Wingsfest!

The family decided to check out the Wing Festival this year up at Coca Cola Field in Buffalo.  It was quite the event!   Wings places from all over the country including Oregon and Washington (state) and more.

The most intriguing tastes included a Maple Cinnamon wing and a Sea Salt and Vinegar one.  Lots of great BBQ, various levels of spiciness, and some interesting flavors.

$3.50 for a bottle of water or pop was the typical festival rip-off.  Even the vendors seemed to be embarrassed by the outrageous prices.

Someone got married on the main stage while we were there!  Officiated by Buffalo's mayor and with the bride given away by the "Chicken Wing King" (who is all ham when the camera is on him, lol!)

The festival actually got started because of a movie "Osmosis Jones" starring Bill Murray.  A local promoter named Drew Cerza decided that Buffalo needed a REAL wings fest and 10 years later both Cerza and Murray were inducted into the Wings Hall of Fame.  Here's the clip that started it all:

So a good time was had by all.  If you're a Buffalo Wings fan mark it down for next Labor Day.  Maybe we'll see you there!

Peace

View From the Phlipside - Miracle Whip

My name is Jay Phillippi and I've spent my life in and around the media.  TV, radio, the movies and more.  I love them, and I hate them and I always have an opinion.  Call this the View from the Phlipside.

Time for me to lay a little love on a commercial.  Every once in a while I see one that impresses me enough that I need to give them a little public display of affection.  I always love it when someone decides to turn a negative into a positive.

Late last month Miracle Whip decided to do just that.  When it comes to the white sandwich condiments there is are only three options - mayonnaise, Miracle Whip or none of the above.  I grew up in a Miracle Whip family.  That's all I ever knew and I've always found mayo to just be a little boring.  At the same time I know plenty of people for whom Miracle Whip is about the most disgusting thing they can imagine.  So how likely is it that we'll ever change our minds?  Probably pretty slim but there's always those folks on the fence who never really paid it all much attention.  How to win them over?

The latest ad campaign simply took the issue on head on.  It involves people who love and people who hate Miracle Whip.  On the pro side you'll see folks like political commentator James Carville and author Amy Sedaris.  On the other side you have the Jersey Shore's Pauly D.  Need I say more?

This isn't the first time that Miracle Whip has stepped to the plate over their unique taste versus mayo.  Back in 2009 they ran a campaign that said "We will not tone it down" defending their spicier flavor versus mayonnaise.  In response Stephen Colbert took on Miracle Whip and defended mayo as only Colbert could.  Turns out Miracle Whip wasn't going to back down either and promptly bought an extensive run of commercial time on Colbert's TV program.

Rather than try and be all things to all people they've simply embraced their difference.  The slogan for the campaign says it all "We're not for everyone (are you Miracle Whip?)".  The campaign ties in with a dedicated YouTube channel where you can leave your opinion (the lovers are way ahead of the haters at the moment) and even snag a free sample.

Advertising can too often be bland and boring (a lot like mayo really) when people decide to play it safe.  Three cheers for Miracle Whip standing up and saying  "Hey, not everyone likes us.  That's their problem".

Oh yeah, color me a little loud and tangy.

Call that the View From the Phlipside

"The View From the Phlipside" airs on WRFA-LP Jamestown NY.  You can listen to WRFA online HERE
Copyright - Jay Phillippi 2011

View From the Phlipside - Swiss Chalet TV

My name is Jay Phillippi and I've spent my life in and around the media.  TV, radio, the movies and more.  I love them, and I hate them and I always have an opinion.  Call this the View from the Phlipside.

Lots of serious stuff this week so why not throw in something that's at the complete opposite end of the spectrum?  Something that's borderline ridiculous, outrageous, funny and, oh did I mention, just lip smackingly delicious.

Since I love the underlying history of things let's give a quick nod to the history behind this.  It's the Christmas Yule log TV broadcast started by New York TV station WPIX.  If you're not familiar with it it's a two hour long loop of video of a fireplace broadcast on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning.  You get the video of the fireplace and some Christmas music.  That's it.  Of such things are legends made of.

Flash forward in time and a couple hundred miles west in location.  If we were in Canada and were subscribers to Rogers Cable we could turn to channel 208 right this very minute and watch the Swiss Chalet channel.  Oh but it gets better!  What do you watch on the Swiss Chalet channel?  Well if you're a fan of the restaurant chain, and I count myself as one, then you know it would have to be...yes, a chicken turning on a rotisserie over a flame.  Yes, you heard me right.  This 24 hour a day, 7 day a week channel offers you the chance to watch rotisserie chickens turning on its spit and hear the sound of sizzling.  And that's pretty much it.

The channel launched at the end of February as part of a, here comes the bombshell, new advertising campaign for Swiss Chalet.  The idea began with the current batch of TV ads that feature a Swiss Chalet employee whose idea to make the brand better known is a rotisserie channel.  The obvious next step was to do just that.  Periodically the screen also carries promos for the Swiss Chalet Facebook page and the codes for a variety of discounts that fans can use.

If you want to experience it for yourself then just hop on over to their website (link below) and you can watch the channel right on your computer screen.  It's bizarre, and fascinating, and rather delicious looking while still being just slightly disturbing.  The really bad news is that if the Rotisserie Channel puts you in the mood for some Swiss Chalet it's a bit of a drive.  The nearest one I can find is in Niagara Falls.  Ontario.

Guess I may just have to drool on my monitor for a while.

Call that the View From the Phlipside

Check it out HERE  

"The View From the Phlipside" airs on WRFA-LP Jamestown NY.  You can listen to WRFA online HERE
Copyright - Jay Phillippi 2011

Tidbits from my travels

Just got back from my first ever trip to Charlotte NC.  A few thoughts:

Perhaps it was just enjoying the Spring like conditions as compared to what I knew awaited me at home but Charlotte strikes me as a lovely city.  Cities with dedication to civic green space, fountains and public statuary always appeal to me.  Charlotte also has an incredible array of eating establishments.  Special notice goes to Mert's Heart and Soul Restaurant which is right next to the hotel where our meeting was being held.  Didn't get a chance to try any of the soul food other than the banana pudding but loved the decor, loved the pudding, the service was great and everyone ELSE who did get the chance to try the Low Country and Gullah foods loved them.  Everyone in Charlotte was pleasant and helpful and wonderful.  Really enjoyed what little I experienced of the city.

Continental Airlines -  We were 26 minutes EARLY getting into Charlotte and 50 minutes EARLY getting into Newark on the way back.  What can I say?  Wish all my air travel was this efficient.

It is great to be back working with the Provincial Youth Ministry Coordinators of The Episcopal Church.  I only knew 2 of them at all well when I walked in the door but they were wonderful.  Good folks and I'm looking forward to working with them.

Likewise I enjoyed meeting and hanging out with folks from ECCE (Episcopal Council of Church Educators), Campus Ministry and Ministry for Young Adults.  We had a GREAT time bowling at Strike City   Given how Buffalo LOVES to bowl someone explain why we don't have someplace like this.  Think Sports Bar meets upscale bowling alley.  It was a blast!  The fact that I rolled a 182 with a beat up house ball probably colors my memory.  That and the $2/pint beer special (relax I had only 2 over the course of the entire evening)

I come back with some very interesting ideas about bringing the spirit of cooperation of this meeting back home to the Province and the Diocese too.  More on that later.