Wacky Packages Deride Canadians

Remember the old "wacky packages" manufactured by Topps? These packs of thin gum included trading cards, much like sports cards, spoofing legitimate products. Wacky packages debuted in the 1970s and are still being produced today. Examples of some of the more popular cards include "Peter Pain Peanut Butter", "Hawaiian Punks", "Neveready Batteries", "Fruit of the Tomb", and "Slaytex Gloves".

Wacky packages were extremely popular three decades ago and apparently they are now making a comeback. My son, who wasn't even a twinkle in his daddy's eye in the 1970s, is collecting them now and his father recently bought him several, newer Wacky Packages. Wondering if they were, indeed, the real thing, he read through the entire text on the back of the package.

Most people will never read every little thing printed on the back of a package. Apparently my son, however, was bored enough to do so. What he found was totally surprising: an enigmatic, and apparently purposely derogatory statement regarding a requirement for Canadian residents to claim a prize:

"Approximate odds per pack of finding, blah, blah, blah...Drawings on or about November 27, 2007. Potential Canadian winners will be required to first correctly answer a mathematical skill-testing question: 20 + 4 x 2 - 10 = ?"

Hunh?

It seems that Topps has something against their Canadian customers. According to wackypackages.net, Wacky Packages were first released in Canada in 1974 manufactured by O-Pee-Chee and the company continued producing them there until the 1990s, when O-Pee-Chee was bought out by Nestle. Does Topps take exception to this for reason?

The official website, www.wackypackages.com offers this disclaimer: THIS PRODUCT IS NOT AUTHORIZED OR ENDORSED BY ANY OF THE COMPANIES WHO ARE THE SUBJECT OF PARODY. THE PRODUCTS WE ARE SPOOFING -- INCLUDING OUR OWN -- ARE ALL GOOD ONES, NO KIDDING. It does not, however, include any apologies to the Canadians who may be offended by their prize rules.

Just goes to show the importance of reading the fine print.