Commercials That Annoy, Irritate or Outright Enrage

[Aquarius]

Amazon, please explain to me how "apparently tailored for ease of use by people with tenuous grips on reality" is a selling point for your Fire TV.

 

I dunno.  It's an untapped market, those who like to talk to things.  And get angry when they don't cooperate.

[bilgistic]

Amazon, please explain to me how "apparently tailored for ease of use by people with tenuous grips on reality" is a selling point for your Fire TV.

"Feeling

Intensely

Ready to watch

Entourage!

Gary Busey is FIREd up about his Amazon Fire TV!"

[Prevailing Wind]

Perhaps they created it for those two idiots that eat at Sonic all the time.

[AntiBeeSpray]

Commercials about Low T. If I have to hear another one of those, I'll scream.

[muddywaters]

"Low T" - makes me nostalgic for ol' Bob Dole and his EEEE DEEEE.

[smittykins]

It makes me nostalgic for when it was called "impotence"--and you didn't hear about it on TV.

[AntiBeeSpray]

It makes me nostalgic for when it was called "impotence"--and you didn't hear about it on TV.

Same here. Along with any commercials where they always have the woman try to fix anything of her's so she can have sex with her boyfriend, husband, etc. Where's caring about what the woman may feel or how she's doing health wise? Guess they don't give a damn in that regard. It's all about how the MAN feels.

[Jamoche]

Where's caring about what the woman may feel or how she's doing health wise?

Oh, we get that in the drug to make post-menopausal sex less painful. Still skeevy, but no mention of the men.

Edited May 18, 2014 by Jamoche

[Eliot]

I'm sick of pharma ads in general. I hate how they try to attach cute nicknames to conditions. As if calling it "ED" or "Low-T" somehow makes it cool to be impotent.

[AntiBeeSpray]

Oh, we get that in the drug to make post-menopausal sex less painful. Still skeevy, but no mention of the men.

Yea to a point. But it's still aimed at pleasing the guy, even if they didn't mention it, it's implied.

[Prevailing Wind]

I don't think so...it's aimed at making sex less painful for her, whether she's got a human male or a vibrator for a partner.

Edited May 18, 2014 by Prevailing Wind

[muddywaters]

As a Woman Of A Certain Age, if I used that product it'd be all about pleasing myself.  Of course my man would be happy because I'm happy (and not in pain) but I never saw that as the primary aim of the commercial.

[muddywaters]

I'm sick of pharma ads in general. I hate how they try to attach cute nicknames to conditions. As if calling it "ED" or "Low-T" somehow makes it cool to be impotent.

I'm hearing similar cute nicknames (initials) for incontinence too, but I'm having a total mental block right now and can't think of an example.

[Bastet]

LBL - Light Bladder Leakage.

 

That commercial for a drug to counteract post-menopausal vaginal dryness drives me nuts.  Let's see, there's topical lubricant to be used when needed or a drug that will force the woman's body to make its own, while at the same time putting her at risk for a long list of potential side effects, some quite serious ... is this a trick question?

[lachesis]

Sarah Silverman in some type of board meeting when her disposable coffee cup from that morning is suddenly anthropomorphised and comes on to her like it was an ex-bf right in the middle of the meeting. I find this highly creepy not just because it's a walking, talking, smarmy paper cup, but because it reminds me of every time I go to a bar and some douche tries to hit on me. Same. Exact. Tone of voice. *shudder*

[lachesis]

Sorry to double post... I just saw THIS: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hLmP73eAHB8

Newest commercial with the Direct TV marionette wife. It's called "Am I pretty?" The marionette wife is in her robe at the foot of the bed and the human husband is sitting on the bed. Wife asked if her husband thinks she's pretty because he goes on an on about how much he hates wires. Husband says no, you're awesome blah blah blah. This appeases Wifey and thus she takes off her robe and starts doing a sexy dance for Hubs. Holy actual fuck I thought the lemonade one was bad. They just get worse!

[bilgistic]

That...was truly disturbing.

[beezus3]

 

The lady's voice on the shingles.org commercial gives me a raaasch …it "buuuurrrns so much" Her voice just bugs. Raaasch. Raaasch. 

 

http://www.ispot.tv/ad/7BIm/merck-shingles-theresa-perry

[janie jones]

Maybe it's meant to simulate shingles.

[Callasin]

I've only seen this on Hulu but it bugs me.  These people are talking about how wonderful Audible is.  The two older women are the worst.  One can now go anywhere in the world with Audible because she is completely portable. Hmm I was able to travel overseas with paperback books.  The other has always had a wonderful imagination for reading but this is even better or something like that.  She bugs me with her over the top voice and facial expressions.  The whole thing just reminds me of that ad for Lumosity which I despise.

[Prevailing Wind]

What a sad state advertising is in - the "enraged" thread is twice as long as the "commercials you like" thread.  The ads enrage us more than they engage us.  "Advertising" is not doing its job very well.

[Rinaldo]

I don't know... isn't it true that it's much easier, as well as more fun, to talk about what we don't like than what we do? I find that true for myself, anyway -- certainly when I'm reviewing recordings or videos, I have to work hard to give substantial space to discussing what I liked; otherwise my negative comments would take over the whole review, and would misrepresent what I thought.

[aradia22]

I hate all the Latisse ads. For a while it was just Claire Danes and the weird eye darkening part that sounded like poison. Now I've fixed on the "inadequate or not enough lashes" part. If you don't trust that your audience (of 40+ year old women) knows that inadequate translates roughly to "not enough" I feel like it's kind of taking advantage of them to sell them your weird poison. 

[AltLivia]

 

The whole thing just reminds me of that ad for Lumosity which I despise.

"I work out for my body but it's harder to train my brain." "I'm a busy mom with x number of kids..." I understand why you would try the site (I haven't and probably won't) but to use it several times, enough to tout its virtues so insipidly? It's like they don't trust life to challenge them enough intellectually, which is kind of disturbing. Or that if they didn't use the service, they would slowly spiral into incomprehension. 

[Lola16]

What a sad state advertising is in - the "enraged" thread is twice as long as the "commercials you like" thread.  The ads enrage us more than they engage us.  "Advertising" is not doing its job very well.

If sales are up, then Advertising is doing its job.  Unless you're a brand marketer, then you can tie your performance review to feel-metrics.

[Lola16]

Why did Haagen-Dazs think it was a good idea to sell gelatto with a couple having screaming arguments in Italian? Nice throwback to the ethnic stereotypes of yesteryear, guys. 

I despise that ad. I won't even link to it, I hate it that much. It glorifies domestic abuse imo. Cuts too close to home to me and my one ex who coincidentally or not was fro Italy (and he'd find that commercial charming I am sure).  gah.

While I'm ranting about Gelato commercials

 

 

Hate this one.  Between the jacked up teeth and the long drawn out pronunciations, argh.

[smittykins]

I hate all the Latisse ads. For a while it was just Claire Danes and the weird eye darkening part that sounded like poison. Now I've fixed on the "inadequate or not enough lashes" part. If you don't trust that your audience (of 40+ year old women) knows that inadequate translates roughly to "not enough" I feel like it's kind of taking advantage of them to sell them your weird poison. 

Yeah, I mentioned that on one of the TWoP threads when it first came out.  Department of Redundancy Department, anyone?

[Tabbyclaw]

Lashes can be inadequate for reasons other than there not being enough of them. If you have a lot of eyelashes but they're still individually thinner and wispier than you'd like, they're still inadequate.

[Prevailing Wind]

When I first saw the Brooke Shields Latisse ads, I was appalled...all the medical conditions we have that are REAL - that people need help with - and they develop something for freakin' EYELASHES????!?!??!?!!

And then I read it was originally developed as a glaucoma drug (to help, not to give it to you hahahaha), and they noticed people's eyelashes were becoming fuller.  It's a damn SIDE EFFECT of a glaucoma drug.  But at least they're helping glaucoma sufferers.

 

Of course, it doesn't make the ads any better...

[cynicat]

And then I read it was originally developed as a glaucoma drug (to help, not to give it to you hahahaha), and they noticed people's eyelashes were becoming fuller.  It's a damn SIDE EFFECT of a glaucoma drug.  But at least they're helping glaucoma sufferers.

 

FWIW, Viagra was originally intended to be a blood pressure medication.  A particular side effect was noticed...

[ari333]

Agree on all counts above and I'll add.... I loathe those emergency preparedness commercials. I just hate them.

 

I also hate all the Hardee's commercials. There's way too much slurping and gulping. I have to change the channel.

 

Strudel boy haunts my dreams.

[riley702]

FWIW, Viagra was originally intended to be a blood pressure medication.  A particular side effect was noticed...

 

So was Rogaine. Years ago, I took care of a toddler on it for treatment of high blood pressure and he was nothing but hair from his eyebrows up to his (original) hairline. Very cute, in a mini-caveman way. When he was changed to a different medication, it all gradually fell out. His Mom was happy, but I was a little sad. 

Edited May 27, 2014 by riley702

[ElleryAnne]

Amazon, please explain to me how "apparently tailored for ease of use by people with tenuous grips on reality" is a selling point for your Fire TV.

 

 

My problem with that commercial is that every time Gary Busey says, "Hello, lamp", my mind goes, "post, whatcha knowing?"  And then the whole 59th Street Bridge earwiggles in my head until some other commercial knocks it out.

 

Add me to those who hate the DirectTV commercials with the marionette.  Creepy.

[ramble]

Add me to those who hate the DirectTV commercials with the marionette. Creepy.

I just saw another one of those. The wife is worried that the husband is too enamored with his DirectTV so she wears lingerie & does a little puppet dance. It is seriously skeevy.

[riley702]

The "sexy" marionette is disturbing, but I am always distracted wondering how she got her bathrobe off over all those wires... That's more analysis than it merits, but it still bugs me.

Edited May 28, 2014 by riley702

[Aquarius]

So now we have two women marionette and a child marionette.  When is a man marionette going to feel insecure about his wires when faced with the comment that wires are ugly or weird?

[riley702]

I need to just cut the TWoP forums. I've been weaning myself down and pretty much all I read there now are the commercials.  I just read a post over there that was exactly the substance of my post about the "sexy" marionette above, right down to acknowledging that they're thinking about it too much. My first reaction was "I just said that!" and then realized it was there and mine was here. Mine was first (neener, neener!). I would like to clarify that I am not the poster Stella MD on TWoP.

[swankie]

The commercial that just irritates me to the point of wanting someone to throw me under the nearest TARC bus is the stupid Time Warner wedding commercial. 

 

http://youtu.be/ZLQxHpLC3Dc

 

I don't know who the Time Warner guy is, but I can't stop watching his mouth when he talks.  It annoys me for some reason.

[Lola16]

The commercial that just irritates me to the point of wanting someone to throw me under the nearest TARC bus is the stupid Time Warner wedding commercial. 

 

http://youtu.be/ZLQxHpLC3Dc

 

I don't know who the Time Warner guy is, but I can't stop watching his mouth when he talks.  It annoys me for some reason.

That is one of the more annoying TWC commercials.  That's something Cowher (sp), a former Pitts Steeler coach.  It was covered earlier when I thought he was a fake coach.

[TattleTeeny]

I've only seen this on Hulu but it bugs me.  These people are talking about how wonderful Audible is.  The two older women are the worst.  One can now go anywhere in the world with Audible because she is completely portable. Hmm I was able to travel overseas with paperback books.  The other has always had a wonderful imagination for reading but this is even better or something like that.  She bugs me with her over the top voice and facial expressions.  The whole thing just reminds me of that ad for Lumosity which I despise.

 

Ugh, Lumosity--did you know it's based on "NEROscience"?

 

Is Audible the one that tells us all about audiobooks as if they are a brand-new and innovative thing?

All of the commercials that use "less" where "fewer" should be: shut up, shut up, shut up! There's one that says that something has "less harsh chemicals"; because I cannot hear whether there might be a hyphen, how am I to know whether the product contains chemicals that are less harsh than the norm, or that it contains a smaller number of chemicals than a rival product?

Also, as I type, there is a commercial for cougarlife.com. It has an "edgy" lady-fronted "rock" band, a terrible song, and a roar that sounds more like a shower curtain being aggressively pulled open.

Edited June 1, 2014 by TattleTeeny

[FlamingWench79]

Cosigning all the posts regarding the marionettes, especially the latest one with her doing a "sexy dance" for her husband.  I thought the first two were creepy, but her flailing about asking him "Do you like that?" legit had me scrambling for the remote.  

[Maverick]

 I hate commercials that are built on the pretext dopey/wimpy husband and arrogant overbearing wife (and for the record I hate the reverse as well).  So some people who need to go away right now are: the husband and wife in the Allstate commercial playing rock/paper/scissors over a check.   He wins the game, but she takes the check because "wife beats rock".  Really?  Ever heard of community property?  Ever heard of managing finances as a couple?  You get the extra money just because your the wife?  Shrew.

 

 Also need to go away:  the woman in the refrigerator commercial who prattles on in inner monologue about how ignorant her son (and later husband) are for looking staring into the fridge for something to eat.  She just goes on and on about how dense her husband and child are.  Straight up bitch.  To be fair, the husband and son look virtually catatonic and on the verge of leaking drool out of their mouth at any moment, but I suspect it's because mommie dearest has been secretly drugging their food for years.  

 

 And last that needs to go away in this theme, there's a paint commercial with mom on a business trip talking to dad and kids on Skype.   Dad and kids assure her everything is fine, but when we see things from their perspective after the call ends the kitchen looks like the fridge, pantry and oven have exploded all over the walls.  Because poor dopey dad can't handle the kids.  

[bilgistic]

The "sexy" marionette is disturbing, but I am always distracted wondering how she got her bathrobe off over all those wires... That's more analysis than it merits, but it still bugs me.

And...how did she get the negligee on over the wires???

 

So now we have two women marionette and a child marionette.  When is a man marionette going to feel insecure about his wires when faced with the comment that wires are ugly or weird?

Come on, now...men are never insecure! The no-man-marionette commercials just prove it!

 

Also, as I type, there is a commercial for cougarlife.com. It has an "edgy" lady-fronted "rock" band, a terrible song, and a roar that sounds more like a shower curtain being aggressively pulled open.

This makes me want to shoot things. Like whoever thought up "cougarlife.com". Fucking hell.

Edited June 1, 2014 by bilgistic

[fishcakes]

This would be an example of subliminal advertising, if it weren't so fucking gross and obvious.

 

http://youtu.be/insIqD4sCPA

[GaT]

Lipozene. Anyone associated with any Lipozene commercial needs to die. Also, the Car Loan Pal, the kid with the bad teeth & the woman on the bicycle are such bad actors, they give me nervous twitches.

[Lola16]

I have a soft spot for the Lipozene pitch woman.  I hired her back in 07 or 08 to do some workplace training videos.  But yea, it's a bad commercial.

[GaT]

 

I have a soft spot for the Lipozene pitch woman.  I hired her back in 07 or 08 to do some workplace training videos.  But yea, it's a bad commercial.

Did she do that thing with her hands in the video too? Watching her hands drives me insane.

[Lola16]

Did she do that thing with her hands in the video too? Watching her hands drives me insane.

It was for an airline, so yes, lots of hand movements!

[bilgistic]

Is she the one that asks ever-so-understandingly, "Are you *so overweight* that you're considering dangerous surgeries?"

...while she's normal-to-slender weight?

[GaT]

 

 

Is she the one that asks ever-so-understandingly, "Are you *so overweight* that you're considering dangerous surgeries?"

...while she's normal-to-slender weight?

Yep