Commercials That Annoy, Irritate or Outright Enrage

[AnnieHeights]

7 hours ago, Emma9 said:

Thank you, I can't stand that one. Spoiled little snot.

I do kind of feel sorry for the kid.....I certainly didn't grow up privileged but there was that one part of me who was still hoping for the brand new car with a big bow in the driveway when I turned 16 (didn't happen).  Image is everything at that age and no matter how grateful you should be to even have a car, I think it is normal to be a little mortified to have been given the opposite of a cool car when you are a teenager.        

[peacheslatour]

58 minutes ago, AnnieHeights said:

I do kind of feel sorry for the kid.....I certainly didn't grow up privileged but there was that one part of me who was still hoping for the brand new car with a big bow in the driveway when I turned 16 (didn't happen).  Image is everything at that age and no matter how grateful you should be to even have a car, I think it is normal to be a little mortified to have been given the opposite of a cool car when you are a teenager.        

If they actually gave him the car ie. put it in his name, he could always sell it and buy some some unreliable little used sports car and look cool sitting in the driveway.

[Ohwell]

I'm sorry but this grandma in the new Popeyes commercial would scare the crap out of small children.  Hell, it scares the crap out of me.

https://www.ispot.tv/ad/Irt9/popeyes-5-southern-butterfly-shrimp-granny

[Emma9]

2 hours ago, AnnieHeights said:

I do kind of feel sorry for the kid.....I certainly didn't grow up privileged but there was that one part of me who was still hoping for the brand new car with a big bow in the driveway when I turned 16 (didn't happen).  Image is everything at that age and no matter how grateful you should be to even have a car, I think it is normal to be a little mortified to have been given the opposite of a cool car when you are a teenager.   

Fair enough; I might be having trouble empathizing because I was the total opposite (I was relieved that my first car was my mother's old beater; I was nervous enough as a young driver, a shiny new car where any dent or ding would have been the first dent or ding would have made me feel so much worse). Also, even if he felt disappointed, haranguing the parents out loud for 'doing this to him'?

Edited February 28, 2019 by Emma9

[LoneHaranguer]

1 hour ago, peacheslatour said:

If they actually gave him the car ie. put it in his name, he could always sell it and buy some some unreliable little used sports car and look cool sitting in the driveway.

A trade-in would be costly. I think he'd be better off getting it customized, even if it's only a new paint job and some accessories to start. He just needs to get it out of boring family car territory. Carrying around some kind of sporting equipment that would justify a station wagon might help.

[peacheslatour]

14 minutes ago, LoneHaranguer said:

A trade-in would be costly. I think he'd be better off getting it customized, even if it's only a new paint job and some accessories to start. He just needs to get it out of boring family car territory. Carrying around some kind of sporting equipment that would justify a station wagon might help.

Naw, just sell it outright. Craigslist has thousands of shitty sports cars that don't run he could customize.

[Bunnyto4]

Here's another one-the young woman walking through the vineyard explaining how she can purchase the family business, and the father says " let's run this by BDO". Her response "It was their idea". Because I can't wait for you to croak I went behind your back and planned this. Harsh.

[OpalNightstream]

Current Pet peeve of mine: commercials for islands or other beachy areas where they HAVE to show the obligatory smiling woman in a bikini running on the beach holding the “hand” of the camera so we see her from the point of view of someone holding her hand. Isn’t this vantage point all played out by now? Not to mention all these resorts only have fit attractive people who seem to be the only people on the entire beach. 

[OpalNightstream]

While I’m here I would also like to add the annoying song and dance commercial for IUD birth control with no hormones “NO HORMONES!!” 

[Ms Lark]

On 2/24/2019 at 2:28 AM, Yeah No said:

Yeah, like the one where the woman says she keeps having this dream where she's 85 years old and has to take a job wearing a giant hot dog suit.  It's really insulting to those of us that actually have a real reason to worry about that!  Every time I see that commercial I wonder how the elderly cashiers at my local Walmart feel about that.

Especially since Walmart just announced it's getting rid of its "Greeters." The last thing that made them barely human (hiring seniors and handicapped) they decide to jettison. Lots to worry about there.

I hate the Luke Wilson Colgate commercial "no such thing as too close." Uh, 'scuse me while I pop over to HR for a little talk. Really creepy and inappropriate! Ugh.

[LoneHaranguer]

1 hour ago, Ms Lark said:

Especially since Walmart just announced it's getting rid of its "Greeters." The last thing that made them barely human (hiring seniors and handicapped) they decide to jettison. Lots to worry about there.

One of the local Walmarts has put in some self-checkout registers, like the big supermarket chains and Home Depot have had for a while. The fast-food chains are phasing out cashiers with apps you can put on your phone or use on a touch-screen in the restaurant.

[KittyMom4]

2 hours ago, OpalNightstream said:

Current Pet peeve of mine: commercials for islands or other beachy areas where they HAVE to show the obligatory smiling woman in a bikini running on the beach holding the “hand” of the camera so we see her from the point of view of someone holding her hand. Isn’t this vantage point all played out by now? Not to mention all these resorts only have fit attractive people who seem to be the only people on the entire beach. 

I just said this the other day, I have been on a cruise and I have been to many resorts, the commercials show zero resemblance to the people you actually see at either of those places. 

[sempervivum]

2 hours ago, LoneHaranguer said:

One of the local Walmarts has put in some self-checkout registers, like the big supermarket chains and Home Depot have had for a while. The fast-food chains are phasing out cashiers with apps you can put on your phone or use on a touch-screen in the restaurant.

As they say 'The ultimate minimum wage is $0'.

And on the subject of artificial intelligence, I absolutely HATE those robots in the Sprint commercials. They're creepy looking and not even remotely funny.

[peacheslatour]

22 minutes ago, sempervivum said:

As they say 'The ultimate minimum wage is $0'.

And on the subject of artificial intelligence, I absolutely HATE those robots in the Sprint commercials. They're creepy looking and not even remotely funny.

Oh, I am so with you on this. Gah, I hate those fucking things. Can't hit mute fast enough.

[kirinan]

5 hours ago, GoodieGirl said:

I just said this the other day, I have been on a cruise and I have been to many resorts, the commercials show zero resemblance to the people you actually see at either of those places. 

Ha, as a cruiser I agree, GoodieGirl. It's much like the commercials for our local casinos (I'm in the Detroit area, and we have a number of casinos within driving distance). On the commercials, the people are young and glamorous. But when we go to said casinos, most of the patrons are elderly, white-haired, and a fair number are walking around with oxygen or walkers/canes. And the young people that are there aren't exactly Hollywood-ready, either. It's a working-class area, and the patrons are working class. But I guess to show that would ruin the illusion. Ah, advertising.

[Bort]

On 2/28/2019 at 5:24 PM, LoneHaranguer said:

A trade-in would be costly. I think he'd be better off getting it customized, even if it's only a new paint job and some accessories to start. He just needs to get it out of boring family car territory. Carrying around some kind of sporting equipment that would justify a station wagon might help.

I don’t know, maybe it was just my high school peers, but the size of the car and how many friends you could fit in it was more important. I do realize that these days most states won’t let teen drivers do that anymore. But I used to borrow my geandmother’s van, pack 15 friends into it, and go to Taco Bell for our lunch break. 

[LoneHaranguer]

34 minutes ago, kariyaki said:

I don’t know, maybe it was just my high school peers, but the size of the car and how many friends you could fit in it was more important. I do realize that these days most states won’t let teen drivers do that anymore. But I used to borrow my geandmother’s van, pack 15 friends into it, and go to Taco Bell for our lunch break. 

Something about this kid makes me think fitting all his friends isn't an issue.  🙂

[ams1001]

12 hours ago, OpalNightstream said:

While I’m here I would also like to add the annoying song and dance commercial for IUD birth control with no hormones “NO HORMONES!!” 

Oh my god I hate that one! Not only is the song annoying as hell, there's just something wrong about the little kids (and random guys) in the background dancing to a song about birth control.

Also, there's a line about "an ingredient I can pronounce"; "Food Babe" and her stupid, "don't eat anything you can't pronounce" crap is bad enough; now we're not supposed to use any medication that's hard to pronounce? 

[TheCrankyCreative]

Has anyone mentioned the Kyleena birth control ads with the loose ladies and their stupidly raised eyebrows?

[TheCrankyCreative]

Also, those new "LiMu Emu and Doug" Liberty Mutual ads.

Wut?

Is this for real?

What in the holy hell are Liberty Mutual and Goodby Silverstein & Partners thinking?

I'm embarrassed to be in advertising.

https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/liberty-mutual-gets-into-the-insurance-mascot-game-with-the-duo-of-limu-emu-and-doug/

[Milburn Stone]

On 2/13/2019 at 3:15 PM, margol29 said:

Mathew McConaughey never bothered me before. But since these Lincoln commercials I just can't stand him. This new commercial that is out he is at his "house" entertaining some guests. Then he decides he would rather be out driving so he just skates out on his company and goes for a drive. So rude!!

My "favorite" part of that commercial is the first scene, in which he holds the others at the table absolutely rapt with fascination with his incredibly insightful anecdote.

[ams1001]

5 hours ago, TheCrankyCreative said:

Has anyone mentioned the Kyleena birth control ads with the loose ladies and their stupidly raised eyebrows?

I have a friend whose 16yo daughter's name is very close to Kyleena. I wonder how he feels about that. 😉

[Milburn Stone]

6 hours ago, TheCrankyCreative said:

Also, those new "LiMu Emu and Doug" Liberty Mutual ads.

Wut?

Is this for real?

What in the holy hell are Liberty Mutual and Goodby Silverstein & Partners thinking?

I'm embarrassed to be in advertising.

https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/liberty-mutual-gets-into-the-insurance-mascot-game-with-the-duo-of-limu-emu-and-doug/

So it's not enough that Liberty totally ripped off Farmers' a cappella jingle. Now they're ripping off the Geico gecko.

Goodby Silverstein used to be an agency that did original work.

[peacheslatour]

God, I am so sick of the latest verbal affectation. "Mommy, mommy we made you princess toast!!" "I have-A no idea what's in princess toast."

[ams1001]

8 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

God, I am so sick of the latest verbal affectation. "Mommy, mommy we made you princess toast!!" "I have-A no idea what's in princess toast."

Besides, it's clearly toast with frosting, sprinkles and jelly beans. All you have to do is look at it. (Also, why does everything have to be a gummy candy now?)

[Prevailing Wind]

The  affection I've gotten sick of is the period. after. every. word. Like that hybrid car commercial where the two women in the same type car are at the stop light & the one in the left lane's thinking about how cool & probably vegan the other chick is, while chickie in the right lane clamps her jaws down onto a big, sloppy, falling-apart burger, thinking, "Best. Burger. Ever." And I still have no idea who the makes the vehicle being advertised... I'm. too. busy. hating. on. the. dialogue.

[andromeda331]

1 hour ago, ams1001 said:

Besides, it's clearly toast with frosting, sprinkles and jelly beans. All you have to do is look at it. (Also, why does everything have to be a gummy candy now?)

That's what annoys me about the commercial she asks the question when you can clearly see what's all there. Plus she says "in" when there's nothing "in" the toast but on the toast. 

[Snow Apple]

Has anyone mentioned the 5/3 bank commercials? I can't stand the redheaded lady and her smug face and obnoxious snobby voice.

[ams1001]

I've only read through the last several pages (just found this thread last night) so I don't know if anyone's mentioned the Buick commercials. "Your Buick doesn't have a roof rack!" "How are we all going to fit in your mom's Buick?"

"No, that's my Buick! Hahaha!" (In a tone of, "Duh! Are you stupid?")

Who refers to their car that way? I wouldn't refer to my car as "my Hyundai" and expect people to be able to go find it in a parking lot. (Even "blue Elantra" wouldn't help much since I see so many of them around.)

On 2/9/2019 at 1:38 PM, sempervivum said:

Woman at yoga class, with a pile of bread on the floor next to her mat. Why? Because back at her house, her husband and kids are busy ransacking the place gangsta-style, slicing up sofa cushions, emptying food out of the cupboards, etc., trying to find the Kings Hawaiian bread. As yoga woman enters the house, her husband's leg crashes through the ceiling, as he is evidently searching in the attic for bread. 

I'm SICK of these lazily-written ads that want to show us how consumers will behave idiotically/criminally in order to get their product (see my previous rant about the Purple mattress ads). It makes me insanely antagonistic toward their stuff and I simply don't believe this kind of ad sells anything.

I guess Dad would rather ransack his own house instead of taking the kids to the grocery store and buying some bread. (For the record, I can say I've never bought their products.)

On 2/9/2019 at 3:54 PM, friendperidot said:

with relation to the Kings Hawaiian bread rolls, my dislike is the Grandmother who gets into the rolls and sets off alarms and ends up with the colored dye on her face. 

I only like that one because of the little dog at the end who also gets dyed. Because I'm a sucker for a cute little doggie. 🙂  (At least it's realistic that a dog would get into the food that was set aside for a party.)

The one Matthew McConaughey commercial I like is the one where he's driving with the dogs, talking about what they should get to eat. Because as I just established, doggies. 🙂

On 2/20/2019 at 11:58 PM, shlbycindyk said:

I live in a small town and you can't sneeze without someone a mile away saying "Bless you" or someone else asking you the next day if your cold is better. 

Off topic, but I get irrationally annoyed when people around me say "Bless you" every time I sneeze. Why, of all the bodily functions that might cause a disruption, is this the only one we are socially-obligated to comment on? My soul isn't escaping, just ignore it please.

[chessiegal]

10 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

Off topic, but I get irrationally annoyed when people around me say "Bless you" every time I sneeze. Why, of all the bodily functions that might cause a disruption, is this the only one we are socially-obligated to comment on? My soul isn't escaping, just ignore it please.

My understanding is it originated during the Plague when people were hoping to ward off sickness. So not unreasonable at all.

[Emma9]

4 hours ago, ams1001 said:

"No, that's my Buick! Hahaha!" (In a tone of, "Duh! Are you stupid?")

Who refers to their car that way? I wouldn't refer to my car as "my Hyundai" and expect people to be able to go find it in a parking lot. (Even "blue Elantra" wouldn't help much since I see so many of them around.)

~

I guess Dad would rather ransack his own house instead of taking the kids to the grocery store and buying some bread. (For the record, I can say I've never bought their products.)

Ditto on the Buick commercials. (Especially as the message seems to be..."We don't make crappy cars anymore!"? Um, yay?)

Dad not just buying his own rolls is unrealistic, but I have to laugh at those ads because those suckers are damn good. And yes, they absolutely get snacked on (in fact, they're really better on their own than as 'dinner' rolls, they're sweet and rich enough that they can be kind of overpowering with a meal).

[Zevious Zoquis]

Could RBC have possibly chosen a more annoying little twerp for a spokesperson?  The first ad where he walks around his apartment asking questions about things he could do with his money ("like a tur-ducken of savings!") is bad enough - I imagine this gimp spending several hours on a saturday hassling some bank rep online with his endless goof-ball money scenarios while he carries his laptop around his apartment doing chores and fixing himself a snack - but now there's a whole series of them.  The "squirrelly-bank" one is another gooder,  

I just saw a Weight Watchers ad that has a very brief clip of Oprah out for a bike ride.  LOL...I think she's wearing some sort of whole-head protective gear.  Not a bike helmet but a padded item that encloses most of her head.  I assume it's something one of her companies markets.  😄 She looks so happy!  Oh Oprah...always so enthusiastic and energetic!  I hate you.  lol...

Edited March 3, 2019 by Zevious Zoquis

[NinjaPenguins]

Bada boom bada book guy is such a smug asshat. It’s a lame slogan, man. I’d honestly rather watch the hotel commercial with the glowing couple. Why do they even invite Bada Butthead to their brainstorming sessions when all he does is crap on their ideas and obsessively cling to a godawful catchphrase? 

There’s a weird Audi commercial where a woman enters a butcher shop to, I assume, buy a steak or something. The butcher starts talking about how the lady clearly wants something more full-blooded as she leads her deeper into the building. Finally they arrive at a large, darkened room with only an Audi parked in it. The butcher encourages the customer to “dig in”  once said customer is in the driver’s seat. Honestly, until I saw the Audi, I thought this was an ad for a horror movie. 

Sheex. I’d say more but it would just be a stream of profanity.

[Tom Holmberg]

2 hours ago, NinjaPenguins said:

’s a weird Audi commercial where a woman enters a butcher shop to, I assume, buy a steak or something. The butcher starts talking about how the lady clearly wants something more full-blooded as she leads her deeper into the building. Finally they arrive at a large, darkened room with only an Audi parked in it. The butcher...

...chops her up and stuffs her into the truck of the Audi. Then a voiceover ends by saying the trunk is stain-resistant. Now that's a car ad!

[Mabinogia]

On 3/2/2019 at 4:51 AM, TheCrankyCreative said:

Has anyone mentioned the Kyleena birth control ads with the loose ladies and their stupidly raised eyebrows?

Is that the one where they make a face like they suddenly have to take a dump because they might have forgotten to take a pill only to make that after dump satisfied face when they realize they have Kyleena and can, indeed get laid tonight? That one cracks me up. 

[Mabinogia]

21 hours ago, ams1001 said:

21 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

God, I am so sick of the latest verbal affectation. "Mommy, mommy we made you princess toast!!" "I have-A no idea what's in princess toast."

Besides, it's clearly toast with frosting, sprinkles and jelly beans. All you have to do is look at it. (Also, why does everything have to be a gummy candy now?)

Seriously. Mommy is not the brightest little bulb is she? It's crap kids like on toast you moron. That commercial makes me ragey and I have to switch channels or mute it ASAP. 

[Jamoche]

19 hours ago, ams1001 said:

I'm SICK of these lazily-written ads that want to show us how consumers will behave idiotically/criminally in order to get their product

It all started so innocuously - "What would you do for a Klondike bar?"

Then as now, my answer was "Say 'no, thank you'".

[Katy M]

On 2/28/2019 at 5:24 PM, Emma9 said:

Also, even if he felt disappointed, haranguing the parents out loud for 'doing this to him'?

Yeah, that's really the only bad part.  You can't help your feelings, sometimes.  It's not "evil" to be disappointed by something you should be grateful for. But keep it to yourself. I remember when I was 10, I wanted a Care Bear for Christmas.  But specifically, I wanted a Tenderheart Bear. My grandparents got me a Loves-a-Lot Bear.  I was disappointed.  But, I said thank you.  I didn't yell at them. I hope my face didn't fall.  But, I refuse to think I'm the scum of the earth because I was slightly unhappy I didn't get exactly what I wanted.

[Mabinogia]

10 minutes ago, Katy M said:

I remember when I was 10, I wanted a Care Bear for Christmas.  But specifically, I wanted a Tenderheart Bear. My grandparents got me a Loves-a-Lot Bear.  I was disappointed.  But, I said thank you.  I didn't yell at them. I hope my face didn't fall.  But, I refuse to think I'm the scum of the earth because I was slightly unhappy I didn't get exactly what I wanted.

I wanted a Cabbage Patch Doll (yes, in retrospect I was insane, but it was what was big at the time) and I remember getting a fake one that my grandmother had handmade. I was devastated but I smiled and gave her a big hug and made a big deal about how much I loved the doll. It's what you do when you're not an ungrateful little snot. lol 

I would have been over the moon if someone had given me a car. I'd take Beige Betty in a heartbeat. It was free, it ran, and it was an automatic. If I were the parents I would have said forget it, we'll sell the car and you can walk to school. 

[Katy M]

10 hours ago, Mabinogia said:

I wanted a Cabbage Patch Doll (yes, in retrospect I was insane, but it was what was big at the time) and I remember getting a fake one that my grandmother had handmade. I was devastated but I smiled and gave her a big hug and made a big deal about how much I loved the doll. It's what you do when you're not an ungrateful little snot. lol 

I totally understand why you were disappointed, but that was actually really sweet.  They probably couldn't find one. I remember that stores were selling out like crazy.  Which I don't understand.  I thought they were ugly:)  Or, they couldn't afford one.  Etiher way, she still wanted to give you what you wanted.

My grandmother crocheted my sister a Goldilocks doll and she crocheted me a baby bear.  I don't know about my sister, but I still have the bear.  It's handmade from my grandmother, so I'll treasure it forever.

[OpalNightstream]

The carvana commercial announcer seems all too pleased with herself when she says “one of our car vending machines”. So gimmicky yet they think so clever.  

[Bort]

12 hours ago, Mabinogia said:

I would have been over the moon if someone had given me a car. I'd take Beige Betty in a heartbeat. It was free, it ran, and it was an automatic. If I were the parents I would have said forget it, we'll sell the car and you can walk to school. 

Judging from the sister's tone when talking about Beige Betty, she wasn't that crazy about it either. While we don't know if she threw a shitfit when her parents gifted her the car, we do know that she clearly got a job, saved up for a new car and bought one. 

[Tom Holmberg]

14 hours ago, Mabinogia said:

I wanted a Cabbage Patch Doll (yes, in retrospect I was insane, but it was what was big at the time

If you think wanting one was insane, watch this:

14 hours ago, Mabinogia said:

I wanted a Cabbage Patch Doll (yes, in retrospect I was insane, but it was what was big at the time

If you think wanting one was insane, watch this:

[Ms Lark]

16 hours ago, Mabinogia said:

I wanted a Cabbage Patch Doll (yes, in retrospect I was insane, but it was what was big at the time) and I remember getting a fake one that my grandmother had handmade.

The original CPKs were all handmade, so the one your Grandmother made was probably closer those than the plastic ones that came later.

1 hour ago, Tom Holmberg said:

If you think wanting one was insane, watch this:

OMG, that was insane. Nursie sounds drunk. I would be too, if that was my gig!

I just dropped in to say my pet peeve that is in a lot of commercials these days is when people are eating and they are enjoying the food soooo much they get it all over their faces. Just smeared all across. Yeah. No. That just makes you a disgusting slob.

Edited March 4, 2019 by Ms Lark
Weird double posting bug?

[funky-rat]

16 hours ago, Mabinogia said:

I wanted a Cabbage Patch Doll (yes, in retrospect I was insane, but it was what was big at the time) and I remember getting a fake one that my grandmother had handmade. I was devastated but I smiled and gave her a big hug and made a big deal about how much I loved the doll. It's what you do when you're not an ungrateful little snot. lol 

You were the kid I felt bad for, because I got TWO CPK's for Christmas the year people were beating each other up for them (one kid, one preemie) and a I also got a Koosa (the animal version).  I was in 6th grade, and essentially too old for it, but one of my mom's co-workers (a truck driver) was making a tidy sum getting CPK's in Florida, where they were plentiful, and bringing them back up here, and selling them.  I smiled, and thanked her, but I really just wasn't that in to it.  I'd have gladly given them to you.

[Moose135]

On 3/2/2019 at 7:58 PM, ams1001 said:

The one Matthew McConaughey commercial I like is the one where he's driving with the dogs, talking about what they should get to eat. Because as I just established, doggies.

Yes, I like that one for the dogs too, and when he says he gets to decide what to eat because he is driving, I always hope they pooped in the back seat to spite him!

[Tom Holmberg]

2 hours ago, Ms Lark said:

OMG, that was insane. Nursie sounds drunk.

I bet there are some really messed up kids after they sit through that!

[Cowgirl]

One poster briefly addressed this on page 407, but I have come to vent my spleen about the Turbo Tax "FREE free free free free" commercials.  Those are working my last nerve.  I also don't think it's really free for everyone.  The only one that is very slightly amusing is the one where the big muscley guy starts a fire which leads to an explosion, and they roll fake move credits, where there are various iterations of "free."  

[ams1001]

12 hours ago, Katy M said:

I totally understand why you were disappointed, but that was actually really sweet.  They probably couldn't find one. I remember that stores were selling out like crazy.  Which I don't understand.  I thought they were ugly:)  Or, they couldn't afford one.  Etiher way, she still wanted to give you what you wanted.

I also had a Grandma-made CPK knockoff, which was kind of even uglier but also more special. I also had several real ones (acquired over a few years). The first was when they were the big thing, I was 7, my brother was 9, and somehow my mom managed to get two. Except they had run out of the distinctively-shaped boxes, so when my brother was poking under the Christmas tree before my parents got up (we were only allowed to open stockings before that) and found one with my name on it but not his, he was soooo disappointed. When he finally got to his he found it was in a regular cardboard box with black printing on it. (I also had lots of hand-made doll clothes, both for CPKs and other dolls.)

Ugh, I just saw that damn Paragard commercial again. That song was randomly in my head earlier today, too. Gah.

[Mabinogia]

2 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

I also had a Grandma-made CPK knockoff, which was kind of even uglier but also more special.

Haha, yeah, the one Mimi made me was...not attractive. I loved it, but it was something I played with in the privacy of my own home. I did end up getting a real one after the mania died down. As an adult I take pity on my poor mother. Now I realize what a nightmare it was to get your hands on one of those things. It is the only really trendy thing I ever wanted. 

Ok, just saw yet another commercial where a mom with way too much time on her hands manages to make some twee special little packaging of her kids lunch snacks. What is with these spoiled little princes and princesses? Is a plain clear baggie of food not good enough for them? They need it twisted into the shape of a butterfly, or coded with some super special message? Also, who has time in the morning (it's always shown in the morning as the kids is finishing their five course breakfast mom got up at 2am to start making) to make decorative treats that are going to get tossed around in their kids lunchbox?