The red car and the blue car had a race... to be politically correct?!

Remember this snappy jingle from way back, TV ad for Milkyway?  "The red car and the blue car had a race... All Red wants to do is stuff his face..." Remember it, right?  

You need to remember it or the rest of this post will be meaningless. So, in the interest of everyone's sanity, here is the original add from 1989:

Pretty harmless really, right?  Well, that's what I thought until I saw this add back on the TV last November.  I was surprised that I still remembered the jingle tough... Or at least, I thought I remembered it!  Here are the lyrics if you want another refresher:

the red car and the blue car had a race

all red wants to do is stuff his face

he eats everything he sees

from trucks to prickly trees

but smart old blue he took the milky way

he's looking for a chocolate treat

fluffy and light

cos he knows it won't spoil his app-e-tite

mm mm MMMM!

oh no! the bridge has gone, old red just can't carry on

but smart old blue, he took the milky way

That's just how I remembered them too.... However...
It would appear that ad execs in Mars feel that this was going to send the wrong message out to the youth of today.  Apparently, Milkyway is no longer the "The sweet you can eat between meals without ruining your appetite"! They say that with age comes wisdom. Although, it seems that 20 years of snacking on Milkyway has taken it's toll on Blue. He's a little less of a smarty pants, having been downgraded to "Good old Blue" from "Smart old Blue".

But it doesn't stop there, having been on the road from Lunchville to Dinnertown for 20 years, Red has eaten so many donuts that the shop has since closed down and removed their road signage (probably became prohibitively expensive to replace it everytime Red drove by!).  Good auld Blue is "looking for a chocolate treat that's fluffy and light cause he knows it tastes just right"?! Milkyways are still fluffy and light, pretty much the same as ever.  Does this mean they will now "spoil your appetite"?  

Can you see any of the other changes they've made to the ad? Here is the 2009 version (which I only noticed on the TV last November):    

These are the new lyrics, for those interested:

the red car and the blue car had a race

all red wants to do is stuff his face

he eats everything he sees

from trucks to prickly trees

but good old blue he took the milky way

he's looking for a chocolate treat

fluffy and light

cos he knows its something that tastes just right

mm mm MMMM!

oh no! the bridge has gone, old red can't carry on

but good old blue, he took the milky way

So, while the ad execs are trying to protect the kids of today from becoming the obese nation we have now, they aren't as concerned for road safety and the impact that such races would have on the same youth!  Doesn't this ad make it sound like racing on public roads, without due care and attention for other road users, look like it comes with no consequences?!  There is no followup or small print that says no Red cars, trucks or prickly trees were harmed in the making of this ad.... And don't even start me on Good Old Blue's equally reckless behavior and lack of care or worry for his buddy Red who has fallen down a gorge (having gorged on so much stuff... the Irony!).  Finally, what about the local council and their terrible lack of road signs or warnings about the bridge being out? Or indeed failed to fix the bridge in the intervening 20 years.

Who's to blame for this recklessness? Red, Blue, Milkyway, Mars or the Council?  I blame the Ad Execs.  They should have left the ad as it was then we'd have all remembered the good old days!

Kids, remember... "Lighten up and play!"