January 29, 2007
QotD: Baileys is a Girl's Drink
Do not be fooled by recent television commercials depicting comely young hetero chaps guzzling that horrendous, barely alcoholic, sweet, creamy, Celtic muck known as Baileys (girl's drink). See this for what it is — a shameless attempt to broaden the demographic that consumes Baileys (girl's drink). It will not work. I do not care how many advertisements are broadcast showing Baileys (girl's drink)-clutching studly guys and their mates in bars catching the eyes of implausibly hot women. Baileys (girl's drink) is a girl's drink, and no amount of telemarketing sophistry can alter that fact.
James Waterton, "False Advertising", Samizdata, 2007-01-24
Posted by Nicholas at January 29, 2007 12:00 AM
It's as girly as a strawberry daiquiri, but I don't mind drinking it once or twice a year. I do detest the advertising campaign simply because they try too hard.
The ads always show some kind of party situation -- guys and girls drinking Baileys Irish cream, neat or on the rocks, as if it were a scotch. But Baileys is definitely not the sort of liqueur you drag out to serve to your honored guests. You might drag it out as part of an additive to a cocktail, but you would never plunk the bottle on the table and start dishing out Baileys, solo, as if it were wine or whisky. And frankly, they don't do that sort of thing even at women-heavy events like wedding showers.
If it showed the liqueur being used in its conventional role there would probably be little or no resistance, but the idea that you can serve it solo to party guests is just plain hilarious.
While I agree with your point, every real man must have his heterogay aspect and mine includes a whalloping whack of Bailey's in my hugely over caffeinated litre of coffee every few weekend mornings.
Then I listen to show tunes.
Too sweet for me. I used to like such girly drinks when I was 20 or so.. heck I evenliked SHERRY, but now, its just too sweet.. (and girly)
this is rediculous! its like saying basketball is an african-american sport. i say categorizing things like this only encourages making generalizations.us canadians are too busy playing hockey and putting maple syrup on our pancakes to make up generalization after another.
