out. She’s supposed to be cute right? I’m guessing it’s partly the fault of the photography that makes her eyes seem like huge black pools of dead soul, but I think it might also be that I’m “hearing” the voice of Russi Taylor in my head when I look at this little girl and it’s just wrong. These sets are pretty damn fantastic all the same (and thank god there wasn’t a little were-bear boy dressed up like Paddington to send me into further convulsions of horror.) I’m not sure why, but at least one of these Strawberry Shortcake spoons made it into my household while growing up in the early 80s. Considering my sister was in her early teens at the time of this ad, I find it strange that we had one. My mother certainly didn’t buy it for me (though it would have been alright if she had.) I kind of want a replacement, and checking eBay, they’re not that expensive. Hmmm, maybe nostalgia and tax refunds are a dangerous mix…
Also, curiously very few eBay listings make note of how well the “smell” of the Peculiar Purple Pie Man of Porcupine Peak has held up over the years. You think that would matter to more buyers, but oh well, yat a tat a tat tat, a ta ta ta!…
