The current national mood is not great, as recession becomes a more likely possibility, the pandemic drags on and inflation hits record highs.
But at least the Mexican Pizza is back.
The fan-favorite Taco Bell dish (YUM), which consists of two fried tortillas sandwiching ground beef and cheese, was removed from the menu in November 2020, as part of Taco Bell’s commitment to compounding the misery of that year.
Jokes aside, it was actually removed because the company was looking to streamline its menu during the pandemic.
It was also looking to further its environmental impact goals, which have included recyclable cups, sustainable packaging, and using only palm oil.
Hard to argue with either of those reasons, but now we as a society have finally made been made whole.
Well, not really, but at least we can have one of our favorite snacks back.
Return Of The King (of the Taco Bell Menu)
After a fan outcry and a social media campaign that included 171,000 people signing a Change.org petition begging the chain to bring it back, Taco Bell announced that the item would be back on the menu.
Now the Mexican Pizza is back, this time with more environmentally friendly packaging.
It will return to the menu on May 17 for Loyalty program members and May 19 for the masses.
Removing a popular fast food item from a menu, only to build demand for its inevitable return, is a practice that’s at least as old as the McRib.
But this time, Taco Bell says the Mexican Pizza is back for good.
No word yet on when the Nachos Supreme, the other fan favorite that was removed in 2020, will reclaim its rightful throne.
Taco Bell is all about going big and is always looking to top itself, and it has a surprising plan to get the word out about the return of the king of the menu.
May 26 will see the debut of, “Mexican Pizza: The Musical,” exclusively on Tik-Tok, and Taco Bell has recruited a truly baffling line-up of celebrities to celebrate the fan favorite.
Joshua Blanchard/Getty Images for Taco Bell
Who Is Appearing In Mexican Pizza: The Musical?
Taco Bell first broke the news about the Mexican Pizza’s return with an assist from the rapper Doja Cat, a noted fan.
But now it’s going even bigger, with a musical number that will feature Doja Cat and the popular TikToker Victor Kunda.
Now it will also country music icon Dolly Patron, also a noted Taco Bell fan, who announced the news on Instragram, and said in an interview that she thinks it should be brought back to menus.
“They used to make a little ... Mexican Pizza,” she said, “which is also good. I love that.”
"Mexican Pizza: The Musical" was written by Hannah Friedman with original music by Grammy award-winning songwriting duo Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear.
In a press release, Taco Bell described it as a "satirical musical about the 'harrowing' story of those who fought to bring back the Mexican Pizza."
Faith Ninivaggi/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty
Wait, What?
There certainly is a lot going on here.
A Tik-Tok musical featuring a rapper that broke through social media and an icon who’s been embraced by the internet in recent years?
All to celebrate the fast food item that has a strong online fanbase?
It definitely feels like some sort of internet-addled fever dream, and a signifier of just how weird the modern world can seem.
But there is a level on which it makes sense.
Taco Bell has long had a reputation as the People’s Food.
It both has the cheapest menu items around, and it had vegetarian and vegan options long before that sort of thing became popular.
You can also have the Mexican Pizza be completely plant-based if that’s your thing.
In a divided culture, the Mexican Pizza is one of the few things we can agree on.
The other thing we can all agree on is Dolly Parton, the rare performer embraced by all sides of the political spectrum.
But Parton has in particular become a hero to online progressives who argue she’s never been given her due for being a forward-thinking feminist, and “9 to 5” one of America’s finest worker anthems.
Then there’s Doja Cat, who seems to spark a new meme every time she logs on.
Taco Bell is always looking to reinvent itself and seem cool to cash-strapped, hungry young people.
So why not throw it all against the wall to see what sticks? It might be cheesy, but people love cheese.
