Earlier this month, packages of The Laughing Cow cheese started showing up in grocery stores with a bit of a different look. The cheese brand’s iconic mascot, The Laughing Cow, had stopped laughing, and no one was really sure why.
Now, we know what’s got such a serious expression on The Laughing Cow’s face, and the brand took to Instagram to explain everything. “After 100 years, The Laughing Cow stopped laughing,” the Instagram reel shares. “Why? Well, people are taking every little thing so seriously. All the wedge issues dividing us, letting petty arguments get in the way—so she stopped laughing because she believes a wedge is for sharing, not fighting over.”
In the reel, The Laughing Cow notices debates going on all around her. From what the perfect thermostat setting is to whether or not to watch TV with subtitles, she’s tired of all the petty disagreements. And Bel US, the company behind The Laughing Cow Spreadable Cheese Wedges, is asking for help making her laugh again.
Related: The Laughing Cow Just Stopped Laughing After More Than 100 Years—and No One Knows Why
The Laughing Cow appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live last night, where Kimmel and Guillermo tried to make her laugh, but ended up arguing over whether or not wearing sandals with socks is “sexy.” Since the comedians couldn’t get a smile out of The Laughing Cow, the brand is turning to consumers to help get her laughing again through the #SpreadTheLaugh Challenge.
To participate, consumers can upload funny videos about the petty arguments that divide them and their partner, friend, or anyone else to social media using the #SpreadTheLaugh hashtag. “Joining the challenge is simple,” the brand said in a press release. “Record a video sharing the unnecessary disagreement currently driving a wedge between you and someone else. Acknowledge the disagreement isn’t worth the divide and ask The Laughing Cow to laugh again. Share the video and use #SpreadTheLaugh to join the challenge.”
“We knew The Laughing Cow was loved, but we didn’t realize just how much until she stopped laughing,” said Peter McGuinness, CEO of Bel North America. “Turns out, all those little everyday disagreements really got to her. After all, a wedge is supposed to be something you share, not something that gets between us. She’s laughed for over 100 years and we have to get her to laugh again. We’re going to need everyone’s help.”