Oh, DONUTS! (New Media Friday)
June 6, 2008
This is episode 44 of the Bowl of Cheese Podcast.
Or subscribe on the iTunes link to the right. And feel free to read and giggle at the transcript…
Today is national donut day – should that be in caps – National Donut Day, in the United States. Even though I wasn’t aware of the holiday until this morning, it already holds special significance to me because I am the original Donut Tuesday purveyor.
Allow a brief explanation…
For half a dozen years I’ve worked onsite for a variety of clients as a freelance writer. I was brought up correctly by my overworked parents who instilled in me the practice of never arriving empty-handed when you’re a guest at someone’s home. As an onsite freelancer, I was in-effect working at the home office of a business and therefore felt compelled to bring a gift on one of my first visits.
That’s how Donut Tuesday started. On one of the first Tuesdays that I worked at Brookstone‘s corporate location in New Hampshire I arrived with donuts. Several of the creative staffers asked me why did I bring in donuts and I said because it was Tuesday. It began there.
But, the donuts were so healthy and popular that employees clamored for their sugary goodness. Co-workers asked me when the next donut day was (even before my first week onsite was up) and I told them that common sense dictated that a Donut Tuesday could not happen on a day other than Tuesday.
I brought donuts again the following Tuesday and created a monster.
Thereafter, on each Tuesday I worked for the company – and subsequently at other firms like TJX and Tweeter – I established Donut Tuesday as a real weekly holiday.
From time to time I varied the offerings, but the day remained the same.
Some of the least popular were Transfat Tuesday and Fruit Cup Tuesday – opposite ends of the Treat Tuesday continuum. But Hostess Tuesday, Fries and Pies Tuesday and Bagel Tuesday were smashing hits.
So, as you raise the donut flag today and bow your head, I urge you to think about the power of the donut. It’s certainly not the incredible edible egg, but it’s darn close. And a lot more tasty.
More to come…
