Doritos Super Bowl Theme for 2010: Senseless Violence

 

Doritos is continuing to crowdsource its Super Bowl spots, and it seems like the creators and voters need to get out their aggression.

There are six finalists competing for 3 spots. The twist this year is that if they take the top 3 in USA Today's ad votes, the winners split a $5 million prize. Take that, agencies!

Overall, the spots are very good. They&39;re viewable at the Crash the Super Bowl site, and also at this site for press. Viewed all together though, the humor wares off as one theme emerges: almost all involve senseless violence. This is true for five of the six finalists:

1. An old guy tasers a younger guy at a vending machine
2. A guy slaps another guy, knocking him across the room
3. A Doritos ninja goes all samurai, attacking a guy at the gym
4. A dog chokes and electrocutes its owner
5. A young boy slaps his mom&39;s suitor, warning the guy to keep his hands of both "momma" and the Doritos

As for the one spot that&39;s not violent, the protagonist is in a coffin.

What does this all mean? Are corn chip eaters sadistic? Is everyone voting for chips in some kind of butt kicking mode? Does it mean that we should send Doritos lovers into Afghanistan so they can show the Taliban who&39;s REALLY boss? Were the non-violent spots just pathetic? Is the recession causing everyone to hoard more and thus making Americans more selfish?

I don&39;t know. I mean, I could make something up on the spot, and it would be very entertaining, discussing our national psyche. And it&39;s hardly surprising to see some violence in a competition where the funniest spots will win. But to have all of the spots hinging on violence or death is rather bleak. It makes me want to look for a snack chip that incite me to attack someone.