Monday, April 8, 2013

Keep Calm and Manatee On

Recently a woman named Susan Clemens noticed something was a little strange when it came to a Mossimo women's kimono maxi dress Target was selling. In the standard sizes the dress color was listed as "dark grey," but when you selected the plus size, the color changed to "manatee grey." Ouch. Target claimed that it was a miscommunication, but I wrote apparel copy for three years, and I'm willing to bet that there's a copywriter out there still giggling about this "mistake."

However, I'm worried that Target's faux pas may cause some negative feelings toward the manatee. This majestic cow of the sea is an amazing creature and doesn't deserve those antagonistic glances. In fact, manatees are actually very concerned about your well-being and happiness. Don't believe me? Check out this website sent in by, alert reader, Jeff. It's called Calming Manatee and it features a series of pictures with manatees attempting to make your day better. And if the manatee that appears doesn't have a message that speaks peace to your mind, just hit refresh and you'll be treated to another.

Here are some of my favorite calming manatees:





There. Don't you feel better already? The site doesn't have as much variety as the Procatinator (nor does it have any music), but a manatee a day is sure to keep the blues away.

Although, if calming manatees aren't your thing, there are also comforting sharks:


5 comments:

Bethany said...

You can tell I have kids because the whole time I was reading I had this song stuck in my head: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpcf_qD3GW4

I think I'll go look at Calming Manatee to comfort me.

The Former 786 said...

Great. Now it's in my head, too. :)

~~~~ said...

Holy Cow, Joel. I am so glad I had the thought "What is Joel up to these days?" This is hilarious.

~~~~ said...

Holy sea cow, that is.

The Former 786 said...

Alan! Oddly enough, I was just thinking about you, too. I hope all is well!