Mom's spaghetti: Supermarket channels Eminem to rap battle a customer on Facebook
Lauren O'Neil | CBC News | Posted: October 1, 2015 10:03 PM | Last Updated: October 1, 2015
Australian supermarket had one shot, one opportunity to make internet gold out of an 8 Mile joke
Everybody reading CBC, put your Facebook-scrolling hands up and follow me...
Rap fans from around the world are giving props to an Australian supermarket chain this week for demonstrating that it too, knows the meaning of "mom's spaghetti" in the context of pop culture.
Woolworths is the largest business of its kind down under with 872 grocery stores in current operation across the continent, and over 850,000 fans on Facebook.
While brands of this size generally have well-managed social media channels, it's rare that what they post on them is clever enough to resonate among people outside their main demographic.
So they're praised en masse when they do produce something truly funny — as Woolworths did Monday with a flawless response to one customer's 8 Mile-themed trolling attempt on Facebook.
Jamie McGloin of Melbourne posted the following reworked lyrics from hip-hop artist Eminem's 2002 hit Lose Yourself on Woolworths' official Facebook page Sept. 28:
Dear Woolworths,
Yesterday I was searching for food to make mums spaghetti. I was nervous, my knees were weak, my palms were sweaty and to top it off, I had a vomit on my sweater already.
To be honest, I was ready to drop bombs, but I kept on spaghetti what I wrote down. I feel I had one shot, one opportunity and I let it slip. I could have seized everything and I left with nothing but a brown onion and tomato paste. I lost myself in the spaghetti because I had spaghetti on my spaghetti already. Snap back to spaghetti. Oh there's goes more spaghetti!!
So today I went back to purchase some spaghetti, instead of finding spaghetti in the packet, I found this.
It was spaghetti!!!! What should I do with it? Should I return the spaghetti?
Love Jamie xox
Yesterday I was searching for food to make mums spaghetti. I was nervous, my knees were weak, my palms were sweaty and to top it off, I had a vomit on my sweater already.
To be honest, I was ready to drop bombs, but I kept on spaghetti what I wrote down. I feel I had one shot, one opportunity and I let it slip. I could have seized everything and I left with nothing but a brown onion and tomato paste. I lost myself in the spaghetti because I had spaghetti on my spaghetti already. Snap back to spaghetti. Oh there's goes more spaghetti!!
So today I went back to purchase some spaghetti, instead of finding spaghetti in the packet, I found this.
It was spaghetti!!!! What should I do with it? Should I return the spaghetti?
Love Jamie xox
The photo he included with the public message featured himself holding a package of spaghetti and looking concerned.
It is unclear if the Facebook page's manager knew of the many bizarre "mom's spaghetti" memes that have surfaced online over the years, but he or she was clearly aware of the Eminem track.
Approximately 14 hours after McGloin posted his message, Woolworths replied with its own version of the Oscar-winning song's chorus:
Dear Jamie, you can do anything you set your mind to man.
The answer to your burning question is pretty clear... All you need to do is Lose Yourself in the spaghetti, the sauce, you own it. You better never let it go!
You've only got one pan, don't miss your chance to cook, cuz dinner only comes once in a day.
Yo.
The answer to your burning question is pretty clear... All you need to do is Lose Yourself in the spaghetti, the sauce, you own it. You better never let it go!
You've only got one pan, don't miss your chance to cook, cuz dinner only comes once in a day.
Yo.
But the store's page didn't stop there.
At least a dozen replies to other comments can be seen from Woolworths in the thread, most of them referencing spaghetti, Eminem songs, or the lyrics of other artists like Jay-Z, Mariah Carey and Beyonce.
The brand's first reply to McGloin has now earned more than 160,000 likes, with its additional comments racking up at least 100,000 more combined.
Praise for Woolworths is also coming in the form of news coverage, Twitter fawning, and promises of future business from customers.
"Top marks to Woolworths social media team. It is so nice to see a big company interacting and having fun with their customers," wrote one Facebook fan. "I normally shop IGA, but I will bring my dollars to you today simply because you made my day and gave me a good laugh."
"Woolworths, your comments have made me decide to never shop at Coles again," stated another. "You have my full loyalty."
McGloin has also reaped a few benefits from his 15 minutes of Australian internet fame.
"I can't walk down the street anymore without girls and even boys just throwing their panties at me. I tried to order a coffee before, and the waitress just stood there. Screaming at me. Throwing spaghetti at me," he joked in a status update on his own Facebook profile Tuesday.
"Am I now suddenly rich?" he continued. "Yes, Woolworth's told me they will provide me with unlimited spaghetti and unlimited tape cassettes of 'The slim shady LP'. That's all you need to get by in life. Thanks Woolworths."
Another update, posted Thursday morning, indicates that Woolworths delivered on its promise — sort of.
"What? No? You had one job..." wrote McGloin, sharing a photo of some food and a hand-written note he'd received from Woolworths.
"Though it's a more delicious pasta, We didn't come this far for you to send me Fettucine instead of Spaghetti."
"Though it's a more delicious pasta, We didn't come this far for you to send me Fettucine instead of Spaghetti."
For more "mom's spaghetti," please enjoy this delightful pasta-themed 2013 remix of 8 Mile's iconic theme song by YouTuber BigMitch Baker.