While enjoying some tasty beverages at Captain Larry’s to celebrate my friend getting older last night, the topic of Mr. Boh looking like the Pringles Guy came up. For some reason, I meet people who decide that Mr. Boh is the Pringles Guy. Inevitably, when I am wearing one of my Boh-related shirts, I get the “Oh, hey, why are you wearing a shirt with the Pringles Guy on it?” I then get into a discussion with these people explaining to them the significance of Mr. Boh as a local cultural icon.
Does Mr. Boh really look like the Pringles Guy? Let’s compare the two:
Mr. Boh
The Pringles Guy
We have the obvious hair and moustache similarity, but that’s where it ends. Mr. Boh has ONE eye, and he also has a discernible mouth. The Pringles Guy does not. Moreoever, the Pringles Guy is an obvious corporate shill–behold the ostentatious “Pringles” logo that adorns his “bow tie.” The Pringles Guy “look” has been updated for the new century, but the overall look has not changed.
There is really a simple way to remember the difference between the two. Mr. Boh is associated with a formerly Baltimore-brewed beer that is bad-tasting, inexpensive, and nostaligic. Mr. Boh is seen in classic advertisements as serving beer “from the Land of Pleasant Living.” The Pringles Guy, on the other hand, is associated with canned potato chips that are full of things not terribly good for you. Mr. Boh is the purveyor of beer, while the Pringles Guy is the purveyor of chips.
Keep the two straight, damn it!
{ 3 } Comments
i feel your pain, i have a hat from boh geer down on fells point and alot of people have asked me if it’t the pringles guy. and there are people who live in the city. ahistorical putzazoids.
a similar thing befalls when we drive to other parts of the country, people see our “hon” and “beehive” stickers on our verhicule and ask what the hell it means. if you have to explain it, it feels kind of lame…
Hey, better they think its the Pringles Guy than this guy:
http://thepulseblog.chattablogs.com/archives/hts-thumb.jpg
Granted, I’m new to the area, but I call him “Blinky, the Cyclops”, and more than a few times he’s helped me navigate my way home.
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