A perambulating Mr. Peanut visits Robertson Boulevard
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If you happened to be in the vicinity of Robertson Boulevard on Tuesday, and thought you spotted a luxe legume -- complete with a top hat, monocle and walking stick -- strolling by, don’t worry, you’re not nuts.
It was just Planters’ Mr. Peanut advertising icon appearing in the flesh (well, in the shell, to be more precise) as part of a nationwide tour to promote a new community service and conservation program.
Part of that program involves helping cities turn unused land into peanut-shaped, recreational spaces (designed by landscape architect Ken Smith, they’ll be dubbed ‘Planters Groves’). Another part involves a new biodiesel ‘nutmobile’ set to debut at the Global Green Pre-Oscar party on Wednesday -- which is how Mr. Peanut found himself in town with some time to kill.
As regular readers of All the Rage may know, I’ve long had a soft spot in my heart for the dandily dressed goober. In November, I reported that Mr. P (as his friends call him) had gotten an extreme wardrobe makeover. So the folks at Planters made sure to send over a few photos of their peripatetic peanut soaking up some sunny SoCal weather as he strolls down Robertson Boulevard.
The two accompanying this post are my favorite. The photo at above left because the two young women on the right side of the photo don’t seem at all alarmed that a giant, well-dressed groundnut is strolling past them. (Perhaps they’re locals who are simply inured to the effects of celebrity.)
And the photo above right against a familiar-looking white picket fence is photographic proof-positive that while Mr. Peanut may be making his first actual visit to the area, he’s no stranger to the way Hollywood operates: If you want to be seen, go to the Ivy.
Of course, what I’d really love to see is how Mr. P handles himself in a TMZ video ambush interview. Is that too much to ask for?
-- Adam Tschorn