What The French Toast: The Commercial That Made A 'Cootie Queen' A Familiar Face

There have been a lot of memorable commercials over the years, from classics like the Arby's commercials with their grandiose-sounding narrator to recent standouts like the "Breaking Bad" reunion in PopCorners ad form. However, there's one commercial in particular that stands as arguably the most quotable of them all, and it helped turn one particular actor into a familiar face on the airwaves. We're talking, of course, about gum company Orbit's "What the French Toast?" ad from 2007.

This infamous commercial, technically titled "The Affair," sees a woman confronting her partner about cheating on her with another woman. What ensues is a series of some of the most intense, imaginative, and somehow G-rated name-calling ever put to TV, including one party getting called a "doo-doo head cootie queen" and another getting called a "lint licker." It's great stuff, and it ensured that the ad's resident cootie queen — played by Jesse Meriwether — became a lasting presence in the world of commercials.

Due in part to her popularity as the Cootie Queen in Orbit's commercial, Jesse Meriwether became a recurring face in various commercials throughout the ensuing years. One of her most notable subsequent appearances came as part of a special JCPenny's ad for the 2012 Academy Awards, in which she meets Ellen DeGeneres in a Wild West saloon. She has also appeared in commercials for Icebreakers, Charter, Sprint, and Autotrader, among other brands.

Meriwether's influence isn't just limited to the advertising side of TV either. She has actually also been involved with the production of Seth MacFarlane's sci-fi comedy "The Orville," on which she has worked as a specialty costume fabricator.

While her career and list of appearances has expanded quite a bit over the years, many fans still remember Meriwether best for her Orbit appearance. It seems the actor has fond memories of that particular commercial as well. "The writers were on set all day giving us different things to say," she wrote on her personal YouTube channel. "It was a lot of fun. The Orbit people were in the back room and they kept calling via radio: 'We want more chewing! More chewing!' It was pretty hilarious. My jaw was about to fall off by the end of the day. There was a lot of laughing on this set. As you can imagine."