Wacky World of Rubber: Because nothing says football like 'frunk' shrimp

The Ford Mach-E made headlines recently. But not in the ways you probably expect.

Don't get me wrong, there is plenty to celebrate about Ford's electric crossover vehicle, not the least of which is the number of women who helped to make the advanced driver assistance system a reality.

Also worth applauding are unique design implementations. For instance, as an electric vehicle, the Mach-E offered plenty of flexibility for design and engineering. So among its unique features is an underhood storage compartment that offers about 5 cubic feet of space, which is really cool. I'm a mom. I get it: Storage is a good thing, almost as important as cupholders.

From there, though, things got a wee bit weird.

In a news release issued just after the Super Bowl, Ford touted the front trunk, or "frunk," as a 36-gallon cooler that can store your tailgate essentials. And I'm not sure which is more cringe-worthy: the word "frunk" or suggestion that you should eat ice-cold shrimp from it.

Here's a look at the list Ford released:

1. "Just fill the front trunk with ice and beverages and cruise right up to your tailgate. When you're done, open the drain cap at the bottom of the front trunk and let gravity do the rest."

2. "Sign up to bring a game-day spread best served chilled? Top off the frunk with some shaved ice to keep veggies, dips and even shrimp."

3. "Feed an entire team by loading the front trunk with hot wings: You can hold more than 1,000 regular-sized wings with the extra storage space. And don't worry about the sauce—you can open the drain cap and hose down the front trunk when you get home."

4. "Play a game of long-distance cornhole or show off your passing skills by challenging friends to a 'closest to the front trunk' contest."

On the surface, these aren't bad ideas, per se. But the fact that the first edition of the vehicle is priced at $60,000 makes it one really expensive cooler. And if your drunk friends are anything like mine, you especially don't want them throwing anything at it.

Erin Pustay Beaven is the online content editor for Rubber & Plastics News. She is an appreciator of life's littlest treasures, a reader of great books and supporter of the Green Bay Packers and Cleveland Indians. Erin is an advocate for libraries, arts education and PBS. Follow her on Twitter at @EBeavenCrain.