While more than a few acts from the “bands that start with The and end with an S” movement of the early 2000’s have fallen by the wayside, The Killers remain relevant in the form of a fortune cookie.
The band has always had a pretty good sense of humor about itself, showing up frequently on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and never being afraid to act a little silly in their videos so it can be assumed that their response is tongue in cheek. That said, Brandon Flowers did express his love for orange chicken in the band’s cover of “I’ll Be Home For Christmas.” And really, while Panda Express isn’t the best Chinese food out there (we hear they don’t even use real panda), sometimes you’re stuck in the suburbs.
“Smile Like You Mean It” was the third U.S. single from The Killers’ auspicious debut Hot Fuss. Released in May of ’05, according to frontman Flowers it “was quite a sophisticated song for where we were at that time.” And a cookie telling you to ”smile like you mean it” is certainly less concerning that letting you know that you had a boyfriend that looked like a girlfriend that you met in February of last year.
Panda Express tweeted back at the band about the serious nature of orange chicken love, along with an attempt to make it a thing via hashtag.
The fans have only one thing on their mind, though:
While The Killers may have not been canny enough to trademark “smile like you mean it,” don’t expect to see “this sick beat” or “cause we never go out of style” in generously greased cookie sheets anytime soon. As of press time, The Killers have not received a lifetime supply of orange chicken.