Yes, 'The Avengers' spiked shawarma sales

Towards the end of The Avengers (no real spoilers here), Iron Man announces he has a powerful need for some shawarma. As the end credits roll, the Avengers gather together in a shawarma joint to dig into the spiced-meat-in-pita specialty. Los Angeles-based TMZ took it upon themselves to poll shawarma sellers to see if sales spiked in the wake of The Avengers. According to their informal poll, they have.

Yesterday I covered how drive-in double features helped earn John Carter an extra $1 million, so The Avengers effect is nothing new. If even a fraction of the popcorn buyers went out for shawarma afterwards, the world would have a shortage of spit-roasted meat. But there's more going on here. Can I say the choice of shawarma was daring, even political?

Shawarma is a Middle Eastern food. It's also not available across the country, though Iron Man mitigates this by saying he hasn't tried it before, but he's curious. Arabs and Muslims eat shawarma, and it's generally only available and well-known in urban areas or places with ethnic enclaves.

Pizza, on the other hand, is a classic American food, beloved among children and people in need of a late-night snack. It's also a bit worn-out as a food choice. Maybe because reptilian superheroes the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were so obsessed with pizza? Still, to replace an item that's available in every American town (and increasingly around the world) with shawarma? That's different. That's funny. It works.

Writer Joss Whedon went outside the box, introducing audiences in America to a delicious cuisine that also happens to come from an area that's traditionally hostile to the U.S., and vice versa. In a small way, isn't Whedon hoping that some of the viewers will seek out a shawarma sandwich, try something new, and maybe challenge their own prejudices--at least about deliciousness? Maybe, as they finish a particularly tasty bite, they may think to themselves, "Can't we all get along?"