Stores Refusing to Sell Ben & Jerry‘s Controversial ’Vulgar’ New Flavor
- Posted on October 21, 2011 at 9:01am by
Jonathon M. Seidl
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HARTFORD, Conn. (The Blaze/AP) — Ben & Jerry’s Schweddy Balls ice cream is too hot to handle for some supermarket chains. While the new limited-edition flavor has brought chuckles from fans of the “Saturday Night Live” skit on which it’s based, some supermarket chains aren’t laughing and have been giving it a cold shoulder.
The flavor featuring fudge-covered rum balls has been absent from some grocery freezers since it was unveiled. The title was inspired by an innuendo-laced 1998 skit featuring Alec Baldwin as baker Pete Schweddy, who promises, “No one can resist my Schweddy balls.”
The skit features a man (Alec Baldwin) who plays a candy producer with the last name “Scweddy” who appears on an NPR program to pitch his best-known confectionery, “Schweddy Balls.” A litany of veiled sexual references ensue. You can listen to it below:
But apparently some grocery store chains can, and so can supporters and members of the One Million Moms group.
That Mississippi-based moms organization has been putting the heat on retailers to keep Schweddy Balls out of their freezers and encouraging parents to ask the Vermont-based Ben & Jerry’s to stop production of the item, saying the name is nothing but locker room humor that’s not appropriate for young children.
Store chains that have decided not to carry the flavor are not saying whether their decisions were influenced by the One Million Moms group, their own reservations about the name or other factors.
Suzi Robinson, a spokeswoman for the Quincy, Mass.-based Stop & Shop chain, said that for proprietary reasons, the company does not disclose the reasons behind decisions about what the stores do and don’t carry. She said they have a very strong relationship with Ben & Jerry’s, though, and its products are generally strong sellers.
“We haven‘t received any complaints that we’re not carrying that flavor. However, if we do get feedback from customers that they want it, we’ll certainly revisit the decision,” she said.
Messages were left Thursday for spokespeople from the Roche Bros. and Big Y grocery chains, both based in Massachusetts; and Publix, which has scores of locations in the southeastern U.S., about whether they had decided to stock the flavor.
Even with limited availability, though, Ben & Jerry’s spokesman Sean Greenwood said Thursday that Schweddy Balls has quickly become the most popular limited-edition flavor the company has produced.
Greenwood said about one-third of the retailers that carry its other products are offering Schweddy Balls, about the same as any other specialty flavor it has produced – though this one has outpaced those in sales at the stores and the company’s “Scoop Shops.”
“We’ve heard from lots of folks who are fans of the flavor,” he said. “Yes, some supermarket chains decided not to carry Schweddy Balls. That is true, possibly because they found the name too irreverent. We respect their decision.”
Ben & Jerry’s, a division of consumer products giant Unilever, has toyed with language in some other products, too, such as its widely stocked Karamel Sutra ice cream and the peanut butter-laden What a Cluster, formerly known as Clusterfluff.
But it was Schweddy Balls that raised the ire of the conservative One Million Moms group.
Monica Cole, director of the Tupelo, Miss.-based organization, said Thursday they hesitated to call out Ben & Jerry’s publicly about the name because they did not want to give it publicity.
She said they felt obligated, though, especially given that they did not step forward with their concerns about its “Hubby Hubby” flavor, a play on its “Chubby Hubby” flavor and created to recognize same-sex marriages.
“We don’t want the envelope to continue to be pushed,” Cole said of the Schweddy Balls name. “I realize it could be a lot worse, but are they going to progressively get worse if we don’t say something? Maybe they’ll think twice before they come up with another inappropriate name for ice cream.”
The company’s website encourages members and supporters to warn the company they will stop buying its products if more Schweddy Balls or other products with offense names are produced.
“The vulgar new flavor has turned something as innocent as ice cream into something repulsive. Not exactly what you want a child asking for at the supermarket,” the organization’s website says.
But some are – including Gina Ragusa’s 14-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter, whose mother said Thursday they all eagerly await the day when they can find Schweddy Balls in a supermarket near their home in Davie, Fla.
Ragusa, 44, said they find the name and the skit itself to be just harmless humor, and she checks for the item almost every time she stops at her nearby Publix store.
“I get it, I know `Saturday Night Live‘ isn’t geared toward a 10-year-old, but they know when Justin Timberlake is on,” said Ragusa, whose family has the “Schweddy balls” skit on a DVD of Baldwin’s greatest SNL appearances.
“We just think it’s funny, that’s all,” she said of the ice cream name, “and honestly we all really want to try it.”
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Comments (212)
olddog
Posted on October 21, 2011 at 9:31ambenny and jerry would do everything in their power to turn America into a communist nation, so let not buy Any of their products..They,ve alread given BO a bundle of dough to re-elect the schmo…
Report Post »Looney Lefties and it they don’t have a schweddy ball in their mouths they have it on their minds..
ishka4me
Posted on October 21, 2011 at 10:24amif you used that language in the workplace, you would be fired
Report Post »motonutt
Posted on October 21, 2011 at 11:27amBenny and Jerry two rude discusting little homosexual commuists. I‘m sure it’s a fragrence that excites them and many of their close friends. The thing I don’t understand is, under a communist dictatorship normaly homosexuals get executed….it doesn’t make sense.
Report Post »zurie
Posted on October 21, 2011 at 11:43amWhy would I buy Ben and Jerry’s when I can buy Blue Bell all day long?
Report Post »TXMamaGrizzley
Posted on October 21, 2011 at 12:07pmTo Zurie: That’s right! We eat all we can and sell the rest! (Blue Bell lovers know this)
Report Post »GoldenRudy
Posted on October 21, 2011 at 1:29pmZurie and TexMama: You beat me to the punch. Texas made Blue Bell IS the best. Too bad it is not sold up here in Boston. “Southern Hospitality” is the best but seasonal. Ben & Jerry? forgetaboutit! B&G’s … only for the groupies and not for real ice cream lovers.
Report Post »South Philly Boy
Posted on October 21, 2011 at 9:31amNEVER bought bj and NEVER WILL
Report Post »hud
Posted on October 21, 2011 at 11:44amBJ’s, Olive Garden, Exxon(They fired me), Starbucks, the list of firms I boycott is growing.
Report Post »lordaction
Posted on October 21, 2011 at 11:47amI did once at a seedy joint in Vegas. I am really ashamed of that and now am married to a beautiful woman who I adore.
Report Post »pamela kay
Posted on October 22, 2011 at 3:28amI used to, but no more. The list continues to grow much like the list that support the Ows , this world is a sad state of affairs. No morals or respect. Destroy anything or anyone that tries to show compassion or faith. Is it irreversable? Sometimes it seems that way.
Report Post »SpankDaMonkey
Posted on October 21, 2011 at 9:31am.
Report Post »They could sell it in the Montrose Area of Houston, with no problem…………..
oneshiner
Posted on October 21, 2011 at 10:35amWhen I learned years ago how liberal Ben & Jerry’s are, I refused to ever buy anything they make. And I’m one of those who lives by what I believe. No hateful, liberal movies or actors for me, I personally boycott many things I can’t support because of their almost marxist stance. Don’t even miss it either.
Report Post »NOT A CRAZY
Posted on October 21, 2011 at 9:30amI would never buy any of this liberal-owned garbage to start with, I don’t care what the name is.
Report Post »Islesfordian
Posted on October 21, 2011 at 9:54amThere is a market opportunity for someone to come out with neat flavors like this that don’t try to demean the culture.
Report Post »Rowgue
Posted on October 21, 2011 at 11:55amThere are already plenty of companies doing that, but the unwashed masses aren’t interested unless it has a “clever” name.
Report Post »TeaPartyDragon
Posted on October 21, 2011 at 12:00pmTo: ISLESFORDIAN
Report Post »That isn’t a culture it’s not having morels. This is the same Low class idiots calling a Tea partier a tea ******. Now that I think about it “it’s not low class it’s( NO) class.
Gonzo
Posted on October 21, 2011 at 12:03pmI’m with you pal. I have not spent a penny on those marxists since I found out what they are all about. It’s good stuff but, I can live without it.
Report Post »felix
Posted on October 21, 2011 at 9:29amB & J , liberal , progressive pigs !!!
Report Post »THX-1138
Posted on October 21, 2011 at 9:25amShould have been Chef’s Chocolate Salty Balls…
Report Post »biohazard23
Posted on October 21, 2011 at 10:10amHa ha ha!!!! I miss Chef. :(
Report Post »modelmax
Posted on October 21, 2011 at 10:23amNow, now boys and girls … Chef was the best part of that show.
Report Post »Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on October 21, 2011 at 11:31amAfter John Belushi, I was never a fan of SNL, I preferred SCTV, they were far funnier and apolitical. Many of SCTV’s players had gone on to bigger and better things. John Candy, Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Rick Moranis, Dave Thomas, Joe Flaherty, Harold Ramis, and Andrea Martin.
Report Post »Unilever is a huge company. I definetely don‘t buy BJ’s (no pun) ice cream, but would have to check the label to find out if something I bought is from Unilever or not.
BetterDays
Posted on October 21, 2011 at 9:24amOnce I researched and discovered that B&J were leftists, I have yet to purchase their ice cream since. But I‘m under no delusion that I’ve seriously impacted their bottom line, but their product seriously impacted my bottom.
Report Post »HappyHaloHousewife
Posted on October 21, 2011 at 11:10amLove your comment! I loved Cherry Garcia flavor as a youth, and without even second-guessing myself, once I heard about Hubby Hubby I stopped buying their products altogether. There are other great tasting ice creams to get fat off of!
Report Post »UBETHECHANGE
Posted on October 21, 2011 at 9:22amUnilever owns Ben and Jerry’s. You can read all about Unilever here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unilever
The company is said to promote sustainability. <<Progressives
Ben and Jerry's said they support OWS. Of course the European company of progressives does. Boycott their products, I am.
Report Post »hightide
Posted on October 21, 2011 at 9:22amDisgusting. I don’t buy their stuff, and this is just more reason not to buy it. Disgusting.
Report Post »ADNIL
Posted on October 21, 2011 at 11:53amI stopped buying it because it got too expensive years ago when it was just under $4.00 a pint in my neck of the woods.
Report Post »qpwillie
Posted on October 21, 2011 at 9:21amI‘m glad to see that I’m not the only one who doesn’t see anything funny about this.
Report Post »Mandors
Posted on October 21, 2011 at 9:19amWow, talk about bad taste.
Report Post »hersey10
Posted on October 21, 2011 at 9:19amI have no issue with the name , my issue is Alec Baldwin’s association with it .
Report Post »PIL
Posted on October 21, 2011 at 9:16amAre these stores carrying those women magazines full of sex tips? Are they carrying Maxim and FHM? I think they might be hypocrites, but then again, it’s their prerogative. If it’s my store, I choose what to carry and what not to carry. Personally, I would put it on the aisle, see if it sales and if anyone complains.
Report Post »http://libertarians4freedom.blogspot.com/
RichNGadsden
Posted on October 21, 2011 at 9:29amNothing hypocritical about it. Those magazines, and disgusting as some may be are at the check out counters and pretty well under constant adult supervision. The ice cream packaging is in your face from the grocery freezer to the kitchen table.
Report Post »carbonyes
Posted on October 21, 2011 at 9:16amBen and Jerry are a couple of Communist Pinko’s. They take advantage of our free enterprise/ free market system, what is left of it and then support the Economic Wrecking Ball-in-Chief and his cohorts, who go about systematically destroying our economy, our culture and our nation. Don’t buy Ben and Jerry products and hit them where it hurts the most – in their pocket book.
Report Post »Hephzibah
Posted on October 21, 2011 at 9:28amI have boycotted this brand for years for just that reason. Even Phish Food.
Report Post »NCBookworm
Posted on October 21, 2011 at 9:16amMaybe the reason they aren’t stocking this ice cream has less to do with the name and more to do with the extreme liberal leanings of the company. A capitalist company supporting the destruction of capitalism is just plain stupid. I will never by another Ben & Jerry’s product.
Report Post »ColoradoMaverick
Posted on October 21, 2011 at 9:15amI guess these brain dead hippies have decided to market their goods to the homosexuals now.
Report Post »NewLife56
Posted on October 21, 2011 at 9:15amBye B&J, there are way to many good ice creams to put up with you any longer, and B&J really isn’t that much better to begin with
Report Post »loadingmyclips
Posted on October 21, 2011 at 9:13amI’m sticking with Rum-Rasin!!
Report Post »Applehead
Posted on October 21, 2011 at 9:12amIt‘s anti Semitic if you don’t sell Ben and Jerry’s at your store! Someone call Foxman!
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on October 21, 2011 at 9:12amLet the free markets decide, if people refuse to buy the brand or type of the Ben and Jerries then it will be withdrawn; me, no way in the world will I buy it.
Report Post »NHwinter
Posted on October 21, 2011 at 9:11amI’m tired of all the vulgar language and jokes. Good for the Moms. B&J also supported OWS. Shame on them. I wouldn’t buy their products.
Report Post »NHwinter
Posted on October 21, 2011 at 9:15amBreyers ice cream is better anyway and all natural. Who needs a leftist ice cream.
Report Post »biohazard23
Posted on October 21, 2011 at 9:34amI won’t be buying anymore B&J because of their liberal leanings, not because of this particular flavor. There’s just too many frozen desserts out there to try. It’s not as though we buy a lot of ice cream anyway, but this is just one more product to scratch off the shopping list. B&J can go hang out with the flea baggers in Psychotic Park, or with the rapists at Occupy Cleveland, or with the fetish-types at Occupy Toronto.
http://mrctv.org/videos/occupy-toronto-man-was-my-tent-sniffing-my-girlfriend%E2%80%99s-feet%E2%80%9D
I‘m sure they’re proud of the degenerate company they’ll be keeping……..
Report Post »capitalismrocks
Posted on October 21, 2011 at 9:11amYeah, I can understand that… there is humor, the is phun, then there is just outright vulgar…. to give that name to food, to ice cream that is going to be noticed by children, since they look at everything ice cream related, just what you want… children asking for a flavor of ice cream with that name, I think not!
Report Post »demint.disciple
Posted on October 21, 2011 at 9:19amWell according to G.E.R the morality in this country is just fine and who cares if children run around saying , I want my Schweddy Balls Ice cream.. Hey , he says, if you don’t like it, don’t buy it..
Report Post »demint.disciple
Posted on October 21, 2011 at 9:10amGotta start somewhere restoring morality in this once great country.. Why not here ?
Report Post »Marylou7
Posted on October 21, 2011 at 9:08amIt is time for this trash to stop.
Report Post »Wolf
Posted on October 21, 2011 at 9:18amAbsolutely right, MaryLou- it’s time to kick the socialist/communist Million Mom party out of the country. We need to keep that riff raff from spreading its lies and deciet in this country.
Report Post »Watchingtheweasels
Posted on October 21, 2011 at 9:07amGiven the political leanings of this company, all Ben and Jerry’s products are absent from my freezer. Put your money where your heart is. The progressives who run Ben and Jerry’s do, why shouldn’t I?
Report Post »RichNGadsden
Posted on October 21, 2011 at 9:24amYou got that right. Since there beginning I have never touched their product and never will.
Report Post »