Doja Cat, who had a huge year with the release of her third album Planet Her, is trying to leverage her influence to bring back a beloved fast-food menu item: Taco Bell’s discontinued Mexican pizza. Last year, Taco Bell cut the menu favorite in an effort to streamline its gargantuan selection (and save over 7 million pounds of paperboard in the process). The move was met with general outcry on social media as fans mourned the loss of the topping-stacked tortilla in a box.
Please @tacobell bring back Mexican pizza and spicy potato soft taco. I’m asking you nicely first.
— Ric Nast (@DojaCat) September 3, 2020
At the time, Doja Cat was one of those who lamented the pizza getting axed, “asking nicely” for the fast-food giant to reconsider. However, in the past year, Doja has apparently accumulated some goodwill at Taco Bell corporate — or, at least, at Taco Bell’s ad agency — landing her song “Get Into It (Yuh)” on the company’s new commercial for its Double Steak Grilled Cheese Burrito. In the ad, a geeky cosplayer (SAGA!!) appears to have met their match, until the infamous Taco Bell sound effect prompts a late-night snack run instead (surely, they could have done both, but I digress).
k this commercial is perfect @tacobell pic.twitter.com/p6W8E0Bc0L
— the real slim rachie (@yorachel__) November 18, 2021
Doja, seizing the opportunity, tweeted, “Hey @tacobell, just heard my song in your commercial… I’m a #TacoBellPartner now. So where’s my Mexican Pizza?”
Hey @tacobell, just heard my song in your commercial… I’m a #TacoBellPartner now. So where’s my Mexican Pizza?
— Ric Nast (@DojaCat) November 22, 2021
When a fan answered, prompting her to speak to Taco Bell’s “Chief Impact Officer,” who is a friend of Doja’s — it’s Lil Nas X, by the way — the Taco Bell account responded in typical personified corporate account fashion: with a the three-emoji string of eye-mouth-eye, implying… well, there are a lot of potential definitions, but in this case, it seems to be a sanguine interest in the topic being discussed.
Talk to their Chief Impact Officer.
I believe that he’s a friend of yours.— Paul M (@PtrMkasa) November 22, 2021
— Taco Bell (@tacobell) November 22, 2021
Of course, that only opened the door for more of Doja’s meme-ready shenanigans, as she hit Taco Bell with that infamous three-letter acronym, “WYD?” When the response turned out to not be “rolling out those delicious Mexican pizzas,” though, she dismissed her new playmate, telling them to “STFU” until further notice.
— Ric Nast (@DojaCat) November 23, 2021
— Ric Nast (@DojaCat) November 23, 2021
Could this be the beginning of the return of the Mexican Pizza menu item? Wouldn’t it be a weird way to begin the rollout? And isn’t “weird” pretty much Doja’s (and Lil Nas X’s) whole brand? And how does Rico Nasty — Doja’s good friend who occasionally goes by the alter ego “Tacobella” — figure into all of this (they’ve swapped profile pics for the past week or so)? I don’t know, but I can’t wait to find out. Fingers crossed for a “limited-time” sort of deal, a la Megan Thee Stallion’s “Hottie Sauce” collab with Popeyes.