Say What?: Commercials That Made Us Scratch Our Heads

[bilgistic]

16 minutes ago, Prevailing Wind said:

I just saw that ad for Daisy Cottage Cheese, too. I don't get it - she's got a bowlful of the stuff, with berries all around the edge and she picks up the strawberry to dip/eat.  She doesn't have enough berries to use all of that cottage cheese. Shouldn't she have a spoon or something?  And I didn't know you made lasagna with cottage cheese.  But at least it's got normal ingredients - no carrageenan, guar gum, etc. - in it.

My mom always made lasagna with cottage cheese. I didn't know it was unusual until I was grown and learned that most people use ricotta.

[chessiegal]

29 minutes ago, Prevailing Wind said:

<small voice> I've never heard of Pioneer Woman. </small voice>

Lucky you. She's a hack that has one of the highest rated shows on Food Network.

[riley702]

1 hour ago, mojoween said:

WTF does “today’s a Daisy for cottage cheese” mean?

 

1 hour ago, Jamoche said:

Riffing off "doozy"?

I think it's just a lazy "rhyme/substitution" for day.

[Moose135]

I find most of these Ancestry DNA commercials to be annoying, with all of these people who discover they aren't what they always thought they were, but one I've been seeing recently has me puzzled.  The guy thought he was Italian, but it turns out he was only part Italian, he had a large percentage of Eastern European in his background.

The commercial starts with his wife saying "I thought I married an Italian."  So does this mean she can't play with his cannoli any more?

I'll show myself out...

[Ubiquitous]

11 hours ago, Prevailing Wind said:

I just saw that ad for Daisy Cottage Cheese, too. I don't get it - she's got a bowlful of the stuff, with berries all around the edge and she picks up the strawberry to dip/eat.  She doesn't have enough berries to use all of that cottage cheese. Shouldn't she have a spoon or something?  And I didn't know you made lasagna with cottage cheese.  But at least it's got normal ingredients - no carrageenan, guar gum, etc. - in it.

You can also use a can of Campbell's tomato soup. I heard it's an authentic Italian recipe. 

[janie jones]

I think cottage cheese is a common(ish) substitute for ricotta.

[peacheslatour]

I think it may be a regional thing. People in small towns probably couldn't get ricotta so they substituted cottage cheese. I've only seen it once at a potluck in rural PA.

[SoSueMe]

18 hours ago, Moose135 said:

I find most of these Ancestry DNA commercials to be annoying, with all of these people who discover they aren't what they always thought they were, but one I've been seeing recently has me puzzled.  The guy thought he was Italian, but it turns out he was only part Italian, he had a large percentage of Eastern European in his background.

The commercial starts with his wife saying "I thought I married an Italian."  So does this mean she can't play with his cannoli any more?

I'll show myself out...

I hate them all so I'm probably in the wrong thread. Nigerian hat lady, newly discovered Native American lady, kilt guy, etc. etc. etc.

I absolutely do not want my DNA in any ginormus database. It seems to me to be a very self absorbed venture. But:

I can see where an adopted person might want to trace their DNA for genetic disorders like Tay Sachs or sickle cell. 

[riley702]

21 hours ago, Moose135 said:

I find most of these Ancestry DNA commercials to be annoying, with all of these people who discover they aren't what they always thought they were, but one I've been seeing recently has me puzzled.  The guy thought he was Italian, but it turns out he was only part Italian, he had a large percentage of Eastern European in his background.

The commercial starts with his wife saying "I thought I married an Italian."  So does this mean she can't play with his cannoli any more?

I'll show myself out...

I always roll my eyes and say, "Well, you didn't, bitch. What are you going to do, divorce him?" Stupid woman. Although they may have written the line for her. In which case, she should have refused to say it.

[chessiegal]

5 minutes ago, riley702 said:

I always roll my eyes and say, "Well, you didn't, bitch. What are you going to do, divorce him?" Stupid woman. Although they may have written the line for her. In which case, she should have refused to say it.

Do you know if these are real users of the company? I always assumed they were actors.

[riley702]

I always assumed they were actual customers.

[janie jones]

I think they're all real.  Someone posted a link a while back to the Ancestry.com website that showed the extended story of one of the people, I think the lady who doesn't know the difference between ethnicity and nationality and likes checking "other."

[peacheslatour]

What bugs me and we've been over this I think, is that the way it's worded it makes it sound like they're brother and sister or cousins. She says she found out that "OUR" ancestors were Eastern European.

[roughing it]

On 2/5/2018 at 11:46 AM, mojoween said:

doesn’t make me want to buy a Hyundai.

I love my Hyundai!

[proserpina65]

On ‎02‎/‎07‎/‎2018 at 8:13 PM, chessiegal said:

You must not watch Pioneer Woman if you didn't know you can make lasagna with cottage cheese.

I don't, but I learned about it from a friend when I was in college more than 20 years ago.  It's not bad.  Not as rich as the real thing with ricotta, but still tasty.

[chessiegal]

You can make your own ricotta. It's easy.

[janie jones]

6 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

What bugs me and we've been over this I think, is that the way it's worded it makes it sound like they're brother and sister or cousins. She says she found out that "OUR" ancestors were Eastern European.

I never thought it sounded like they were brother & sister/cousins, but that she fails to understand that your partner's ancestors aren't your ancestors.  (I think we have discussed this.)

[riley702]

3 hours ago, chessiegal said:

You can make your own ricotta. It's easy.

I just looked it up and had no idea how easy and quick it is! Thanks.

[elle]

On 2/7/2018 at 10:12 PM, Moose135 said:

I find most of these Ancestry DNA commercials to be annoying, with all of these people who discover they aren't what they always thought they were, but one I've been seeing recently has me puzzled.  The guy thought he was Italian, but it turns out he was only part Italian, he had a large percentage of Eastern European in his background.

The commercial starts with his wife saying "I thought I married an Italian."  So does this mean she can't play with his cannoli any more?

I'll show myself out...

If anything, this should encourage people to research the history of the region.  They would see how frequently borders have changed over the centuries.  What nationality he is may depend on what year it is.  As for the guy who thought he was German learns he is Scottish, all that means to me is that at some point an ancestor migrated from Scotland to Germany and then on to America.  It does not mean you have to abandon everything you learned about one culture just to learn about another.

I often wonder if people in other countries obsess as much about where "we come from".

[xls]

On ‎2‎/‎5‎/‎2018 at 12:50 PM, peacheslatour said:

Hey HighMaintenance, are you the one that told us about darkshadowseveryday.com? If so I'd like to thank you, it's gotten me through some long boring winter days.

Hey didn't know about that DS site, thank you!

[Prevailing Wind]

Quote

If anything, this should encourage people to research the history of the region.  They would see how frequently borders have changed over the centuries.  What nationality he is may depend on what year it is.

My maternal grandmother claimed to be from Hungary - and probably was in the early 1900s, when she immigrated here - but the town she was from is now in Romania. When I cook stuff based on her recipes, I call them "Romanian ..." rather than "Hungarian..." Either one relies on paprika.  hahahaha

[Haleth]

I've mentioned this before about the guy who thought he was Italian -- the photo he holds up would have to be a grandfather if they share DNA.  So if the guy in the photo was the "ancestor [he] didn't know about," grandma has some explaining to do.

[mojoween]

The Walmart ad where the lady buys a binky and sippy cup over and over and over because the dog keeps getting them drives me nuts.

Is there any reason she can’t just wash them in boiling water and re-use them, or was I a terrible mother?

[Brattinella]

1 hour ago, mojoween said:

The Walmart ad where the lady buys a binky and sippy cup over and over and over because the dog keeps getting them drives me nuts.

Is there any reason she can’t just wash them in boiling water and re-use them, or was I a terrible mother?

Maybe they don't realize that you CAN get them clean.  No reason to buy new ones unless they are destroyed.

[Jamoche]

5 hours ago, mojoween said:

The Walmart ad where the lady buys a binky and sippy cup over and over and over because the dog keeps getting them drives me nuts.

Is there any reason she can’t just wash them in boiling water and re-use them, or was I a terrible mother?

That's a good candidate for the "first child... second child..." ad series. First child: replace the entire binky. Second child: pick it up off the floor, let the dog slurp up anything it might've picked up, pop it in the kid's mouth.

[QuinnInND]

6 hours ago, mojoween said:

The Walmart ad where the lady buys a binky and sippy cup over and over and over because the dog keeps getting them drives me nuts.

Is there any reason she can’t just wash them in boiling water and re-use them, or was I a terrible mother?

I was coming here to complain about this ad too. Stupid woman. Just wash them. That's what the dishwasher is for. Ugh... If I replaced every binky that hit the floor or that the dog got ahold of (I've got a super fast mini dachshund) I'd go broke. 

[elle]

39 minutes ago, Jamoche said:

That's a good candidate for the "first child... second child..." ad series. First child: replace the entire binky. Second child: pick it up off the floor, let the dog slurp up anything it might've picked up, pop it in the kid's mouth.

Yes that would make sense, but I am pretty sure that we see a slightly older child in this commercial.

Some diaper company, Luvs I think, did do a cute "First Child, Second Child" series where the mom first steams the dropped binky then the second time just wipes it off on her shirt.

Edited February 12, 2018 by elle

[friendperidot]

I always rather enjoy first child/second child commercials, pretty realistic. I was a first child, I have a photographic history of my childhood, my brother has a smaller photographic history and my sister's is pretty much non existent. Maybe I'll find hers when I start editing the home movies, but don't know when that's going to be. Hope soon, because those 8mm films aren't going to last much longer.

[Qoass]

I'm kind of averse to those DNA mapping kits anyway but why in heaven's name would I want to get one for Valentine's Day?

[chessiegal]

I read a "Dear Abby" where a father thought it would be fun to give the DNA kits to his kids. Turns out his youngest son isn't his. Ouch!

[little hermit]

I caught a part of a 21 and me (or whatever it was; it's a DNA ad) and the lady was saying something about her SO and his urine, and asparagus, and somehow I think valentines day was in there. Has anybody seen this Ad? It was so weird her talking about urine and asparagus.

[Qoass]

Yes, that's the 23 and Me (it rhymes!) ad I was referring to. Apparently the lady is some kind of dating nerd so this was the kind of info that turned her on. Or something.

I guess you should have your prospective mate's DNA tested right after you've Googled him and investigated his credit rating?

[Ubiquitous]

On 2/5/2018 at 12:50 PM, peacheslatour said:

Hey HighMaintenance, are you the one that told us about darkshadowseveryday.com? If so I'd like to thank you, it's gotten me through some long boring winter days.

I've mentioned the DS site here in the past, but not sure in which forum or forums. Danny is in the final stregch of the show now...

[Jamoche]

2 hours ago, little hermit said:

I caught a part of a 21 and me (or whatever it was; it's a DNA ad) and the lady was saying something about her SO and his urine, and asparagus, and somehow I think valentines day was in there. Has anybody seen this Ad? It was so weird her talking about urine and asparagus.

Haven't seen it, but asparagus is one of those fancy - and phallic - veggies that show up in the Hollywood idea of a "sexy date". It also has an unfortunate effect on some people of making urine very smelly. But if that's the deal-breaker, talk it out. Maybe he'll decide he likes you more than asparagus.

[bilgistic]

We've talked about the Chevy(?) Traverse(?) commercial in which the family is hiding in the vehicle and surprises the person checking out the vehicle that is for some reason in front of a gorgeous home atop the Hollywood Hills instead of, you know, in a dealership.

Anyway, the whole family is in the vehicle and at the end of the commercial, someone says something like, "We give it seven thumbs up." So did one of four people lose a thumb? Alternately, if there are seven people, why aren't they each giving the vehicle two thumbs up, therefore equaling 14 thumbs up?

I know I'm thinking too much about this, but this is why I'm posting to this forum.

[LoneHaranguer]

20 hours ago, mojoween said:

The Walmart ad where the lady buys a binky and sippy cup over and over and over because the dog keeps getting them drives me nuts.

Is there any reason she can’t just wash them in boiling water and re-use them, or was I a terrible mother?

Are the ones sold by Walmart too cheaply made to survive such a cleaning?

[bad things are bad]

Quote

Hope soon, because those 8mm films aren't going to last much longer.

Friendperidot, do it ASAP, maybe even just take them to Costco or wherever,  and have them burned to a DVD just to preserve them, then edit later if you feel you must.

We did my family's a couple of years ago and they'd deteriorated significantly. We didn't bother editing them, because part of the charm of movie night was that the reels got loaded pretty much randomly. 

[Silver Raven]

It's not too long before there won't be even DVD players, everything is going to just be digital files. 

[bilgistic]

2 hours ago, bad things are bad said:

Friendperidot, do it ASAP, maybe even just take them to Costco or wherever,  and have them burned to a DVD just to preserve them, then edit later if you feel you must.

We did my family's a couple of years ago and they'd deteriorated significantly. We didn't bother editing them, because part of the charm of movie night was that the reels got loaded pretty much randomly. 

My aunt's family had their 8mm films transferred to VHS. This was maybe 25 years ago, a bit before DVDs were widely used. The films date to about 40-plus years ago. We watched them one Christmas. They were also randomly transferred to the tapes and it was hilarious because we never knew what was coming up. The films would jump throughout about a five-year span.

We all aren't as close anymore, and I miss that.

[elle]

Continuing the theme of annoying DNA testing kit ads, there is a new one called Helix.  The commercial is about a woman who uses the kit and discovers she is lactose intolerant.  I really think if she is lactose intolerant she would have figured that out long before now and without a DNA test.

[bilgistic]

I finally figured it out when I kept having really unpleasant gastric issues after eating dairy. It actually took me a while because I didn't know why I would feel nauseated sometimes and not others and need to be in the bathroom sometimes and not others, but then it finally dawned on me.

But yeah, you don't need a DNA test for that.

Edited February 12, 2018 by bilgistic

[Seelouis]

19 hours ago, elle said:

Continuing the theme of annoying DNA testing kit ads, there is a new one called Helix.  The commercial is about a woman who uses the kit and discovers she is lactose intolerant.  I really think if she is lactose intolerant she would have figured that out long before now and without a DNA test.

This drives me nuts.  There’s a commercial I hear on the radio. Not sure if it also runs on tv.  Woman is offered ice cream and declines because her dna test showed she has likelihood of being lactose intolerant.  Ok, lady. You are an adult.  You should know if you are lactose intolerant or not. If not, eat the damn ice cream!  

[janie jones]

On 2/12/2018 at 10:22 AM, bilgistic said:

Anyway, the whole family is in the vehicle and at the end of the commercial, someone says something like, "We give it seven thumbs up." So did one of four people lose a thumb? Alternately, if there are seven people, why aren't they each giving the vehicle two thumbs up, therefore equaling 14 thumbs up?

I don't know if this is the "standard" way to do it, but back in the day, when a movie got "two thumbs up," it meant that each Siskel and Ebert gave one thumb up.  Each person votes once.

[funky-rat]

I'm confused with the latest Amazon Dot commercial.  Where a woman asks Alexa to show her who is at the door, and Rebel Wilson answers from her bathtub, saying she's too busy doing humanitarian work, and the woman should just get the door herself.  Then Alexa thanks Rebel, and says she'll handle it.

HUH?  I'm lost......

[bilgistic]

16 hours ago, janie jones said:

I don't know if this is the "standard" way to do it, but back in the day, when a movie got "two thumbs up," it meant that each Siskel and Ebert gave one thumb up.  Each person votes once.

I'm old enough to remember them critiquing movies (on TV!), but then people individually would say, "I give it (whatever "it" was) two thumbs up!" (Back when people said that...they don't anymore, Chevy. Like, we don't say, "Where's the beef?!" anymore.)

So in my mind, such as it is, each person would say 'two thumbs up" and seven people times two thumbs equals 14 thumbs.

But I get that it's seven people with one thumb up each. I would bet that few people under, say, 35, know what "two thumbs up" means.

WHY DO I CARE ABOUT THIS??

ETA: The last show Siskel and Ebert co-hosted was in January 1999. Their show started in September 1986.

Edited February 14, 2018 by bilgistic

[Jamoche]

23 minutes ago, bilgistic said:

But I get that it's seven people with one thumb up each. I would bet that few people under, say, 35, know what "two thumbs up" means.

WHY DO I CARE ABOUT THIS??

ETA: The last show Siskel and Ebert co-hosted was in January 1999. Their show started in September 1986.

It's just how languages evolve - a useful word or phrase just sticks, long after the context is forgotten. For some reason "a bridge too far" has started trending, and I'd bet few of the users of it know of its WWII origin.

[Qoass]

I remember Siskel and Ebert but now people say, "What has two thumbs and _______?".  This guy!

[Silver Raven]

5 hours ago, funky-rat said:

I'm confused with the latest Amazon Dot commercial.  Where a woman asks Alexa to show her who is at the door, and Rebel Wilson answers from her bathtub, saying she's too busy doing humanitarian work, and the woman should just get the door herself.  Then Alexa thanks Rebel, and says she'll handle it.

HUH?  I'm lost......

Uh, it's a joke?

[funky-rat]

2 minutes ago, Silver Raven said:

Uh, it's a joke?

I consider myself to have a good sense of humor for many types, and I didn't get the joke.

[LoneHaranguer]

3 hours ago, bilgistic said:

But I get that it's seven people with one thumb up each. I would bet that few people under, say, 35, know what "two thumbs up" means.

But doesn't the plural in the phrase "thumbs up" (which predates Siskel and Ebert") imply that you're putting up more than one thumb (or would if you had both hands free)?