Time Square’s Naked Cowboy’s lawsuit against M&Ms is moving forward

by Jamie Rhein on

Let’s hear it for the Naked Cowboy. There are new details since I posted about his lawsuit against Mars Inc., the maker of M&Ms. Although some of his claim against the company has been thrown out, the judge has ruled that the lawsuit can move forward.

A jury will decide if the Naked Cowboy can collect any money from the Mars Inc. for dressing a Blue M&M up to look like the Naked Cowboy and using the image in an ad campaign. The idea behind this lawsuit is that the Naked Cowboy has created a persona and should have been paid for the use of the image since the ad implies that the Naked Cowboy endorses Blue M&Ms.

The Naked Cowboy (aka Robert Burck) is a guy that dresses in nothing but underwear, cowboy boots and a cowboy hat while he plays the guitar in New York City’s Times Square. He’s a fixture. A couple years ago, I saw him when we were passing by in a taxi. You can’t miss him. He braves all kinds of weather.

Personally, I think that the Naked Cowboy has a point. He is a well-known figure in Manhattan and adds to Times Square’s personality. Also, he has appeared as the Naked Cowboy in various other venues.

Mars Inc. claims that the company is using the Naked Cowboy image as a parody. Huh? Isn’t that Blue M&M dressed like the Naked Cowboy? [see article] I still think the Naked Cowboy has a point. I’d say he better not be caught eating any blue M&Ms though.

A Lesson in Mexican Gestures

by Kelsey Mulyk on

We are slowly starting to feel relatively comfortable in Mexico: things don’t seem so unusual, and both of us are starting to notice subtle things. Well…if you can call gestures in Mexico subtle.

Chins tilting, cupped palms, and a version of the “OK” sign are only a handful of the gestures that I have noticed in Mexico. I wanted to find out what they mean, so we had our our friend, Iker (a Federali turned lawyer), help clarify the meanings. He was also nice enough to pose for photos.

Here are a few gestures you might come across in Mexico:

  • Hurry Up!
    This gesture, shown by rubbing the forefinger and thumb together, does not mean money in Mexico, it means you need to get moving!
  • Expensive
    Holding the thumb and forefinger up with the back of the hand to the viewer indicates that something is expensive. You’ll see husbands making this gesture to their wives in the markets or other shopping venues.
  • Cheapskate
    If you are haggling with someone and you notice someone else nearby tapping their bent elbow consider yourself insulted. Tapping on the elbow means “stingy” or “cheap” in Mexico.
  • Cunning
    You should watch out for someone who is “colmilludo”, which loosely translates to cunning or crafty. This is indicated by tapping one’s eyeteeth which are called “colmillos” in Spanish. This gesture refers to someone that is always looking out for himself. Iker told us that it is used both positively and negatively it just depends on the context — but I got the feeling that this is rarely used as a compliment.
  • Asshole
    Yup…the one gesture you need to know the most since it resembles the Western “OK” sign. It is formed by touching the thumb and forefinger together creating a very small circle. This is extremely rude and never used to someone’s face. See the gallery below to check out our friend Iker who kindly modeled all the gestures for us…even the rude ones.
  • OK
    As mentioned above the “OK” sign is the same here as at home. Just make sure that circle you make isn’t too small!
  • Lazy
    The gesture for lazy is a cupped palm facing upwards, like you are holding something heavy. One or both hands can be used in this gesture. This is highly inappropriate because it refers to lifting “huevos” (which is Mexican slang for testicles). Basically the meaning behind this gesture is that the owner’s “balls” are so big and heavy that he can’t get up!
  • What’s up?
    People will greet you with this gesture which is often just tilting the chin up or tilting the chin up with palms upturned and a shrug. It means “What’s happening?” but you will also see it used as a general greeting. I have found even the youngest kids know this gesture and use it in replace of a verbal greeting.

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It might take awhile at first to recognize these cultural cues but once you have an idea of what to look for you will see them used all over Mexico. Gestures tend to vary from place to place so it’s probably best to use them when you are absolutely certain you know what they mean…after all, calling someone an asshole when you meant to say “OK” might not go over so well.

“No Wrong Turns” chronicles Kelsey and her husband’s road trip — in real time — from Canada to the southern tip of South America in their trusty red VW Golf named Marlin.

Top ten signs you have a bad travel agent

by Aaron Hotfelder on

Remember travel agents? You know, those people who used to book your flights and hotel rooms before the interwebs came along and allowed you to do it yourself? Apparently, they still exist! Yeah, I didn’t know either!

On Friday’s Late Show, wiseacre David Letterman offered his “Top Ten Signs You Have a Bad Travel Agent.” Among them:

  • Hotel stay is six days and two nights
  • Won’t let you go on vacation for more than a week because he’ll miss you
  • Your “plane ticket” is a post-it note with the handwritten message “Please admit one to the airplane”
  • When you’re in New York, he recommends you see a taping of “The Late Show”

[and from the “expanded” Top Ten list]…

  • Asks you where you want to go, how long you’ll be gone, and what’s the best way to break into your house

Whole thing here

[HT: World Hum]

I Survived a Japanese Game Show starts tonight

by Jamie Rhein on

There’s a new reality TV show that starts on ABC tonight. It could either be really funny or absolutely awful. I Survived a Japanese Game Show took 10 contestants–six women and four men– to Japan where they competed in some sort of wacky game show called Majide in front of a Japanese audience.

Not only do the contestants compete in the game show, they are immersed in aspects of Japanese culture they didn’t quite expect. The reason they didn’t expect it is because when they showed up a the studio to participate in a reality television show, they didn’t know what the show involved. Nothing. Nada. Next thing, Japan.

I saw a preview last night and admittedly, I was laughing out loud. Okay, here’s the thing. I thought The Three Amigos was funny and loved Joe VS. The Volcano. I amuse fairly easily, although Abha, I promise, I wouldn’t think The Love Guru is at all amusing.

I do love the idea of putting people in cultural situations they are not quite sure about as long as the culture isn’t demeaned and the people in the situation aren’t elevated in stature. In this case, I’d say the Americans have plenty of opportunity to look fairly ridiculous.

Here’s one contest, for example. In the “Chicken Butt Scramble,” contestants dress up like chickens and try to break large “eggs” filled with goo by sitting on them and bouncing hard. It’s not easy.

As the weeks progress, contestants will be eliminated until the last person wins $250,000.

.

The game-show host, Rome Kanda is a Japanese-born actor/comedian who lives in the United States and is paired with Tony Sano, an American actor who speaks fluent Japanese.

Yes, yes, the show does sound pretty mindless and why not read a good book instead? I don’t know about you, but June has been a fairly busy, stressful month. I could use a few guffaws. I hope I’m not disappointed and disgusted.

Here’s a trailer.

“I Survived a Japanese Game Show” airs Tuesdays on ABC at 9 p.m. EST. Let’s see if Hollywood gets it right with this one. I’ll give you my impressions tomorrow.

George Carlin, RIP

by Aaron Hotfelder on

The comedian, author, and social critic George Carlin died of heart failure yesterday at the age of 71, as Jamie reported earlier. One of the top stand-up comedians of all time, Carlin’s most popular bits were “Seven Dirty Words” and my personal favorite, “A Place for My Stuff.”

The latter routine talks about how our homes are nothing more than places to put our stuff: “If you didn’t have so much stuff, you wouldn’t need a house. You could just walk around all the time. A house is just a pile of stuff with a cover on it.”

Later in the monologue, Carlin talks about how people need to come up with a different, smaller version of their stuff when they go on vacation. “You get down to the hotel room in Honolulu and you open up your suitcase and you put away all your stuff. ‘Here’s a place here, put a little bit of stuff there, put some stuff here, put some stuff–you put your stuff there, I’ll put some stuff–here’s another place for stuff, look at this, I’ll put some stuff here…’ And even though you’re far away from home, you start to get used to it, you start to feel okay, because after all, you do have some of your stuff with you.”

Then when a friend on Maui invites you to stay the night at his house, you need yet another smaller version of your stuff: “Only the stuff you know you’re gonna need. Money, keys, comb, wallet, lighter, hanky, pen, smokes, rubber and change. Well, only the stuff you HOPE you’re gonna need.”

Watch the Youtube video of “A Place for my Stuff” here.

And RIP, George.