¡¿Revoltillo pelao?! An irresponsible fabrication of a myth
Posted: September 4th, 2009 | Author: Alberto Rigau | Filed under: ContemporaryCulture, Philosophy | Tags: Advertising, Anthropology, Barthes, Cinematographic Apparatus, Contemporary Culture, Myth, Puerto Rico, Subway, Text | No Comments »mother: [Places plate on table.] Here’s breakfast.
daughter: [Arms-crossed with some attitude.] Just toast? Dad gives me scrambled eggs.
mother: [Places plate on table.] Scrambled eggs…
daughter: [With more attitude and a rude gesture towards the plate…] Plain scrambled eggs? Dad makes it how I want. And to drink? …juice, chocolate or coffee.
mother: [Brings some orange juice.]
daughter: And the whole wheat?
mother: [Frustrated]
Commercial voice: Our breakfasts do not have competition. Only in our restaurants do we prepare you a real breakfast, complete and your way.
[Commercial ends with father and daughter eating.]
This advertisement currently airs as part of the commercial prelude to feature films in Puerto Rico’s movie theaters. Due to its dry humor, its consistent showing during the summer offerings, and the context of the cinematic apparatus, every movie-going person now knows it by heart. The phrase ¡¿Revoltillo pelao?! has become part of everyday conversations.
On a first glance it’s a fairly standard advertisement: short and to the point. Its story relies on contemporary characters and scenarios we can quickly understand, an association it uses to explicitly inform, with a hyperbolical narrative, the benefits of this particular fast food chain. Yet, a deeper look reveals a myth(1) portrayed by a series of implicit messages which reference a drastic cultural shift in the Puerto Rican understanding of family values: the divorce has been socially accepted. Read the rest of this entry »
