We all have our food preferences, but there is something fascinating about celebrity food quirks. One of the most notable is the iconic fried peanut butter and banana sandwich Elvis Presley enjoyed. You still see his love for this sandwich bleed into menus from burgers with peanut butter and banana and often bacon being labeled The Elvis, or even shakes at your local nutrition center.
I saw the new Baz Luhrmann Elvis biopic four times in theatres, so obviously I am obsessed and knew that my August column had to include the superstar. Graceland hosts “Elvis Week” this month in Memphis Aug. 9-17, and his famous sandwich will be enjoyed by the masses, as fans remember him on the 45th anniversary of his death. Elvis was such a food fanatic, he once took a midnight flight from Graceland to Denver in his private jet, the Lisa Marie, just to get a Fool’s Gold Loaf sandwich, an 8,000-calorie sandwich made from a hollowed-out loaf with an entire jar of peanut butter, a jar of jelly and a pound of bacon.
It got me thinking though: are there any other “famous” celebrity food faves?
The Elvis is arguably the most renowned. The Arnie Palmer comes close; it refers to the professional golfer Arnold Palmer, who was known to enjoy a non-alcoholic beverage that combines iced tea and lemonade. Another non-alcoholic drink named after the child star who warmed America’s heart is the Shirley Temple. Penny Marshall’s character Laverne loved the mixture of Pepsi and milk together; I have tried it, and it’s mid (that’s a modern slang term for mediocre).
There is also the Dagwood, which is a tall, multilayered sandwich named after Dagwood Bumstead, a central character in the comic strip Blondie, who is often seen making enormous sandwiches. There are even some burger joints that will dub their burgers The Wilbur, based on Charlotte’s Web, typically involving bacon and maybe an egg on top.
There are many occasions where foods were made famous in pop culture. What is the first thing you think of when I mention Popeye? Spinach, right? Or Homer Simpson’s diet of Duff beer and donuts, E.T. and Reese’s Pieces, pre-cancelled Paula Deen and butter, and I am pretty sure every kid in the 80s drank whole eggs like Rocky at one point in their lives, even once, just to try it.
A less glamorous token of 80s food nostalgia were the cringe-worthy Jell-O ads featuring Bill Cosby, or when Michael Jackson’s hair caught fire during the filming of a Pepsi commercial and that crazy man kept dancing even with his hair ablaze. The point is, food is life, and it is hard to escape, even when talking about movies, music and the like. Heck, late rapper Wesley Willis famously recorded a song called “Rock and Roll McDonalds.”
Speaking of McDonald’s, aside from notable endorsement deals like Justin Timberlake who was “lovin’ it” way back in 2003, the fast-food chain has also recently released some exclusive menu items that piggy-back off the popularity of current pop stars. Bad-boy rapper Travis Scott had his own limited-time burger meal at McDonalds in 2020 called the Travis Scott meal.
It was a Quarter Pounder, featuring thick sliced applewood smoked bacon, topped with two slices of American cheese, pickles, lettuce, onion, ketchup and yellow mustard. Once that had its run, the J Balvin burger made its debut in which included the musician’s favorite McDonalds order: a Big Mac, medium fries with ketchup and an Oreo McFlurry. My family, half of which are K-Pop fanatics, were most obsessed with the BTS meal which included Chicken McNuggets and special limited-time only BTS dipping sauces. Arby’s capitalized on this trend with their Jack Harlow and Pusha T meals.
It's not just pop stars who have their favorite foods; World leaders and dignitaries have made their likes (and dislikes) known throughout the years. Anyone who has been around Queen Elizabeth can testify that the reigning Queen of England for the past 70 years is a chocoholic. Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter is a famous peanut farmer, his successor Ronald Regan had a deal with Jelly Belly and had shipments of jellybeans sent to the West Wing his entire 8-year tenure.
His VP and successor George H.W. Bush stated on many occasions that he hated broccoli which really seemed like a latent childhood resentment bubbling to the surface. Bill Clinton was often ridiculed for his love for his love of fast-food fries and liberal propogandists claim that former President Donald Trump had a “Diet Coke button” installed in the Oval Office.
The truth is, there is a button in the Oval Office that has been used by Presidents for years, it was just that the majority of how it was utilized during Trump’s term was a request for his favorite soft drink. As for our current President, Joe Biden, the guy loves ice cream. A lot.
Athletes are known to have some weird food fetishes as well. For example, late basketball legend Kobe Bryant enjoyed a pretzel before each game. NBA star Steph Curry apparently ranks popcorn at each stadium. Former Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch was always seen eating Skittles on the sidelines and eventually signed an endorsement deal with the candy brand.
Let’s not forget two-time world heavyweight boxing champion and Olympic gold medalist George Forman and his George Forman Grill. Those infomercials worked, man. My husband and I totally have a George Forman Grill. If you love Minnesota sports and want a good food experience revolving around some of your favorite players, head to The Nook in St. Paul which has burgers named after Paul Molitor, Joe Mauer, Matt Birk and Michael Floyd just to name a few.
Celebrity rider requests could be a column of its own, but there are a few notable dressing room demands: apparently the band Foo Fighters have a 52-page book of instructions that include a special ice cream recipe. The band Van Halen famously demanded that all the brown M&Ms be removed from the group’s candy bowl. Kiss star Gene Simmons requests ice cubes in his cereal and milk.
John Mayer requests kid’s cereals (sans ice), like Cap n Crunch and Count Chocula when in season. Kanye West requires a slushy machine. Country star Blake Shelton is about as basic as you would expect, demanding a bag of Hershey’s chocolate mix, Lay’s barbecue chips, a bag of Cheetos and beef jerky. Alicia Keys stipulates there be canned tuna backstage, while Shakira specifically requests six bananas, and Eminem will lose himself if you don’t provide Lunchables.
Some of the more lavish requests are included, more-or-less, just as a test to make sure the venue read the entire rider; if they missed the M&Ms, is the sound or light rigging to standard?
There are celebrities making big bucks in the food and beverage industry: The Rock slings his own tequila brand, Teramana, as well as energy drinks and ice cream; actor Ryan Reynolds is co-owner of Aviation American Gin; Oscar winner Hugh Jackman co-founded Laughing Man Coffee Company, which produces fair trade coffee.
Food is a tie that binds us all, regardless of celebrity status, but from famous people selling their own products, going to great lengths to ensure they have access to them or simply sharing their love for certain foods, tying fame to food is a mainstay in pop culture. Watch for “Molly Penny’s Weak Room Temperature Coffee” on shelves near you.
Molly Penny is a local radio personality and MNSU alum. It was her love of pop culture that got her interested in doing a radio show for KOWZ 100.9, and she is now the music and promotions director at KOWZ & KRUE Radio in Owatonna. She resides in Mankato with her movie buff husband and YouTube obsessed children. Catch her on Twitter at @mollyhoodUSA.
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