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What’s new? What’s great? What’s weird? Our columnist samples offerings from supermarket aisles and fast-food menus.
Better Bad Pizza
Pizza Mia Pizza
By: Pizza Hut
Suggested Retail Price: $6.99 for a one-topping medium pie (only comes in medium), or three for $5 each
TASTE:
MARKETING:
If I want to watch TV, I'll watch TV. On the web I want to read, especially when I'm taking breaks from work. Add video as a supplement, sure, but keep the written content there as well.
I love the videos, and I love YOU, Mr. Norton! You always bring at least a smile to my face, if not an actual lol! Thanks! And, I can perfectly understand you w. yr mouth full. And I'm in Boston, not mpls.
Wait a tick, y'all are in mpls? And the forums have us lumped in with the whole Midwest? What's that about? Also, do you need interns?
Not sure if jrnorton23 noticed, but they have a nifty editing technique now called....oh, yeah EDITING. there seems to be some snappy editing in the beginning of the clip, so i'm sure they can edit out the twenty seconds of you chewing.
so here's the three things i've learned reading the comments for the "supertaster" videos:
1) basically, nobody likes the videos. they have a snappy intro, but...+READ
Not sure if jrnorton23 noticed, but they have a nifty editing technique now called....oh, yeah EDITING. there seems to be some snappy editing in the beginning of the clip, so i'm sure they can edit out the twenty seconds of you chewing.
so here's the three things i've learned reading the comments for the "supertaster" videos:
1) basically, nobody likes the videos. they have a snappy intro, but after that it descends into amateur video.
2) nobody wants to hear you speak with a mouthful of grub. eat and then speak.
3) the sound of chewing is like nails on a chalkboard...play some techno music to make it look cool...edit it out...do what you must, but the sound of chewing has got to go.-COLLAPSE
Wow, quite an outpouring of emotion. First of all, thanks for all the positivity mixed in with the "kill video!" sentiment. I really appreciate it.
As for video vs. text -- we're trying to get the balance right. I don't want to speak for my editors, but I suspect we'll settle on something like a 3:1 written:video ratio.
As for talking with my mouth full... oy. Yeah, I'll try to do better with...+READ
Wow, quite an outpouring of emotion. First of all, thanks for all the positivity mixed in with the "kill video!" sentiment. I really appreciate it.
As for video vs. text -- we're trying to get the balance right. I don't want to speak for my editors, but I suspect we'll settle on something like a 3:1 written:video ratio.
As for talking with my mouth full... oy. Yeah, I'll try to do better with that. The problem is the phenomenon of "dead air" -- you watching me chew silently for 20 seconds until I'm done with my mouthful. But point taken.
Thanks to all of y'all for the feedback.-COLLAPSE
Loved the original, written column. Consider this another vote to bring it back.
I have no problem with videos if they add to the experience -- show me the food being tested up-close, use some infographics, go Alton Brown with it --- but watching a sweatshirted dude eat pizza and describe it with his mouth full is really unappetizing.
I always thought that James Norton was cool. But now I know that he likes Achewood (note his sweatshirt), I know for a fact that he is.
For the uninitiated: achewood.com
It's actually got a surprisingly large amount of food/cooking references in it.
Yet another vote for the written.
Another vote to 86 the videos. Keep the written word.
Another vote here for a written version of this column. Thanks!
I really enjoy the videos! I don't need the information per se because I never eat that kind of food (convenience), but it's just another reason to spend way too much time on the CH site....
Hey Supertaster, how about giving a review of Morningstar Farms Veggie Sausauge Patties - one of your advertisers? If you do I bet it won't be negative.
Pizza hut is horrible in general. One time our pizza was really bad so we complained they said there would be a credit under our name but when we called back they said there wasn't and there was no manager to talk to. They didn't call us back either when we requested to speak to a manager.
What does everyone think of a Supertaster in Paris?
Yeah, people talking with their mouths full is disgusting.
Another vote to nix the videos - I don't really need to listen to anyone talk with their mouth full. Sorry.
Yes, text. :)
definitely written
how about both ?
Hey readers - Jim's editor here. We haven't done away with the written column. We just like to switch things up a bit. So we'll be having video sometimes and written other times. I am extremely pleased that you all like to read the column. Thanks for your feedback.
Bring back the text, lose the videos.
Text please!
Sorry for all the typos. Apparently, my brain is broken today!
I generally don't much care for video content, preferring text because then I can read it as quickly or as slowly as I like as opposed to video where I'm stuck watching it at the speed it's presented.
That being said, I didn't dislike this as much as I though that I would. Regardless, as the other contributors have stated, I would prefer a return to your written colulmn, although including...+READ
I generally don't much care for video content, preferring text because then I can read it as quickly or as slowly as I like as opposed to video where I'm stuck watching it at the speed it's presented.
That being said, I didn't dislike this as much as I though that I would. Regardless, as the other contributors have stated, I would prefer a return to your written colulmn, although including several pictures of the foods you're reviewing (instead of just a small shor of the [[ackaging) would be fantastic.
I also really miss the customized pictures representing yourself that you had early on in the column; I know that it was probably a lot of work to do, but I feel that - at least for me - not only was it a lot of fun, but it was what drew me to your writing in the first place and were it not for them, I might well have skipped SuperTaster over.
Anyways, I just wanted to wrap up by saying how much I've grown to like SuperTaster! Thanks for all your work.-COLLAPSE
another vote to being back the written column and nix the video.
What's the point of doing this on video if you're not even going to show the food being reviewed? Nowhere in this spot did we get to see up close what each of the pizzas looked like. Therefore, and for the reasons others have stated above, I also vote to bring back the written version.
Written please!
Another vote to go back to the written column. Sorry, dude, but I'd rather skip to the pertinent info and be done with it. Plus, now we only get one product per column.
Nothing personal.
And, don't forget the conventional bit of customer service wisdom, for every person who takes the time to express their opinion, there are likely 6 to 9 others who agree, but don't say anything!
Yes please get rid of provide written reviews again. I can't watch the videos at work.
Agreed as well - Supertaster is the best Chow column, but please please PLEASE bring back written reviews! I avoid most of the video content here - too much of a PITA to play on my slow home computer, and inappropriate at work.
What Jon said.
I love Supertaster, but I wish you'd go back to the written reviews and give up the videos. The vids are fine, but the written reviews give me a better idea of what the product actually tastes like.
ST is definitely the best Chow content aside from Chowhound.