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Say What?: Commercials That Made Us Scratch Our Heads

Lola16

By Lola16
in Commercials

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Ghost of TWOP Past
Ghost of TWOP Past

"Constipation is all around. You just have to know where to look."  Why in god's name would I want to go looking for constipation? 

peacheslatour
peacheslatour

Were they out of Tide pods?

peacheslatour
peacheslatour

Dolly Parton is a national treasure. She has donated millions and millions of dollars to charity and literacy programs. She's won just about every philanthropic award there is. I will die on this hill

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Bastet

Bastet

Or "swap-ortunity."

 

Or "hangry" and whatever else Tina Fey has to say in her AmEx commercial.

 

This trend can fizzle out any time now.  Language is dynamic, yes, but it should evolve, not devolve.

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Watcher0363

Watcher0363

Ad men have dreams. They dream of the day when a word or term they created is immortalized in the Oxford English dictionary. In the begining as the 1st. definition. Later, on their death bed, they will have the comfort of knowing that the last definition of their word or term with the phrase archaic in front of it, is still their baby all grown up. The dream of immmortality through words, for they woo women and boost the ego.

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Rinaldo

Rinaldo

And Coupling pushed "melty" years ago, at which time its fans seemed to find it fun.

 

I guess I'm of the mind that coining novel words and striking ways to use the language is part of the job description of advertising writers. They're aiming for something memorable and distinctive, after all. I may dislike this or that example, but I'm not against the principle.

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Watcher0363

Watcher0363

This week, Oxford Dictionaries announced some new additions to their online database. Listed alongside "clickbait," "douchebaggery" and "side boob" is everyone's favorite uncomfortable experience -- "mansplaining."

mansplain

 

The etymology of "mansplain" can be traced back to 2008, when Rebecca Solnit wrote an essay titled "Men Explain Things To Me." The author touched on the idea that being talked down to and corrected -- primarily by men -- was a common occurrence in almost every woman's life. In her words:

    Every woman knows what I’m talking about. It’s the presumption that makes it hard, at times, for any woman in any field; that keeps women from speaking up and from being heard when they dare; that crushes young women into silence by indicating, the way harassment on the street does, that this is not their world. It trains us in self-doubt and self-limitation just as it exercises men’s unsupported overconfidence.

 

So many readers were familiar with the experience that "mansplained" popped up soon after Solnit's piece came out. It was a 2010 New York Times Word of the Year, and has inspired at least one Tumblr account where women share their cringe-inducing stories.

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riley702

riley702

(edited)

Not to be a smarty-pants, but "hangry" is a state of anger caused by lack of food.

 

I'd say I'm hangry at least 60 percent of the day.

I actually knew "hangry", but thought it was coined by these two coworkers of mine, because they were the only ones I'd ever heard say it. And then it popped up in my Bitstrips the other day, so now I'm just feeling behind the curve. I've been hangry and also whatever it is when you're so tired, you're a raging bitch. But I'm not going to make up a word to describe that.

I actually don't mind organic alterations to the language, because it's constantly changing, but I loathe some smug smartass trying so desperately to make their coined word or expression happen. Throw it out there and then LET IT GO. If people like it, they'll pick it up. If they don't, you just look like a ginormous ass pathetically using it as many times as possible.

Edited by riley702
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Prevailing Wind

Prevailing Wind

I'm on vacation and have the dubious blessing of cable tv in the hotel room.  Oh, big whoop!  I saw an NCIS marathon!  I wouldn't even have turned on the TV, except I was playing Dueling Annoying Noises with the screaming child next door.  Anyway, I saw that Carnation commercial a coupla'dozen times.  Yes.  It sounds very much like she's saying,"breast milk."

*********
I have noticed other flavors of Ovaltine at the supermarket, but I stick to the malt; I haven't investigated the other two, which do mention chocolate on their label.

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Prevailing Wind

Prevailing Wind

We don't need "hangry."  We don't care WHY you're angry, just cut it out.  You're making excuses for your bad behavior, just like those Road Rage people.  Stop being asshats & you won't have to make up a word to attempt to rationalize uncivil behavior.

 

I don't believe in a special category for "hate crimes" either.  How does anyone know why someone else does something?  Calling it a hate crime when there's already a law against whatever the hell it was that they did just smacks of the Thought Police.  We don't need people in authority trying to read the minds of criminals.  If it's a crime, it's a crime.  The only modifier should be "misdemeanor" or "felony."

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Rinaldo

Rinaldo

I don't believe in a special category for "hate crimes" either.  How does anyone know why someone else does something?  Calling it a hate crime when there's already a law against whatever the hell it was that they did just smacks of the Thought Police.

I agree with this so much, and this has been my position (sometimes annoying my fellow gay brethren) since the term came into use. It's already a crime, just prosecute that fairly and that's enough. 

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Watcher0363

Watcher0363

In another one of those "The chorus may be catchy and appropriate for what you are advertising, but the lyrics are totally not." ads, ESPN is running a promo for SEC football featuring the Johnny Cash song The Man Comes Around. 

 

The song is about the Biblical apocalypse. I know they take their football seriously down there, but. . . .

But hell yeah!!!!!. When the SEC walks into the stadium the earth quakes. The Four Horseman of the Apocalypse pack their pussy bags and go home.

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Jamoche

Jamoche

What the hell is 'fresh milk'? Is Carnation concerned that I may use two-month-old expired milk if they don't specifically instruct me not to??

Possibly because there are people who will mix Instant Breakfast with powdered milk. It's just as disgusting as you think. 

 

(Note that the cheapskate parental unit who pulled this stunt was not drinking it himself.)

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ethalfrida

ethalfrida

My best friend and I thought it was "pussy cow."  As big fans of all the animals in his commercials, we really wanted to see the pussy cow. 

Now, that's hilarious! Are you close to Worthington? Always wondered how far away those ads broadcast...

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Bastet

Bastet

I'm in Los Angeles, so as kids of the '70s we grew up inundated with those commercials.  My best defense for "pussy cow" is that in all those "This is Cal Worthington and his dog Spot" commercials Spot was some other kind of animal, usually rather exotic (at least to a kid).  So we really thought there was an animal called a pussy cow, and we wanted to see it.

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xls

xls

(edited)

I kind of still think that. The commercials with the kids annoyingly, sing-songingly asking for "More Ovaltine, please!!" doesn't sit well with my lizard brain.

A Christmas Story-"Be Sure to Drink Your Ovaltine!"

 

 

Salon Paws?

Edited by xls
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ethalfrida

ethalfrida

I'm in Los Angeles, so as kids of the '70s we grew up inundated with those commercials.  My best defense for "pussy cow" is that in all those "This is Cal Worthington and his dog Spot" commercials Spot was some other kind of animal, usually rather exotic (at least to a kid).  So we really thought there was an animal called a pussy cow, and we wanted to see it. 

In my FB high school group there is a discussion about Cal. Your comment would keep the laughs going...

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Sandman87

Sandman87

Red Lobster is advertising that they're having a crap-fest, and I'm going to assume that they've done some major expansions and renovations to their restrooms. I doubt they'd be honest enough to refer to the food that way.
 

As big fans of all the animals in his commercials, we really wanted to see the pussy cow.

Here you go.

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ethalfrida

ethalfrida

Red Lobster is advertising that they're having a crap-fest, and I'm going to assume that they've done some major expansions and renovations to their restrooms. I doubt they'd be honest enough to refer to the food that way.

 

Here you go.

That's just so wrong... (still laughing)

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bilgistic

bilgistic

Salon Paws?

It's "Salon Pas", which is French, and should be pronounced "sah-lohn (very soft "n") pah", but they've weirdly started saying "pahz" instead. There was a commercial that ran for a while that had both pronunciations, because that didn't confuse everyone. I don't even recall what the product is--self-adhering heat packs (for injuries or sore muscles) or something like that?
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Prevailing Wind

Prevailing Wind

 

Would you want the recipe, Prevailing Wind?

Thanks, but no.  Borderline diabetic doesn't need to be scarfing down biscuits.  LOL.  One or two, yeah, but certainly not a whole batch.  That's the stinkiest part of living alone.  The cats won't eat biscuits. <big sigh>  Poor Poor Pitiful Me. 

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Rick Kitchen

Rick Kitchen

I just saw an ad talking about how the NFL and the NFL Players' Association have come to an agreement in court concerning players' head injuries.  And then it went on to say, "If you have not received your pamphlet detailing your benefits", contact some website.

 

Just how many people is this ad aimed at?

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LoneHaranguer

LoneHaranguer

 

Just how many people is this ad aimed at?

At any one time, an NFL team roster has 90 players on it, so potentially thousands; more than for the ads related to obscure illnesses. In any of these cases, the court agreement would include money for getting the word out to potential victims, coming from someone with deep pockets, so it doesn't have to make sense.

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Watcher0363

Watcher0363

I just saw an ad talking about how the NFL and the NFL Players' Association have come to an agreement in court concerning players' head injuries.  And then it went on to say, "If you have not received your pamphlet detailing your benefits", contact some website.

 

Just how many people is this ad aimed at?

This is more about getting the word out. If you just consider the modern era of football starting in 1966 this could effect a hundred thousand or more people. Your average player in the NFL only plays about 3 years. Some players are also on the pratice squad. If you consider players come from all over the US a lot of them from impoverish areas. They may not even know this has become an issue or that some kind of settlement has been reached.

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backformore

backformore

I do like RL's cheddar bay biscuits.  Not enough to eat one of their meals without coercion from a companion, though.  Real friends don't let friends eat at Red Lobster.

There is a boxed mix available - i bought it at Walmart.   I know, the recipe is probably easy, but I'm more likely to cook when stuff is pre-measured for me.   The biscuits made from the mix taste EXACTLY like the RL biscuits.  They  should, the box  has the Red Lobster logo on it.

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