YMMV / Wilkins Coffee

• Alternative Character Interpretation: Wilkins was Serious Business in pitching Wilkins Coffee on Wontkins... and then several other brands of coffee afterwards. Maybe he just likes finding things to maim Wontkins over.
• Common Knowledge: Many people will tell you that Wilkins served as a prototype for Kermit, having a similar body structure and voice. However, Kermit was already a pre-established character at this point on Sam and Friends, predating the Wilkins Coffee commercials by a couple years. Granted, Kermit wasn't finalized yet, as he was a reptile back then instead of a frog, but he very much came before Wilkins.
• Crosses the Line Twice: The things that Wontkins goes through. Some are so extremely violent that you can't help but laugh. Also, the way Wilkins goes about torturing the poor guy (i.e., having him cut up by a conveyor belt and saying, "He always was a cutup.")
• Designated Hero: Played for Laughs. Wilkins is portrayed as the peppy "good guy" to Wontkins' grouchy "bad guy", but is willing to kill someone in a variety of elaborate and gruesome ways for the crime of not liking coffee.
• Designated Villain: Played for Laughs. Wontkins is the ostensible "bad guy" of the commercials, but, other than seeming somewhat gruff, never does anything more heinous than refuse to drink Wilkins Coffee. In comparison, his Foil Wilkins cheerily murders him in almost every short.
• Fridge Horror: Some have wondered how Wilkins himself would react to the fact that the company has gone out of business. General consensus is that it wouldn't be pleasant.
  • Or he'd most likely adapt and sell a new product, as he did before.
• Hilarious in Hindsight:
  • Of all the products Wilkins promoted, Faygo has come to make the most sense... perhaps too much sense.
  • Related to the aforementioned Common Knowledge, Jim Henson did enlist the actual Kermit in commercials for McGarry's Sausages, but as the victim of the abuse instead of the perpetrator.
• Ho Yay: A few commercials ship Wontkins with a crossdressing Wilkins.
  Wilkins: Darling, if I marry you, will you keep me in Wilkins Coffee?
  Wontkins: Boy, will this be a soggy romance...
• Just Here for Godzilla: Wilkins and Wontkins are remembered more fondly than the coffee itself. Though consider it was a local brand that doesn't exist anymore, this shouldn't surprise anyone.
• Memetic Psychopath: Wilkins will maim and/or kill anyone who doesn't drink Wilkins Coffee.
• Nightmare Fuel: Now has its own page.
• Special Effect Failure: During the mountain climbing commercial, after Wilkins lets go of the rope adorned to Wontkins, Jim Henson can be seen stepping out slightly from behind the set, as well as putting his hand on his hip when Wilkins says, "When you come back up, don't forget the Wilkins!"
• Values Dissonance: Given that these commercials were made in The '50s, it's no surprise that some skits haven't aged well.
  • During the skit where Wilkins is tasked with delivering a shipment of Wilkins Coffee via stagecoach, Wontkins refers to the Native Americans as Indians, who proceed to fire arrows on Wilkins' coach, since "everybody drinks Wilkins".
  • One commercial has Wilkins and Wontkins being boiled in Wilkins Coffee by cannibals, and although they're silhouetted, the cannibals are very clearly offensive native African depictions.

---