Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
The List of Advertising Offenses
An oldie from 1998.
Here at Commercials I Hate, we have astutely noticed that America's most hated commercials have many factors in common.
With this in mind, we have compiled a checklist of crimes committed in advertisements that we call
The List of Advertising Offenses
Spouse hiding the product in purse
Husband has a terrible cough and has been hacking loudly through dinner.
He uses his own cough drops, but continues to bark like a dying seal.
ONLY THEN does the wife reveal HER cough drops,
which have been cleverly hidden in her purse the whole time.
What the hell was she waiting for?
I have never understood why commercials show spouses
using competing products, as if they have a bet or something.
#72, the Numbered Series
Usually shown as two 15-second clips back to back.
The first one is number 34 in a series of helpful tips.
The next commercial is number 18.
What's up with the random numbers in random order?
It's not as if there are REALLY 34 commercials and you've only seen these two.
There are always just two.
Ad execs only think this is a good idea because they saw someone else do it.
It's a cop-out and we can tell.
Not showing the product
You'd think it would be obvious.
The television has a screen for viewing things.
Why not show your product?
Not saying what the product is or does
Another brain-stumping error in the world of TV advertising.
Most common with medication
(you'd think it's an important detail, knowing what the medicine is for).
Liquid pouring and splashing up into the air
This is shown most often in commercials for cereal,
where the milk pours into the cereal from a stupefying height,
cresting and splashing up and out of the bowl.
This is also shown in ads for Kool-Aid and Nestea.
This is supposed to represent what exactly?
Who pours liquid from way up high and splashes it everywhere?
They also do this in commercials for liquid bleach!
Who would be so careless with liquid bleach?
Car spinning out of control
The commercial is for a car, and they ALWAYS show the car fish-tailing to a screeching halt.
This is supposed to demonstrate what exactly?
I suppose this stunt is to appeal to my alpha-male side.
Yeah, give me a car that spins. Preferrably spraying a fine mist from a wet road, or spewing dust in a giant cloud as I rip through the desert, destroying my clear-coat.
You know what? I just don't get it.
When you see a car spinning like that on the real road, you know someone is about to die, and that car is about to become a Coke can.
Totally unreal situations
These ads show people in situations they would never really be in,
like two grown women grocery shopping together with one cart,
or a girls soccer team eating cheerios
with bowls and spoons on the soccer field.
I saw an ad where a guy eats cereal at an outdoor cafe,
with the cereal box on the table.
People eat cereal at home and that's it.
Nobody goes out and pays to eat cereal in a cafe.
And on the soccer field? Give me a break!
I'd like to see an ad that shows single people eating right over the sink.
Now that's a real situation.
Michael Jordan
Here is a man who can play basketball,
but who absolutely can not talk.
It amazes me that MCI, a communications company,
used a spokesperson who can barely communicate.
You can barely understand the man.
He slurs his words together like a drunk stockbroker
or a teenage girl smacking on bubblegum.
Or maybe he still has hot dog bun stuck to the roof of his mouth
from that delicious Ball Park hot dog!
If someone was paying me millions of dollars to say something asinine like,
"Now I can talk with all my space jam buddies",
I would make damn sure that what I said clearly sounded like
"Now I can talk with all my space jam buddies".
What did they do, shoot one take and go home?
In recent years it seems Nike, Hanes and others have gotten the message.
Nowadays the Michael Jordan of commercials only stands there silently, makes a face, or shoots hoops.
People using the word "brand" in casual conversation
Prime example is the newly revised,
"I am stuck on Band-Aid BRAND, 'cause Band-Aid's stuck on me"
And who could forget the natural-sounding delivery of...
"New Lean Pockets! From Hot Pockets BRAND!"
People do not use the word BRAND when speaking about
or requesting a product. It doesn't happen.
The Interview
This is when the ordinary Joe/ headache sufferer/ dentist's wife
responds as if being interviewed, and they NEVER EVER
look in the direction of the camera.
The camera keeps switching angles for no reason-
she's talking to the left, she's talking to the right,
You want to yell "Hey! Over here, Sugar!"
People finishing each other's sentences
Here we show people from all walks of life,
each speaking a fragment of a sentence,
edited together into a big annoying mess.
The worst part comes at the end, when each person in turn says the last part of the sentence. We get to hear the same three or four words spoken by 5 or 6 people. Somebody somewhere thought this was cute.
I'd like to put cactus quills in that guy's scrambled eggs.
The Stupid Man
I know why they do it.
They do it because the woman is the consumer of the household.
But men make buying decisions too, ya know.
And we don't LIKE to see ourselves portrayed as glazed-eyed, mouth-ajar helpless MORONS.
Daddy can't cook. Daddy can't clean. Daddy can't discipline the child.
Daddy can't control himself in Circuit City.
Daddy runs in circles holding a baby at arm's length.
He has absolutely no idea what it is or why it makes that noise.
Daddy takes the kids to McDonalds because Mom's Not Home.
And the single woman watching at home laughs heartily "Ha! It's so true!"
Actor tries to sound unrehearsed
This is when the actor goes "uh.." and hesitates and talks all slow, in order to sound more natural.
All this does is piss me off. I'm like "SPIT IT OUT!"
It's really lame actually. It doesn't sound more natural,
it just sounds like the person can't remember what they were just talking about.
"Simply the Best"
The commercial uses the Tina Turner song "Simply the Best."
A brilliant song, using the innovative rhyme,
"You're the best / better than the rest",
Tina Turner's dopey "Simply the Best" has been used by
cruise lines and roofers alike, all claiming to be the best.
Give it a rest.
SHOUTING AT ME
Shouting at me doesn't inspire me to do business with you.
People talking like the product description
My favorite example is V8 Splash, where the Mom says,
"My guy loves his V8 Splash Fruit Juice Drink."
The Posthumous Endorsement
It should be illegal to use Marylin Monroe to sell Tommy perfume,
Fred Astaire to sell vacuums, and Steve McQueen to sell khakis.
The Blue Liquid
The ad is for pads or tampons or diapers
or any product that absorbs pee, and they prove the product's
spongeworthiness by pouring blue liquid on it.
Bastardization of a popular song
This is when they take a popular song and CHANGE THE LYRICS so the song is about the product.
Remember "Toyota's Hot Hot Hot" and Budget Gourmet's "Things That Make You Go Mmmm" ?
This is not the same as when they use a song you used to love, and play it until you hate it - like what Cadillac did to Led Zeppelin (as if any Cadillac driver can STAND Led Zeppelin). Now I have to skip past the song when I pop in the cd because I've gotten so sick of hearing it.
Person who Doesn't Get It
These commercials feature some thick-headed guy who just doesn't get it.
Even though someone is talking right to his face,
the guy can't hear or can't understand,
leaving their exasperated friend to repeatedly shout,
"It's not delivery, it's DiGiorno" or "AFLAC"
I should point out that repeatedly shouting ANYTHING within a 30-second period
is a great way to annoy people really quick.
Commercial is an Old Navy commercial
Even if they started making good commercials, we would still hate them.
We would hate them for what they've done to us.
We would hate them for the big-glasses lady
and for Magic the dog and for the TV rerun parodies
and for Lisa Ling and Morgan Fairchild and for the guy
who can only be known as The Old Navy Guy.
Annoying, annoying annoying.
Here at Commercials I Hate, we have astutely noticed that America's most hated commercials have many factors in common.
With this in mind, we have compiled a checklist of crimes committed in advertisements that we call
The List of Advertising Offenses
Spouse hiding the product in purse
Husband has a terrible cough and has been hacking loudly through dinner.
He uses his own cough drops, but continues to bark like a dying seal.
ONLY THEN does the wife reveal HER cough drops,
which have been cleverly hidden in her purse the whole time.
What the hell was she waiting for?
I have never understood why commercials show spouses
using competing products, as if they have a bet or something.
#72, the Numbered Series
Usually shown as two 15-second clips back to back.
The first one is number 34 in a series of helpful tips.
The next commercial is number 18.
What's up with the random numbers in random order?
It's not as if there are REALLY 34 commercials and you've only seen these two.
There are always just two.
Ad execs only think this is a good idea because they saw someone else do it.
It's a cop-out and we can tell.
Not showing the product
You'd think it would be obvious.
The television has a screen for viewing things.
Why not show your product?
Not saying what the product is or does
Another brain-stumping error in the world of TV advertising.
Most common with medication
(you'd think it's an important detail, knowing what the medicine is for).
Liquid pouring and splashing up into the air
This is shown most often in commercials for cereal,
where the milk pours into the cereal from a stupefying height,
cresting and splashing up and out of the bowl.
This is also shown in ads for Kool-Aid and Nestea.
This is supposed to represent what exactly?
Who pours liquid from way up high and splashes it everywhere?
They also do this in commercials for liquid bleach!
Who would be so careless with liquid bleach?
Car spinning out of control
The commercial is for a car, and they ALWAYS show the car fish-tailing to a screeching halt.
This is supposed to demonstrate what exactly?
I suppose this stunt is to appeal to my alpha-male side.
Yeah, give me a car that spins. Preferrably spraying a fine mist from a wet road, or spewing dust in a giant cloud as I rip through the desert, destroying my clear-coat.
You know what? I just don't get it.
When you see a car spinning like that on the real road, you know someone is about to die, and that car is about to become a Coke can.
Totally unreal situations
These ads show people in situations they would never really be in,
like two grown women grocery shopping together with one cart,
or a girls soccer team eating cheerios
with bowls and spoons on the soccer field.
I saw an ad where a guy eats cereal at an outdoor cafe,
with the cereal box on the table.
People eat cereal at home and that's it.
Nobody goes out and pays to eat cereal in a cafe.
And on the soccer field? Give me a break!
I'd like to see an ad that shows single people eating right over the sink.
Now that's a real situation.
Michael Jordan
Here is a man who can play basketball,
but who absolutely can not talk.
It amazes me that MCI, a communications company,
used a spokesperson who can barely communicate.
You can barely understand the man.
He slurs his words together like a drunk stockbroker
or a teenage girl smacking on bubblegum.
Or maybe he still has hot dog bun stuck to the roof of his mouth
from that delicious Ball Park hot dog!
If someone was paying me millions of dollars to say something asinine like,
"Now I can talk with all my space jam buddies",
I would make damn sure that what I said clearly sounded like
"Now I can talk with all my space jam buddies".
What did they do, shoot one take and go home?
In recent years it seems Nike, Hanes and others have gotten the message.
Nowadays the Michael Jordan of commercials only stands there silently, makes a face, or shoots hoops.
People using the word "brand" in casual conversation
Prime example is the newly revised,
"I am stuck on Band-Aid BRAND, 'cause Band-Aid's stuck on me"
And who could forget the natural-sounding delivery of...
"New Lean Pockets! From Hot Pockets BRAND!"
People do not use the word BRAND when speaking about
or requesting a product. It doesn't happen.
The Interview
This is when the ordinary Joe/ headache sufferer/ dentist's wife
responds as if being interviewed, and they NEVER EVER
look in the direction of the camera.
The camera keeps switching angles for no reason-
she's talking to the left, she's talking to the right,
You want to yell "Hey! Over here, Sugar!"
People finishing each other's sentences
Here we show people from all walks of life,
each speaking a fragment of a sentence,
edited together into a big annoying mess.
The worst part comes at the end, when each person in turn says the last part of the sentence. We get to hear the same three or four words spoken by 5 or 6 people. Somebody somewhere thought this was cute.
I'd like to put cactus quills in that guy's scrambled eggs.
The Stupid Man
I know why they do it.
They do it because the woman is the consumer of the household.
But men make buying decisions too, ya know.
And we don't LIKE to see ourselves portrayed as glazed-eyed, mouth-ajar helpless MORONS.
Daddy can't cook. Daddy can't clean. Daddy can't discipline the child.
Daddy can't control himself in Circuit City.
Daddy runs in circles holding a baby at arm's length.
He has absolutely no idea what it is or why it makes that noise.
Daddy takes the kids to McDonalds because Mom's Not Home.
And the single woman watching at home laughs heartily "Ha! It's so true!"
Actor tries to sound unrehearsed
This is when the actor goes "uh.." and hesitates and talks all slow, in order to sound more natural.
All this does is piss me off. I'm like "SPIT IT OUT!"
It's really lame actually. It doesn't sound more natural,
it just sounds like the person can't remember what they were just talking about.
"Simply the Best"
The commercial uses the Tina Turner song "Simply the Best."
A brilliant song, using the innovative rhyme,
"You're the best / better than the rest",
Tina Turner's dopey "Simply the Best" has been used by
cruise lines and roofers alike, all claiming to be the best.
Give it a rest.
SHOUTING AT ME
Shouting at me doesn't inspire me to do business with you.
People talking like the product description
My favorite example is V8 Splash, where the Mom says,
"My guy loves his V8 Splash Fruit Juice Drink."
The Posthumous Endorsement
It should be illegal to use Marylin Monroe to sell Tommy perfume,
Fred Astaire to sell vacuums, and Steve McQueen to sell khakis.
The Blue Liquid
The ad is for pads or tampons or diapers
or any product that absorbs pee, and they prove the product's
spongeworthiness by pouring blue liquid on it.
Bastardization of a popular song
This is when they take a popular song and CHANGE THE LYRICS so the song is about the product.
Remember "Toyota's Hot Hot Hot" and Budget Gourmet's "Things That Make You Go Mmmm" ?
This is not the same as when they use a song you used to love, and play it until you hate it - like what Cadillac did to Led Zeppelin (as if any Cadillac driver can STAND Led Zeppelin). Now I have to skip past the song when I pop in the cd because I've gotten so sick of hearing it.
Person who Doesn't Get It
These commercials feature some thick-headed guy who just doesn't get it.
Even though someone is talking right to his face,
the guy can't hear or can't understand,
leaving their exasperated friend to repeatedly shout,
"It's not delivery, it's DiGiorno" or "AFLAC"
I should point out that repeatedly shouting ANYTHING within a 30-second period
is a great way to annoy people really quick.
Commercial is an Old Navy commercial
Even if they started making good commercials, we would still hate them.
We would hate them for what they've done to us.
We would hate them for the big-glasses lady
and for Magic the dog and for the TV rerun parodies
and for Lisa Ling and Morgan Fairchild and for the guy
who can only be known as The Old Navy Guy.
Annoying, annoying annoying.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
ADVERTISING OFFENSE: Nabisco "Tip #94"
I picked up a 100-calorie pack of "Oreos" in someone's kitchen today
(Oreos in quotes because these are thin chocolate cookies with no filling and not even shaped like Oreos)
and on the pack it says
100 Healthy Living Tips"
Tip # 94
Treat yourself to dessert - sensibly.
Balance out your favorite treats with fruits and vegetables throughout the day to keep your diet on track.
For more of the 100 Healthy Living Tips, Please visit www.NabiscoWorld.com/100caloriepacks
Of course, to be a dick about it, I went to the website and there's no 100 Healthy Living Tips.
A Google search of "Nabisco 100 Healthy Living Tips" revealed a message board where some ladies
were going to post all of the 100 tips they found on their 100-calorie cookie packs.
Guess what the first one was? #94, posted above.
In fact two ladies found this one. Hmm, surprise.
In fact only three unique tips were discovered and posted by these ladies.
Interestingly enough, my Google search also turned up a page on the website for NBC's The Biggest Loser
where there is in fact a Nabisco-sponsored list of 100 Healthy Living Tips.
And #94 is, like on the cookie bag, Treat Yourself to Dessert.
Healthy Living, here I come!
(Oreos in quotes because these are thin chocolate cookies with no filling and not even shaped like Oreos)
and on the pack it says
100 Healthy Living Tips"
Tip # 94
Treat yourself to dessert - sensibly.
Balance out your favorite treats with fruits and vegetables throughout the day to keep your diet on track.
For more of the 100 Healthy Living Tips, Please visit www.NabiscoWorld.com/100caloriepacks
Of course, to be a dick about it, I went to the website and there's no 100 Healthy Living Tips.
A Google search of "Nabisco 100 Healthy Living Tips" revealed a message board where some ladies
were going to post all of the 100 tips they found on their 100-calorie cookie packs.
Guess what the first one was? #94, posted above.
In fact two ladies found this one. Hmm, surprise.
In fact only three unique tips were discovered and posted by these ladies.
Interestingly enough, my Google search also turned up a page on the website for NBC's The Biggest Loser
where there is in fact a Nabisco-sponsored list of 100 Healthy Living Tips.
And #94 is, like on the cookie bag, Treat Yourself to Dessert.
Healthy Living, here I come!
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Topic: New CIH Flair on Facebook
If you're on Facebook, be sure and ADD "Commercials I Hate" as one of your Pages!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Commercials-I-Hate/13876314165
And if you have the Pieces of Flair application for Facebook (highly recommended!!!!!)
You can add these new "Commercials I Hate" Pieces of Flair!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Commercials-I-Hate/13876314165
And if you have the Pieces of Flair application for Facebook (highly recommended!!!!!)
You can add these new "Commercials I Hate" Pieces of Flair!
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Repeat Offender: Wayne Wilderson
Meet Wayne Wilderson.
He's teaching a group of kids about the Chevy Tahoe.
He's the friendly Washington Mutual banker who is so embarrassed by that flock of old "white man" bankers.
Want to rent a car from Avis, he's your man.
Popeye's Fried Chicken? He's done it.
And the Fruit of the Loom guys? He's the grape.
Ladies and gentlemen, I think I may have found the only black man in America.
What if the ad agencies couldn't find Wayne?
There could possibly be no black people in commercials that day.
I believe Wayne actually inherited the role of "the only black guy in every commercial on TV"
from this man, Thom Barry, who has since graduated to the cast of Cold Case.
Friday, May 02, 2008
I am tired of ASKING. "Are you in line?"
Okay, people. We've been doing this since we were four years old.
It's time to learn HOW to STAND in line.
Nobody likes to stand in line. I'm not asking you to like it. Just do it.
Please. If there are people in line when you arrive, please take a moment to notice what direction the line is pointing in.
Now stand behind the last person in line. No, no, no, wait. Not over there. Come back over here. Thaaat's right.
You want to position yourself so that the person in front of you is between you and the person in front of them.
See? Now you're in a line. You're not standing three feet away and off to one side.
No one needs to ask you if you're in line. You are a living breathing part of the line. Isn't that better?
Okay now wait a moment. I can see you're excited about finally being a part of the line. But hey - not so close!
The person in front of you doesn't need to feel the twin blasts of breath from your nostrils on the back of their neck.
They also do not need to feel the cold metallic kiss of the buckle on your purse or belt. Back off a little bit.
Hey, not so far! You only need to back off a little. Now there's room for one or two more people in front of you.
Everyone will ask you if you're in line or not! Don't you want to be a part of the line?
Step forward, so that you are 12 to 18 inches from the person in front of you.
And here's the key - when the person in front of you steps forward - you step forward, too.
Who are these morons that leave all the space in the line? Scoot up!
Please don't make me ask if you're in line or not. Just get in the fucking line. Please.
It's time to learn HOW to STAND in line.
Nobody likes to stand in line. I'm not asking you to like it. Just do it.
Please. If there are people in line when you arrive, please take a moment to notice what direction the line is pointing in.
Now stand behind the last person in line. No, no, no, wait. Not over there. Come back over here. Thaaat's right.
You want to position yourself so that the person in front of you is between you and the person in front of them.
See? Now you're in a line. You're not standing three feet away and off to one side.
No one needs to ask you if you're in line. You are a living breathing part of the line. Isn't that better?
Okay now wait a moment. I can see you're excited about finally being a part of the line. But hey - not so close!
The person in front of you doesn't need to feel the twin blasts of breath from your nostrils on the back of their neck.
They also do not need to feel the cold metallic kiss of the buckle on your purse or belt. Back off a little bit.
Hey, not so far! You only need to back off a little. Now there's room for one or two more people in front of you.
Everyone will ask you if you're in line or not! Don't you want to be a part of the line?
Step forward, so that you are 12 to 18 inches from the person in front of you.
And here's the key - when the person in front of you steps forward - you step forward, too.
Who are these morons that leave all the space in the line? Scoot up!
Please don't make me ask if you're in line or not. Just get in the fucking line. Please.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
The RIAA and Illegal Downloading
Every day on the news, the RIAA is going ape shit over file-sharing services ruining their business. People can download music for free, says the RIAA, and those are people who aren't buying cd's in the store.
I'd like to point out that the Public Library System has been in place forever. Anyone who wants to read the latest bestseller can get it for free at the library, where it is then passed on to another reader. There's two readers that didn't buy the book. And I don't hear the publishing industry raising hell over it.
People still buy books, and publishers still get paid.
Writers don't drive Bentleys upholstered with Burberry fabric. I didn't see Chuck Palahniuk on MTV Cribs. Recording artists are paid exorbitant sums.
How dare the RIAA even imply that file sharing is taking food out of anyone's mouth! It's so stupid and transparent, it's making my head hurt.
I'd like to point out that the Public Library System has been in place forever. Anyone who wants to read the latest bestseller can get it for free at the library, where it is then passed on to another reader. There's two readers that didn't buy the book. And I don't hear the publishing industry raising hell over it.
People still buy books, and publishers still get paid.
Writers don't drive Bentleys upholstered with Burberry fabric. I didn't see Chuck Palahniuk on MTV Cribs. Recording artists are paid exorbitant sums.
How dare the RIAA even imply that file sharing is taking food out of anyone's mouth! It's so stupid and transparent, it's making my head hurt.
To the tiny woman in the Cadillac Escalade who nearly ran me onto the shoulder this morning.
Excuse me. This is a merging lane and I'm attempting to merge onto the freeway now. It's clearly my turn. I'm not sure why you keep scooting up. Where do you expect me to go? It's supposed to be like a zipper, lady. One car from your lane, then one car from mine. We merge and then we go about our business. Zzzz-zip. Hey, what are you doing? Please stop inching forward. Hey. Hey. Okay, please listen to my horn now for the next fifteen seconds. You like that? I'd like to now direct your attention to my hoisted middle finger. Yes, that's right, apply your brakes now. Oh, you can see me now! I understand. You forget to look down here sometimes. And now I can see you. Hair-do, knuckles and steering wheel. Nice death machine you have there. How many people are in there with you? None? Really? What the fuck are you driving that thing for? You don't even know how to control it. You can't see a car right next to you. You are a danger to yourself and everyone on the road. Why are you driving that outrageous monstrosity? You look like a tiny white termite in a gorilla's nostril. Now you must know what your own tiny brain feels like rattling around inside your head. What are you, hauling construction beams in that thing? What do you need it for? Wait, I know. It's to feed your idiot greed and lust for stupid expensive sh*t. Well, we're all very impressed here on the 101 Freeway. Oh, I can't see you in my rearview mirror anymore. You're a little speck back there. Gosh, you drive so slowly when traffic is moving, I wonder why you were in such a hurry when the traffic was stopped? Maybe you're on the phone now and can't be bothered to step on the gas. If only the people behind you could see the 50 feet of empty road in front of you. I bet they'd like to be driving on it. Well, this has been fun. I'll leave you behind for now. See you tomorrow!
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
The Baby Bulldozer
As my girlfriend and I squeezed past 250 of Hollywood's Slowest People this weekend at the Grove, I remarked, "SUV's aren't enough anymore. Now they have to have SUV's for their babies."
It's horrifyingly true. No longer limited to the look-at-my-big-rock newly married sandal-wearing white yuppie couple, the giant navy blue Baby Shopping Cart phenomenon now crosses racial and economic borders. Armenians, Persians, Hispanics, Asians, Blacks, all of them with baby carriers wider than the escalator and taller than their oldest child.
Clogging up the paths of shoppers everywhere, these plastic monstrosities often contain piles of shopping bags, purses, grocery bags, extra sandals, sunscreen, diapers, and no baby whatsoever.
The Baby Bulldozer is a total nuisance. There's no way around it, over it, or through it, and the oncoming parent inevitably steers it directly toward your feet.
Fuck that shit.
I told my girlfriend if I have a baby I'm carrying it in a backpack.
I'll stay the fuck out of everybody's way if they stay out of mine.
You. With the overflowing pillow-top hooded navy blue segway-wheeled double-decker 4-foot-wide plastic Baby Escalade. Why don't you just carry your baby in your huge giant purse instead of putting purse and baby inside that obese excuse for a stroller? Or why don't you just stay home?
It's horrifyingly true. No longer limited to the look-at-my-big-rock newly married sandal-wearing white yuppie couple, the giant navy blue Baby Shopping Cart phenomenon now crosses racial and economic borders. Armenians, Persians, Hispanics, Asians, Blacks, all of them with baby carriers wider than the escalator and taller than their oldest child.
Clogging up the paths of shoppers everywhere, these plastic monstrosities often contain piles of shopping bags, purses, grocery bags, extra sandals, sunscreen, diapers, and no baby whatsoever.
The Baby Bulldozer is a total nuisance. There's no way around it, over it, or through it, and the oncoming parent inevitably steers it directly toward your feet.
Fuck that shit.
I told my girlfriend if I have a baby I'm carrying it in a backpack.
I'll stay the fuck out of everybody's way if they stay out of mine.
You. With the overflowing pillow-top hooded navy blue segway-wheeled double-decker 4-foot-wide plastic Baby Escalade. Why don't you just carry your baby in your huge giant purse instead of putting purse and baby inside that obese excuse for a stroller? Or why don't you just stay home?
Wednesday, December 22, 2004
your website....
is HILARIOUS!!! absolutely love it, absolutely can't stand all of these commercials!! can i put a link to your site on mine? mine is just a website showing my art... but i do have a links page with some random things i like on there. it is www.denisekoleda.com. keep up the good work and i definitely plan on posting on the blog sometime soon!! (the one thing i can't stand right now is the hot twenty-something wife/ balding fat guy husband couple epidemic on tv.... ugh!
denise koleda
denise koleda
Thursday, December 16, 2004
Bad commercials
Nathan:
I haven't hit the website for a while so forgive me if these are old news but there are currently two more commercials on the air that really make me want to run out screaming in the night.
1) Charmin Bathroom Tissue: This is one where an older bear is lecturing, in song no less, a younger bear about not using too much toilet tissue. As bad and corny as that is, it proceeds to show the younger bear hunker down and lean against a tree, tissue in hand, apparently to take a dump. Answers the old question though.
2) Cinamon Toast Crunch Cereal: Husband and wife at breakfast table. He is doing a (bad) Barry White imitation, extoling the virtues of the cereal. It goes on and on. Shows the wife eating. Eventually we get to hear my favorite anachronism . . . the record needle scratch, whereupon the wife tells the husband to "Zip It". Rude, stupid, tasteless and IRRITATING.
Dishonorable mention.
Tampax Pearl Tampons: Girl uses tampon to plug hole in bottom of leaky canoe. AARRRrrrGGGHhhhhh. Makes it even worse if you think of the "little boat" analogy. . . They couldn't have done that intentionally, could they? Naaaaaa
I'd say, keep on plugging, but somewhow that now seems kind of crude.
so,
Best Regards,
Randy Kimball
Sandy, Utah
I haven't hit the website for a while so forgive me if these are old news but there are currently two more commercials on the air that really make me want to run out screaming in the night.
1) Charmin Bathroom Tissue: This is one where an older bear is lecturing, in song no less, a younger bear about not using too much toilet tissue. As bad and corny as that is, it proceeds to show the younger bear hunker down and lean against a tree, tissue in hand, apparently to take a dump. Answers the old question though.
2) Cinamon Toast Crunch Cereal: Husband and wife at breakfast table. He is doing a (bad) Barry White imitation, extoling the virtues of the cereal. It goes on and on. Shows the wife eating. Eventually we get to hear my favorite anachronism . . . the record needle scratch, whereupon the wife tells the husband to "Zip It". Rude, stupid, tasteless and IRRITATING.
Dishonorable mention.
Tampax Pearl Tampons: Girl uses tampon to plug hole in bottom of leaky canoe. AARRRrrrGGGHhhhhh. Makes it even worse if you think of the "little boat" analogy. . . They couldn't have done that intentionally, could they? Naaaaaa
I'd say, keep on plugging, but somewhow that now seems kind of crude.
so,
Best Regards,
Randy Kimball
Sandy, Utah
Wednesday, December 15, 2004
Commercials I hate
I hate the Intel Centrino commercials that feature the Blue Man Group..... beyond stupid.
Steve Lewis
Steve Lewis
Tuesday, December 14, 2004
Jeep Painting Class
Hi Nathan--
I came across your website while doing research for an ad critique I happen to be doing about a commercial you happened to write about -- the Jeep Painting Class. My critique of the commercial is very similar to yours, so it was nice to know I wasn't the only one annoyed with it. However, in writing the critique, I need to provide a quite detailed description of the ad. As luck would have it, as soon as I actually want to watch the commercial in more detail, I cannot find it anywhere. Since you have pictures of the ad posted on your site, I was wondering if you have access to the ad or maybe if you know where I could find it.
Thanks
Melissa
I came across your website while doing research for an ad critique I happen to be doing about a commercial you happened to write about -- the Jeep Painting Class. My critique of the commercial is very similar to yours, so it was nice to know I wasn't the only one annoyed with it. However, in writing the critique, I need to provide a quite detailed description of the ad. As luck would have it, as soon as I actually want to watch the commercial in more detail, I cannot find it anywhere. Since you have pictures of the ad posted on your site, I was wondering if you have access to the ad or maybe if you know where I could find it.
Thanks
Melissa
Tuesday, December 07, 2004
ad story that pissed me off...
I found your website-laughed my ass off. Her is a sample of
my hatred towards the corporate world of ads:
I bought a Powerade drink one day and it happened that they
were runnig a contest to win prizes and cash. I opened it
and the lid said something like: You Have Won!-go to
powerade.com -enter the prize number below and claim your
prize! I go to the site and go thru 6-7 pages of disclaimers
& crap asking for personal info like address, email, phone,
etc-takes about ten minutes as thier site was running slow
and when I finally get to my prize-what did I WIN?
A FUCKING POWERADE SCREEN SAVER!
Another fucking scam to add all your personal info to
millions of useless mailing lists.
I have vowed to die of thirst before buying a powerade drink
again.
Keep up the site
Thanks
Ron
my hatred towards the corporate world of ads:
I bought a Powerade drink one day and it happened that they
were runnig a contest to win prizes and cash. I opened it
and the lid said something like: You Have Won!-go to
powerade.com -enter the prize number below and claim your
prize! I go to the site and go thru 6-7 pages of disclaimers
& crap asking for personal info like address, email, phone,
etc-takes about ten minutes as thier site was running slow
and when I finally get to my prize-what did I WIN?
A FUCKING POWERADE SCREEN SAVER!
Another fucking scam to add all your personal info to
millions of useless mailing lists.
I have vowed to die of thirst before buying a powerade drink
again.
Keep up the site
Thanks
Ron
hillarious!
I stumbled upon your website, and I’ve been reading it for the past 40 minutes (boss is out of town). It’s ridiculously funny! I was surprised though, not to find the semi new McDonalds “I’m loving it” commercials. Awful! Keep up the amazing work!
Melissa Schwartz
Melissa Schwartz
Wednesday, December 01, 2004
Jos. A. Bank commercial
Nathan,
Is anything more ridiculous than a commercial that does not make sense? I'm talking about a commercial for Jos. A. Bank Clothiers that has been running on cable news shows such as CNN and FOX since Nov. 3. In it, a smarmy guy wearing upscale clothing is depicted in several different types of scenarios, with a voice-over by a Michael York sound-alike (may even be him) pronouncing a single word for each scene, apparently in an attempt to describe both the situation and the clothing. The different scenarios are, for example, helping his daughter with homework, leading a boardroom meeting, on a date with his wife, etc. I don't remember all the words, or even all the scenes, but the one that doesn't make sense is where he is helping his daughter with her homework, and the voice says, "urgency."
In all the other scenes, the spoken word coincides with the scene and makes sense. But, urgency? It's so ridiculous that I cringe every time it comes on. Please review and list this advertisement so those yokels know what a poor excuse for an advertisement they have foisted on us!
John
Is anything more ridiculous than a commercial that does not make sense? I'm talking about a commercial for Jos. A. Bank Clothiers that has been running on cable news shows such as CNN and FOX since Nov. 3. In it, a smarmy guy wearing upscale clothing is depicted in several different types of scenarios, with a voice-over by a Michael York sound-alike (may even be him) pronouncing a single word for each scene, apparently in an attempt to describe both the situation and the clothing. The different scenarios are, for example, helping his daughter with homework, leading a boardroom meeting, on a date with his wife, etc. I don't remember all the words, or even all the scenes, but the one that doesn't make sense is where he is helping his daughter with her homework, and the voice says, "urgency."
In all the other scenes, the spoken word coincides with the scene and makes sense. But, urgency? It's so ridiculous that I cringe every time it comes on. Please review and list this advertisement so those yokels know what a poor excuse for an advertisement they have foisted on us!
John
Tuesday, November 30, 2004
Dude,
Thank you for this website. I was googling around trying to find a decent forum to at least hear other people rant about the stupid advertisements that so often make my blood boil (the current ones being the jolly old batch of holiday commercials with the absolute worst renditions of the same shitty holiday songs we’ve come to hate from previous years). Have a merry Christmas and keep up the good work.
Regards,
Nate O’Brien
Thank you for this website. I was googling around trying to find a decent forum to at least hear other people rant about the stupid advertisements that so often make my blood boil (the current ones being the jolly old batch of holiday commercials with the absolute worst renditions of the same shitty holiday songs we’ve come to hate from previous years). Have a merry Christmas and keep up the good work.
Regards,
Nate O’Brien
Wednesday, November 17, 2004
Nathan great website
Hi:
Just stumbled across commericials I Hate.com and really enjoyed your writing, and I must say I agree with almost all of your opinions. I have spent the last couple of hours just reading all of your reviews and links....good stuff. I particularly liked the response to the F-16 guys email. Very well done.
I must say this......
That fucking Lamisil commerical is the sickest thing ever. Glad to hear I was not the only one disgusted by that one. At least now I know how it starts and can usually change the channel before the most grusome parts. Who buys that shit anyway.
So, Nathan. Good luck with the career, and maybe they can just come up with a TV Game show based on your web site and make you rich. Then you could do some promo commericals for the show which will surely get annoying to us quickly and we can write a website about how we hate the commercials for Nathan the Host of commercials I Hate "The Gameshow". Anyway, you are a great writer and very entertaining. Best of Luck.
Dan Ferguson
House of Blues
New Orleans, LA
Just stumbled across commericials I Hate.com and really enjoyed your writing, and I must say I agree with almost all of your opinions. I have spent the last couple of hours just reading all of your reviews and links....good stuff. I particularly liked the response to the F-16 guys email. Very well done.
I must say this......
That fucking Lamisil commerical is the sickest thing ever. Glad to hear I was not the only one disgusted by that one. At least now I know how it starts and can usually change the channel before the most grusome parts. Who buys that shit anyway.
So, Nathan. Good luck with the career, and maybe they can just come up with a TV Game show based on your web site and make you rich. Then you could do some promo commericals for the show which will surely get annoying to us quickly and we can write a website about how we hate the commercials for Nathan the Host of commercials I Hate "The Gameshow". Anyway, you are a great writer and very entertaining. Best of Luck.
Dan Ferguson
House of Blues
New Orleans, LA
Monday, November 15, 2004
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