How many times have you been watching TV when a Taco Bell commercial comes on showing hot, smiling twenty-somethings “chilling” and “laughing” and you think to yourself, “How are these people made so happy, with so many horrendous things going on around them, by a simple Nachos Bell Grande?” I like the Bell as much as anyone, but it sure as hell doesn’t make me want to constantly wear a smile on my creamy jalapeño sauce-covered face.
Sure, maybe good-looking young people occasionally make a border run here and there, but what about the large portion of Bell fans that go there because it’s just convenient? The partner who needs something decent to scarf down before going to their in-laws who are god-awful at cooking? Or the construction worker who needs a quick bite to eat that will also give them an excuse to sit on the toilet 80% of the day, leaving the job up to the rest of the crew? These people aren’t happy, they are desperate. Desperate like you and I.
Instead, I always see young people, full of life, without one single care in the world, lounging around and partying on beach chairs to fun ska music, eating perfectly designed 7-Layer Burritos without dropping so much as one piece of cheese on the ground (a piece of cheese that will undoubtedly never melt, even in 90 degree heat). Just once I’d like to see an ad showing someone running five minutes late to their doctor’s appointment, attempting to stuff their face while in traffic, struggling to fight back the rage of dumping nacho cheese sauce all over the interior of their car and themselves. You know, like every other person
These commercials are fanning the flames of bizarre, fast-food-related happiness standards that I believe need to be toned down a notch. They don’t necessarily have to show sad folks all the time, because Taco Bell can provide a small sense of joy in a world that oftentimes gives a person no reason to be happy. I just want to see the real folks who hoof down their cravings box with a furrowed brow, tears, or a look of pure rage in their eyes. Maybe chicken nuggets at Taco Bell are enough to make Gen Z forget about their big term paper due, or the inevitable nuclear apocalypse, but let’s not confuse that for the majority of us. Oh, and please no more “Nuggative Nelly” ads.