Sean Spicer vs. Dippin' Dots is the bizarre story the internet needed
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer may have started off on a frosty note with the press — but this isn’t the first time he’s gotten into an icy situation.
Back in 2010, before Spicer assumed his post as communications director at the Republican National Committee, he was in the early stages of a bizarre one-sided Twitter war against none other than Dippin’ Dots.
“Dippin dots is NOT the ice cream of the future,” he wanted his followers to know.
Dippin dots is NOT the ice cream of the future
— Sean Spicer (@seanspicer) April 8, 2010
The seemingly unprompted attack on the brand’s original slogan didn’t end there. Over a year later, he informed the masses again that the frozen treat is not what it claims to be.
I think I have said this before but Dippin Dots are notthe ice cream of the future
— Sean Spicer (@seanspicer) September 22, 2011
Then, without comment, he shared an article about Dippin’ Dots’ apparent financial meltdown.
Ice Cream of the Past: Dippin' Dots Files for Bankruptcy http://t.co/xPifdujD
— Sean Spicer (@seanspicer) November 4, 2011
The feud appeared to wane until 2015, more than a year before Spicer would become a high-profile member of President Trump’s administration, when a vanilla flavor shortage at Nationals Park in Washington fanned the flames once again.
If Dippin Dots was truly the ice cream of the future they would not have run out of vanilla cc @Nationals
— Sean Spicer (@seanspicer) September 7, 2015
Dippin’ Dots never responded. But when the A.V. Club recently resurfaced the tweets, Twitter users had a field day.
And in a move that is perhaps peak internet pettiness, a website was even created to send Dippin’ Dots directly to Spicer with one click, “because he’s going to be really annoyed by it.”
we may not have inauguration attendance data yet, but one set of record turnout numbers are in:
— ಠ_ಠ (@MikeIsaac) January 22, 2017
Sean spicer's angry dippin dots twetes pic.twitter.com/KSXlXLLEeB
@seanspicer @BrodyLogan @Nationals Plain vanilla dippin' dots are the best flavor. Period.
— Philip Pinette (@philiPPinette) January 22, 2017
@MikeIsaac No one had numbers on the vanilla, because the @Nationals, which controls the Dippin Dots, does not put any out. @seanspicer
— Jamie Forrest (@jamieforrest) January 22, 2017
Amid the flurry of new attention, Dippin’ Dots finally acknowledged Spicer’s combative history in an attempt to thaw the situation and possibly capitalize on their viral moment.
“We understand that ice cream is a serious matter. And running out of your favorite flavor can feel like a national emergency! We’ve seen your tweets and would like to be friends rather than foes. After all, we believe in connecting the dots,” CEO Scott Fischer wrote in an open letter on Monday.
The letter informed Spicer that Dippin’ Dots is back on the rebound since his 2011 tweet about its financial troubles, and offered to treat the White House and press corps to an ice cream social. “What do you say? We’ll make sure there’s plenty of all your favorite flavors.”
Spicer, who has shifted to tweeting from the @PressSec handle since Friday, responded from his personal account later in the day with a different idea: a sweet treat for veterans and first responders.
Sorry for the delay How about we do something great for the those who have served out nation & 1st responders https://t.co/G9BPmVAXKS
— Sean Spicer (@seanspicer) January 24, 2017
It’s still unclear what inspired Spicer’s lonely five-year campaign against Dippin’ Dots, but it seems our long national ice cream nightmare is finally over.