It took a few months, but Jessica Simpson is now apparently clear on what's inside a can of Chicken Of The Sea. Turning an embarrassing public gaffe into a public relations opportunity like only a true "pop princess" can, Simpson "surprised" the employees of the Chicken of the Sea tuna company on Monday with a guest appearance to confirm the answer to the question she first asked while filming an episode of MTV's Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica -- "Is it chicken or is it tuna?"
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By now fans of the show (and even many non-fans) are familiar with the August episode in which Simpson, while eating out of a can of Chicken of the Sea, wondered whether the product inside the can was tuna or chicken while her new husband, former 98 Degrees singer Nick Lachey looked on in disbelief. It took a couple of months, but apparently someone at Chicken Of The Sea finally realized they had a PR opportunity on their hands and invited Simpson to visit the company headquarters. "We wanted to bring her down and make sure she understood the difference, and told her the story of how the brand name originated," said Chicken of the Sea senior vice president of marketing Don George, also adding that he would love to talk with Simpson about becoming a company spokeswoman.
"Back in 1914, when the company was known by another name, we were the first to can `light' tuna. So consumers would know to expect a mild-flavored white fish -- that tasted similar to chicken -- the company marketed it under the name Chicken of the Sea. It was such a success that the company eventually adopted the product name," George explained to Simpson.
Simpson, who is also shown eating out of a can of Chicken of the Sea in her newest "With You" video, was presented with a basket of Chicken of the Sea tuna and trinkets, including an apron for the famous new homemaker. "We hope Jessica will continue to enjoy Chicken of the Sea" said George.
No word yet if Jessica is planning a trip to Buffalo, New York to resolve her "I don't eat buffalo meat" response when she was offered some buffalo wings in another series episode.
The season finale of Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica airs on MTV this evening at 1)30PM ET. A surprise hit, MTV has already renewed Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica for another six-episode second season that is expected to air in early 2004.