Recently, I've really come to appreciate all of the crazy things Colonel Sanders could do with chicken. That secret blend of eleven herbs and spices. That powerful crunch that echoes through the air every time you bite into a Crispy Strip®. In fact, the only thing I can really complain about is KFC’s latest commercial. I’m sure you remember it. The shrill sounding woman who chooses to head on out to KFC for lunch rather than go to the “casual dining restaurant” like her co-worker, who happens to be a rocket scientist (who writes these things anyway?). The message of the KFC commercial hasn’t changed in the slightest. The annoyance factor, however, has. Seriously, did they do a nationwide search for the woman with the loudest and most awkward laugh? I swear she’s on some kind of controlled substance other than the Hot & Spicy Chicken. Makes me a little less surprised to see other weird people showing up at KFC (more on that later).
Anyway, aside from realizing a new appreciation for KFC chicken, I've also realized that the man we all know as the modern Colonel Sanders is in fact the product of a clever marketing ploy that fused together the lives of three brilliant but unique individuals. The first is the man we know as Harland Sanders. He was the guy with the fluffy facial hair and the dazzling white suit that he continued to wear even after Labor Day to the remarkably mortifying dismay of fashion gurus everywhere. Not to mention that really pimped out cane. Anyway, although the man may be a legend, he's only one third of the equation that is the real Colonel Sanders.
Part two of our Chicken frying idol was born out of the need to expand the KFC franchise’s ad campaign. You may remember a few years ago when the popular restaurant chain decided to give Colonel Sanders a complete makeover. Sure he kept his trademarked clothes and cotton-like goatee, but he lost the whole human element and transformed into a cartoon character voiced by the ever-talented Randy Quaid (who by the way is a dead ringer to his predecessor). Sure the animated Colonel could dance and swing his cane around and of course he was entertaining (if laughing at KFC ads is your thing) and admittedly he did bring back the original spirit of that kind old man with the nifty black bow tie, but in the end we knew he was only a knock-off of the original recipe. I, for one, am glad we haven’t seen this animated imposter on the tube in a while even if he is an important part of the Sanders’ story. It's just kina creepy to think that a restaurant was using a dead guy, albiet an animated dead guy, to advertise food.
Last but not least, we have Robert Kokol. Now unless you’re an expert on no-name actors with only a handful of movies under their belt, you probably have no idea who Kokol is. Well, he fits that bill perfectly and has had less than a minuscule career when it comes to the big screen. The reason he makes it into my blog today is the fact that he pulled off a spot on performance as the Colonel in Adam Sandler’s late 90s football flick, The Water Boy. In case you’ve never seen the movie (shame on you), I’ll briefly fill you in. In the film Adam Sandler's character, Bobby Bouchet, has a college professor who sounds, acts, and dresses just like Colonel Sanders. Not only does he bare a striking resemlance to our favorite chicken-frying human-mascot, but Kokel is actually referred to as "Colonel Sanders" in the film. Anyway, the guy asks his class what it is that makes alligators so angry. Bobby informs the class that his momma told him it’s because they have so many teeth but no toothbrush. Colonel Sanders explodes with laughter and tells Bobby that the real reason is their medulla oblongata. In the end, the Professor is tackled and spends the rest of the film all bandaged up. I’m sure you know who I’m talking about now. Yeah, that Robert Kokol. The only other film he briefly appeared in was The Story Lady back in 1991, where he played a bailiff. Thanks to me you now have some useless trivia to throw at your friends. Hurray for you. Anyway, that pretty much wraps up the Colonel Sanders triumvirate.
On another quick note: Yesterday my dad ventured to a nearby KFC where he experienced something I immediately deemed “blog worthy.” So, he’s standing in line behind a guy who just might just end up on Ripley’s one day for being so unbelievably weird. The guy, as if he’s trying to invent new ways to sound uncanny, asks for the price of half a chicken breast.
The woman at the counter stares at him with widened eyes and informs him that they don’t sell half chicken breasts. Clearly annoyed, the man begins to protest and explains that he really doesn’t want a whole chicken breast. I’m wondering why he even continued that sentiment. Was he expecting the cashier to magically present him with half a chicken breast out of pity? Instead, he finally decides to buy a whole chicken breast and only eat half of it. With that, he takes a few moments to survey the menu and eventually orders a side of potato wedges and an iced tea. It is then that the trouble begins anew. The cashier calmly explains that they do not serve iced tea. Suddenly the man apparently forgets where the menu is (or how to read) and asks the woman what drinks KFC does offer. After going through the list, the man decides that he doesn’t like anything else but iced tea and cancels his order. He then proceeds to his pickup truck in the parking lot where he drives away, likely to pester another unsuspecting cashier at some other restaurant in the area. Anyway, the look on the cashier’s face was priceless after the man left and my dad decided to have some fun. He approached the counter and promptly ordered half a chicken breast and an iced tea.
Well that’s it for right now. I’ll be back sometime later with a new game to add to the list at the right of this page and a quick review of it to boot. Until then, check out the ones already here. They represent the best versions on the net of some classic favorites.
Anyway, aside from realizing a new appreciation for KFC chicken, I've also realized that the man we all know as the modern Colonel Sanders is in fact the product of a clever marketing ploy that fused together the lives of three brilliant but unique individuals. The first is the man we know as Harland Sanders. He was the guy with the fluffy facial hair and the dazzling white suit that he continued to wear even after Labor Day to the remarkably mortifying dismay of fashion gurus everywhere. Not to mention that really pimped out cane. Anyway, although the man may be a legend, he's only one third of the equation that is the real Colonel Sanders.
Part two of our Chicken frying idol was born out of the need to expand the KFC franchise’s ad campaign. You may remember a few years ago when the popular restaurant chain decided to give Colonel Sanders a complete makeover. Sure he kept his trademarked clothes and cotton-like goatee, but he lost the whole human element and transformed into a cartoon character voiced by the ever-talented Randy Quaid (who by the way is a dead ringer to his predecessor). Sure the animated Colonel could dance and swing his cane around and of course he was entertaining (if laughing at KFC ads is your thing) and admittedly he did bring back the original spirit of that kind old man with the nifty black bow tie, but in the end we knew he was only a knock-off of the original recipe. I, for one, am glad we haven’t seen this animated imposter on the tube in a while even if he is an important part of the Sanders’ story. It's just kina creepy to think that a restaurant was using a dead guy, albiet an animated dead guy, to advertise food.
Last but not least, we have Robert Kokol. Now unless you’re an expert on no-name actors with only a handful of movies under their belt, you probably have no idea who Kokol is. Well, he fits that bill perfectly and has had less than a minuscule career when it comes to the big screen. The reason he makes it into my blog today is the fact that he pulled off a spot on performance as the Colonel in Adam Sandler’s late 90s football flick, The Water Boy. In case you’ve never seen the movie (shame on you), I’ll briefly fill you in. In the film Adam Sandler's character, Bobby Bouchet, has a college professor who sounds, acts, and dresses just like Colonel Sanders. Not only does he bare a striking resemlance to our favorite chicken-frying human-mascot, but Kokel is actually referred to as "Colonel Sanders" in the film. Anyway, the guy asks his class what it is that makes alligators so angry. Bobby informs the class that his momma told him it’s because they have so many teeth but no toothbrush. Colonel Sanders explodes with laughter and tells Bobby that the real reason is their medulla oblongata. In the end, the Professor is tackled and spends the rest of the film all bandaged up. I’m sure you know who I’m talking about now. Yeah, that Robert Kokol. The only other film he briefly appeared in was The Story Lady back in 1991, where he played a bailiff. Thanks to me you now have some useless trivia to throw at your friends. Hurray for you. Anyway, that pretty much wraps up the Colonel Sanders triumvirate.
On another quick note: Yesterday my dad ventured to a nearby KFC where he experienced something I immediately deemed “blog worthy.” So, he’s standing in line behind a guy who just might just end up on Ripley’s one day for being so unbelievably weird. The guy, as if he’s trying to invent new ways to sound uncanny, asks for the price of half a chicken breast.
The woman at the counter stares at him with widened eyes and informs him that they don’t sell half chicken breasts. Clearly annoyed, the man begins to protest and explains that he really doesn’t want a whole chicken breast. I’m wondering why he even continued that sentiment. Was he expecting the cashier to magically present him with half a chicken breast out of pity? Instead, he finally decides to buy a whole chicken breast and only eat half of it. With that, he takes a few moments to survey the menu and eventually orders a side of potato wedges and an iced tea. It is then that the trouble begins anew. The cashier calmly explains that they do not serve iced tea. Suddenly the man apparently forgets where the menu is (or how to read) and asks the woman what drinks KFC does offer. After going through the list, the man decides that he doesn’t like anything else but iced tea and cancels his order. He then proceeds to his pickup truck in the parking lot where he drives away, likely to pester another unsuspecting cashier at some other restaurant in the area. Anyway, the look on the cashier’s face was priceless after the man left and my dad decided to have some fun. He approached the counter and promptly ordered half a chicken breast and an iced tea.
Well that’s it for right now. I’ll be back sometime later with a new game to add to the list at the right of this page and a quick review of it to boot. Until then, check out the ones already here. They represent the best versions on the net of some classic favorites.
