Look, it's just a vicar eating cake. What could go wrong?

November 9, 2018 2:25 PM

From the UK, the Christmas TV advert for Mr Kiplings cakes from 2003. This was shown three times, quickly racked up nearly 800 complaints, and was pulled from TV but shown in the cinema (with a 15 certificate). Their "These are the monkeys!" ad was a popular one from 2016; other (less controversial) Mr Kipling ads about apple and custard pies (contains innuendo), from 1987, apple pies without custard, 1982, 1978 (Bakewell Tart), a Manor House cake and Grandma's tin and a wall of cake. Also, Stewart Lee and Richard Herring make a Mr Kipling cake advert.
posted by Wordshore (18 comments total)

Look, it's just a vicar eating cake. What could go wrong?

As long as the cakes have no decorations of a lascivious equine variety...
posted by Greg_Ace at 2:40 PM on November 9, 2018 [4 favorites]

I'm missing something. What's the innuendo with the fishing one?
posted by greermahoney at 2:44 PM on November 9, 2018 [6 favorites]

I'm missing something. What's the innuendo with the fishing one?

There is a thing that many (not all) Mr Kipling adverts start with (usually subtle) innuendo. So for example, this one starts with "I saw a lot of cherries in the bakery the other day..." and this one starts with "The other day, Mr Kipling invited me round to tea; he wanted to show me a particularly fine cock he'd been working on."

The one you indicated starts with "Mr Kipling is inclined to jest about my fishing equipment".
posted by Wordshore at 2:50 PM on November 9, 2018 [4 favorites]

OMG this led me to discover that the voice of the Mr Kipling adverts was James Hayter who was in Are You Being Served? And here's an outtake he did which has made my year. That's it - that is the end-point of the Internet.
posted by Wordshore at 2:58 PM on November 9, 2018 [5 favorites]

The 2003 advert is worth watching for the very last line, a deliciously slightly muted, "It's a girl!". Nearly needed a new screen and keyboard after that - not to mention another cup of coffee!
posted by vac2003 at 3:00 PM on November 9, 2018 [16 favorites]

As an American, the only thing I know about vicars is that they're inherently funny, so [bender_with_cigar] whenever I hear that a vicar did something, I assume it was hilariously awkward, and 99% of the time, I'm right. [/bender_with_cigar]
posted by J.K. Seazer at 3:03 PM on November 9, 2018 [4 favorites]

I used to think everyone called them 'Mr Criplin' until I found out it just my family (though it got 'best name' when I was on a course and we had do a team exercise of running an imaginary cake company)
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 3:14 PM on November 9, 2018 [3 favorites]

Vicars, cakes... none more Wordshore.
posted by GenjiandProust at 3:52 PM on November 9, 2018 [8 favorites]

The 2003 advert is worth watching for the very last line, a deliciously slightly muted, "It's a girl!".

That ad was great. Cringingly, "OMG they went there" great. That last line was icing on the cake. [rimshot]
posted by Artful Codger at 3:59 PM on November 9, 2018 [6 favorites]

Mr. Tebbs said a bad word!!!

So many London memories are tied up with stuffing my face full of marked-down Mr. Kipling's apple pies from the Safeway near my hotel.

and yes, "it's a girl" was the icing on the cake
posted by The Underpants Monster at 4:04 PM on November 9, 2018 [4 favorites]

Vicars, cakes... none more Wordshore.

Perhaps, but he does make exceedingly good posts.
posted by GeckoDundee at 8:33 PM on November 9, 2018 [7 favorites]

Exceedingly diverting, Mr Wordshore.
posted by a humble nudibranch at 8:56 PM on November 9, 2018 [2 favorites]

I'm missing something. What's the innuendo with the fishing one?

Remember that "fishing gear" is a synonym for "tackle"
posted by fallingbadgers at 12:14 AM on November 10, 2018 [5 favorites]

Better than the programs they interrupted generally. There was a rich vein of nostalgic British TV advertising which harkened back to a time that very few ever experienced directly but which is a staple of a certain type of TV program. Amateur dramatics, cricket teas, village hall/green, country/village life, the North, delivery boys on bicycles etc, etc ... Mr Kipling (dreadful cakes, with a over-sweet synthetic tasting filling mostly) made exceedingly good adverts, if only their cakes were anywhere near as good.
posted by epo at 3:24 AM on November 10, 2018 [1 favorite]

Though I prefer Wordshore's version, to my ears the ad begins by referring to a particularly fine clock.
posted by epo at 4:48 AM on November 10, 2018 [3 favorites]

Well, Mr Kipling's cakes ARE really good.
posted by Ms. Moonlight at 12:41 PM on November 10, 2018 [1 favorite]

Y'all keep saying cake and I keep seeing pies....
posted by basalganglia at 4:27 PM on November 10, 2018 [1 favorite]

Bisto owner plans Brexit stockpile

Premier Foods has said it intends to stockpile raw materials in the run-up to Brexit as fears grow over gridlock at UK ports.

The firm, which owns Bisto, Oxo and Mr Kipling, said it was taking steps "in the absence of certainty over the arrangements for the UK's departure from the EU".

At least in our post-Brexit Mad Maxian hellscape we will still be able to get Mr Criplin
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 4:31 AM on November 13, 2018 [1 favorite]