THE HAT SQUAD: GINGER

Ginger has passed away, but she led a full life - she was a centenarian when she died.

No, I'm not talking about Tina Louise of 'Gilligan's Island'. I'm referring to the female Chihuahua who played the Taco Bell-loving male in those blipverts that ran until 2000. Those ads provided a TV catch-phrase that enjoyed a short shelf-life: "Yo Quiero Taco Bell!"

As the Taco Bell spokesperson (her voice supplied by Carlos Alazraqui), Ginger's life within the reality of Toobworld proved to be different from most dogs. Like any talking canine, "he" may have been reincarnated from a past life as a Toobworld human (perhaps as some tele-revolutionary like El Puerco of 'Soap'?).

And "he" faced down the tele-version of the new Godzilla in one of the last ad campaigns, trying to lure the monster into a trap using the food of Taco Bell. ("Here, Lizard, Lizard, Lizard....")

As my Iddiot friend Brian-El said, Ginger has dropped the chalupa for the last time.....

BCnU.....