It’s rare to meet someone who doesn’t like pizza. Because what’s not to like? It comes in all types of varieties, from deep-dish to crispy crust. Personally, I describe my favorite as “flat and orange,” which hopefully those of you in the New York and New Jersey areas can easily picture. That orange is the cheese mixed with the sauce, and it’s just a satisfying combo. Cheese in itself is an important part of any pizza, which is why it’s important that you know the truth about it.
Now, you’ve probably seen plenty of pizza commercials. Domino’s, Pizza Hut, and Papa John’s are all about them. That means you’ve likely seen the “cheese pull” before, which is a maneuver that companies use to show how gooey and delicious their pizza cheese really is. Thanks to Munchies, now we know that we’ve been duped.
Writer Bettina Makalintal wrote that she used to work for a cheese magazine, meaning she’s witnessed a lot of cheese. And she’s totally over the cheese pull. “At best, it’s an overdone gimmick; at worst, it turns foods into monstrosities focused less on flavor and more on likeliness to be Instagrammed by would-be influencers,” she passionately stated.
Here are some cheese pulls, just to show you how strange it really is:
It might look satisfying to some, but Makalintal’s issue with it goes beyond the fact that it’s kind of a gimmick. She writes that the cheeses used that pull that way are usually the ones that lack flavor. So, they’re really advertising the richness of the cheese and not the fact that the pizza’s own natural flavors may actually inspire you to put away the garlic and oregano.
Check out this obvious cheese pull from Little Caesar’s:
[fm_youtube url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycjr_HPfiN8"]
Now, nothing against Little Caesar’s, but usually their pizzas sit out for a little so that they can be picked up without placing an order. They have their place in the pizza world, but it’s likely not your first choice.
Not only does this 1992 Pizza Hut commercial show a few cheese pulls, but it also advertises their “ooey gooey cheeses”:
[fm_youtube url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USQKiPSiK0E"]So as you can see, the cheese pull has literally been used for decades. But in a way, it’s almost advertising that while delicious, the ingredients could probably be much better.
But, there’s science behind this deception as well. An article in Quartz titled “The art and science of the ‘cheese pull’: Why the cheesiest ad trick still makes us hungry” states that advertisers use the cheese pull to communicate with a nonverbal part of our brains that’ll respond with total desire. We see it, and we want it. Which is very true.
The cheese pull isn’t just used for pizza, either.
Feeling hungry? You should — that’s your brain at work.
Next time you see a cheese pull, know that it’s placed there to toy with your brain. And remember, the pizza in the commercial is good, but probably doesn’t taste half as good as it looks. If you’re looking to grab a slice, always consider supporting a local shop that uses fresh ingredients, and totally delicious cheese.
