Commercials That Annoy, Irritate or Outright Enrage

[Prevailing Wind]

2 hours ago, CarpeDiem54 said:

I think the man's so excited about his phone service because he's obviously married to a yogurt bitch and has nothing else to live for.

Well, she IS kind enough to offer him mild or spicy chili.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

You know what, LifeAlert? I can really do without the older lady lying in the middle of her kitchen yelling soundlessly for help. 

[Moose135]

The blonde in the Viagra or Cialis or whatever ED drug it is.  The one who sees her traveling companion has put a single dose pack of whatever medicine it is in his suitcase, and spends the whole trip looking knowingly at him.

She's thinking "He only put one in his bag - I hope they're kidding about that four-hour thing..."

[BabyVegas]

There is a commercial for a car, either a Range Rover or a Land Rover (I honestly can never remember the difference) where the concept is the car drives through the jungle and then through the city while some truly irritating clarinet music plays in the background. They make a whole point of showing animals and a woman wearing jungle print in the city and it irritates me because I just don't get the point they're making. Are they saying the car can handle lots of different terrain? Most SUVs can do that. Are they saying that life's a jungle and you need the schmanciest possible SUV to cope with it? Because I don't see anything particularly fancy about the car in the ad. I don't mind a company trying to sell me something, but I find it irritating that they won't make a pitch.

Also re: the Viagra commercial. All I can think about when the guy packs one single pill for this entire trip at what looks like it's supposed to be some very romantic resort is "why are you just taking one?" It's my understanding that if you have ED it's not something that comes and goes. And besides that, if you want to take just one pill with you somewhere then take one pill with you somewhere. Why does this product need to be marketed in single-packet form?

And while I'm kvetching about ED commercials, there's one for Cialis that shows all these couples making eyes at each other in public places. There's a couple in what appears to be a pretty full theater or planetarium or something. Are they planning to throw down right then and there? 

[bilgistic]

I used to date a pharmacist. Viagra/other ED meds used to not be covered under most insurance (which, if you aren't going to cover birth control, insurers, you shouldn't cover Viagra), but that may have changed; it's been 8-10 years. Anyway, men would buy only one or two pills at a time from the pharmacy, which I thought was kind of weird (like, if you know you have ED, why not just get a bottle of pills?), but my ex said it was pretty standard practice for their customers. If this is all still the case, my thinking is the single-pill packet makes for easier dispensing at the pharmacy and for doctors giving samples.

[Brattinella]

Viagra used to cost about 30 bucks each, if you had no insurance.  So, they are pretty pricey.

[merylinkid]

1 hour ago, Cobalt Stargazer said:

You know what, LifeAlert? I can really do without the older lady lying in the middle of her kitchen yelling soundlessly for help. 

God yes.   Just saw that one and freaked out.   It is nightmare inducing.  

[Rick Kitchen]

It's as bad as the little girl who comes in to find Grandma on the floor.

[Brattinella]

Those really are some horrific ads, Grandma on the floor.  And little girl appears to NOT know that there is anything wrong.  She looks old enough to know how to call 911. right?

[Watcher0363]

1 hour ago, Brattinella said:

Viagra used to cost about 30 bucks each, if you had no insurance.  So, they are pretty pricey.

If you are, or have ever been able to acquire Viagra for 30 bucks each. Then you should be one wealthy person. At today's prices 30 bucks would be a 25% to 50% discount. Years ago when Viagra was about 100 bucks a pill. You could have sold those things for 75 bucks and people would have lined up around the block for them.

[Haleth]

9 hours ago, BabyVegas said:

There is a commercial for a car, either a Range Rover or a Land Rover (I honestly can never remember the difference) where the concept is the car drives through the jungle and then through the city while some truly irritating clarinet music plays in the background. They make a whole point of showing animals and a woman wearing jungle print in the city and it irritates me because I just don't get the point they're making. Are they saying the car can handle lots of different terrain? Most SUVs can do that. Are they saying that life's a jungle and you need the schmanciest possible SUV to cope with it? Because I don't see anything particularly fancy about the car in the ad. I don't mind a company trying to sell me something, but I find it irritating that they won't make a pitch.

The music is the Baby Elephant Walk yet there isn't a single elephant in the commercial.  That's what bugs me!

[Blergh]

8 hours ago, Brattinella said:

Those really are some horrific ads, Grandma on the floor.  And little girl appears to NOT know that there is anything wrong.  She looks old enough to know how to call 911. right?

 I agree!  And I also  get mad at the girl's  unseen parents who seemed to have no problems jaunting off to wherever- leaving behind a child too young, inexperienced and too small to help with a sitter who was too old and frail to not need to have someone looking out for her. I'm guessing that the child was by Grandma's change-of-life lastborn son who himself waited until he got a trophy wife before his own retirement to sire her. Sorry, I'm reading too much into this but having to make sure my own elderly mother is okay gets me mad at these sandwich generation dorks who seem to care more about 'free' sitters for folks too young/old to be on their own.

[Prevailing Wind]

I'm bugged by the lady who says she was lying there for TEN HOURS before her "doorter" found her.

And I'm thinking Betty White must really believe in the Life Alert or she wouldn't be doing the ads. Surely, she doesn't need the money.

[RCharter]

11 hours ago, Brattinella said:

Viagra used to cost about 30 bucks each, if you had no insurance.  So, they are pretty pricey.

Viagra is covered by insurance?

1 hour ago, Prevailing Wind said:

I'm bugged by the lady who says she was lying there for TEN HOURS before her "doorter" found her.

And I'm thinking Betty White must really believe in the Life Alert or she wouldn't be doing the ads. Surely, she doesn't need the money.

I such a huge fan of the Golden Girls that Betty White can do no wrong in my book

11 hours ago, BabyVegas said:

And while I'm kvetching about ED commercials, there's one for Cialis that shows all these couples making eyes at each other in public places. There's a couple in what appears to be a pretty full theater or planetarium or something. Are they planning to throw down right then and there? 

Not in my theater you don't!  You take that four hour erection to your car sir!

[Moose135]

1 hour ago, RCharter said:

Viagra is covered by insurance?

One of the commercials makes reference to "insurance coverage has changed, so check..."

[Eliot]

2 hours ago, Prevailing Wind said:

I'm bugged by the lady who says she was lying there for TEN HOURS before her "doorter" found her.

And I'm thinking Betty White must really believe in the Life Alert or she wouldn't be doing the ads. Surely, she doesn't need the money.

I used to laugh at those ads until the time I saw my mother fall. Luckily, I was there to help but she still ended up having to have knee surgery as a result.

The one that scares me the most is the one that begins with a long, panning shot of an empty house and a faint "Heeelllp" echoing through the rooms, eventually closing in on a woman lying at the bottom of her stairs, calling out for a rescue that never comes.

Edited June 24, 2016 by Eliot

[erikdepressant]

12 hours ago, bilgistic said:

I used to date a pharmacist. Viagra/other ED meds used to not be covered under most insurance (which, if you aren't going to cover birth control, insurers, you shouldn't cover Viagra), but that may have changed; it's been 8-10 years. Anyway, men would buy only one or two pills at a time from the pharmacy, which I thought was kind of weird (like, if you know you have ED, why not just get a bottle of pills?), but my ex said it was pretty standard practice for their customers. If this is all still the case, my thinking is the single-pill packet makes for easier dispensing at the pharmacy and for doctors giving samples.

I assume Viagra expires like other medications do.  It's depressing enough to buy a whole box of condoms knowing only one will get used before the expiration date; imagine throwing out a whole expensive bottle of Viagra.

Edited June 24, 2016 by erikdepressant

[Neurochick]

13 hours ago, Cobalt Stargazer said:

You know what, LifeAlert? I can really do without the older lady lying in the middle of her kitchen yelling soundlessly for help. 

But that's the point; they're trying to get you to purchase their product, which is a good one IMO.

[LoneHaranguer]

2 hours ago, RCharter said:

Viagra is covered by insurance?

It's a treatment for a bodily function that isn't working right, so why not? That's as opposed to birth control, which is intended to screw up one that is working, so it's not inconsistent to cover one and not the other.

[RCharter]

6 minutes ago, LoneHaranguer said:

It's a treatment for a bodily function that isn't working right, so why not? That's as opposed to birth control, which is intended to screw up one that is working, so it's not inconsistent to cover one and not the other.

insurance generally covers is what medically necessary.  Its not medically necessary to have a four hour erection.  For example -- treatment for acne may not be covered by an insurance carrier, because its treatment is not considered a medical necessity.  Not to mention that there are less expensive ways to treat ED, such as a penis pump, which is covered by Medicare.  Many times insurance will cover a less expensive treatment, not a more expensive one.  For example, if you suffer a soft tissue injury, your insurance carrier may cover the cost of a visit to the doctor and anti-inflammatories.  However, your insurance may not cover the cost of going to a chiropractor, or an acupuncturist, both of whom offer treatments for soft tissue injuries.

As for birth control, it actually is sometimes medically necessary for a person to not get pregnant, as it is a risk to their health to carry a child to term.  And BC is generally the least expensive treatment.

Edited June 24, 2016 by RCharter

[iMonrey]

Quote

I such a huge fan of the Golden Girls that Betty White can do no wrong in my book

J'adore Betty White but still . . . how much more money do you actually need, Betty? You've got maybe five years tops left to you. 

I'm going to give her the benefit of the doubt and say she just wants to work to keep active and doesn't care what the job is.

[mmecorday]

If something happens to Betty White this year, 2016 is dead to me.

[theatremouse]

As I understand it, she's also super charitable. So it's not so much she wants or needs the money, but the organizations she supports sure do, so if people are willing to pay, sure.

2 hours ago, LoneHaranguer said:

It's a treatment for a bodily function that isn't working right, so why not? That's as opposed to birth control, which is intended to screw up one that is working, so it's not inconsistent to cover one and not the other.

A better analogy might be moreso that insurance (sometimes, not all plans) covers fertility treatments. In some cases Viagra might be a less expensive option on the guy side of that equation. So I could see them potentially covering under that train of thought. Still doesn't quite get you to medically necessary, but it's a better comparison than BC, I think.

Edited June 24, 2016 by theatremouse

[peacheslatour]

2 hours ago, LoneHaranguer said:

It's a treatment for a bodily function that isn't working right, so why not? That's as opposed to birth control, which is intended to screw up one that is working, so it's not inconsistent to cover one and not the other.

Adolescent girls and young women are often prescribed birth control pills for irregular or absent menstrual periods, menstrual cramps, acne, PMS, endometriosis, Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (POI) and for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). Girls who are diagnosed with PCOS are often prescribed oral contraceptives to lower their hormone levels and regulate their menstrual periods.

Birth control pills have more uses than just preventing pregnancy. This is not screwing up something that is working, it's treating real medical conditions.

[Prevailing Wind]

3 hours ago, iMonrey said:

J'adore Betty White but still . . . how much more money do you actually need, Betty? You've got maybe five years tops left to you. 

I'm going to give her the benefit of the doubt and say she just wants to work to keep active and doesn't care what the job is.

I think she really believes in & uses Life Alert.  Good for her!

 

I know they work. My late mom wore a button as pendant. One day, she wanted me to help her decide which dress to wear to my nephew's wedding.  She was holding the dresses up, under her chin... and I hear a voice from the living room, "Margaret, are you alright?" - She had accidentally pushed the button with one of the hangers and they were on the line, immediately, checking on her.  Sad part is...she didn't HEAR it, only I did.  I reassured the lady on the other end of the machine that we were all OK. She said they love false alarms - that means no one is hurt.

Edited June 24, 2016 by Prevailing Wind

[peacheslatour]

34 minutes ago, Prevailing Wind said:

I think she really believes in & uses Life Alert.  Good for her!

 

I know they work. My late mom wore a button as pendant. One day, she wanted me to help her decide which dress to wear to my nephew's wedding.  She was holding the dresses up, under her chin... and I hear a voice from the living room, "Margaret, are you alright?" - She had accidentally pushed the button with one of the hangers and they were on the line, immediately, checking on her.  Sad part is...she didn't HEAR it, only I did.  I reassured the lady on the other end of the machine that we were all OK. She said they love false alarms - that means no one is hurt.

Wow. Was it Life Alert or some other brand? I would like to get one for my dad.

[LoneHaranguer]

2 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

Birth control pills have more uses than just preventing pregnancy. This is not screwing up something that is working, it's treating real medical conditions.

My comment was intended to be in the context of the oft-heard complaint which was mentioned upthread, not involving secondary uses (which for any drug are usually covered by insurance once their value is established). Sorry for not being clearer.

[luvmylabs]

This has probably been said before, but I really hate commercials where the husband/male partner is made to look like an idiot.  Example:  Liberty Mutual ad where husband with a 'perfect' record hit a food truck.  Please do correct me if I'm wrong, but I rarely see a commercial where the wife/female partner is made to look bad.  OK...let's not go back to the 50's but surely sometimes the woman made the mistake.

[peacheslatour]

30 minutes ago, LoneHaranguer said:

My comment was intended to be in the context of the oft-heard complaint which was mentioned upthread, not involving secondary uses (which for any drug are usually covered by insurance once their value is established). Sorry for not being clearer.

No worries. I get salty when people compare boner pills to oral contraceptives, too.

[Winston Wolfe]

Has anyone else noticed that the University of Phoenix has re-shot their obnoxious commercial?  The one that ends with the snotty young lady in the College Library imperiously sticking her index finger up in air when the Security Guard tells her its closing time?   The revised version has the Security Guard gently telling the student (not the same one as last time, I believe) that its time to go, and she nicely and politely packs up her things and does so.  The University obviously got some negative feedback on the original version, but it aired for quite some time.  Interesting how they could be so tone deaf for so long....

Ironically, I've been shopping around for a doctoral program for a while, and was leaning towards the University of Phoenix because they offered a PhD program that I liked which had online courses and classroom seat time near my town.  Needless to say, that damn "I've got a Brain" commercial killed the deal for me and quite a few other folks it appears.

Edited June 24, 2016 by Winston Wolfe
corrected spacing

[janie jones]

Yeah, I posted about it but I think it was in the other thread where we're talking about University of Phoenix.  I like this version so much better.

9 hours ago, erikdepressant said:

I assume Viagra expires like other medications do.  It's depressing enough to buy a whole box of condoms knowing only one will get used before the expiration date; imagine throwing out a whole expensive bottle of Viagra.

Condoms come in boxes of three.  (I learned this when my ex-boyfriend showed up with a box of three.  I'm like, first of all, the unit cost for three is surely much greater than in larger boxes, but mostly, do you really only plan to have sex with me three times?)  So probably throwing 2 away is less depressing than fifteen or whatever.

[SmithW6079]

I'm hating the AT&T ad with the douchebag who ignores Lily to ask Siri what the current deals are. And fuck you, Siri. Your kind are not the overlords of humanity yet, so ditch the passive-aggressive attitude toward Lily.

Edited June 25, 2016 by SmithW6079

[bilgistic]

2 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

No worries. I get salty when people compare boner pills to oral contraceptives, too.

I wasn't comparing the pills; I made a statement about insurance companies non-sensically not covering one thing but inexplicably covering another.

Also, I was trying to be a little funny, but I guess that didn't work. I'll take my kickball and leave.

Edited June 25, 2016 by bilgistic

[Rick Kitchen]

What drugs were the ad men taking when they decided that that ridiculous muppet Toomgis (and I had to look up the spelling) would be the mascot for AM/PM?

 

[Jamoche]

23 hours ago, Brattinella said:

Those really are some horrific ads, Grandma on the floor.  And little girl appears to NOT know that there is anything wrong.  She looks old enough to know how to call 911. right?

Kids younger than her have been in the news for calling 911 in situations like that, so yeah.

 

1 hour ago, Rick Kitchen said:

What drugs were the ad men taking when they decided that that ridiculous muppet Toomgis (and I had to look up the spelling) would be the mascot for AM/PM?

Same drugs as the latest Alice movie?

 

4 hours ago, Winston Wolfe said:

Ironically, I've been shopping around for a doctoral program for a while, and was leaning towards the University of Phoenix because they offered a PhD program that I liked which had online courses and classroom seat time near my town.  Needless to say, that damn "I've got a Brain" commercial killed the deal for me and quite a few other folks it appears.

That, and places like askamanager.org recommend against putting UoP degrees on your resume, because no matter how much work you put in, their reputation counts against them.

The next Apple Watch OS version will have a 911-dialing option (or local equivalent automatically), and as it's got speaker/microphone, that'll avoid the problem of the LifeAlert station being out of hearing range.

[theatremouse]

12 minutes ago, Jamoche said:

That, and places like askamanager.org recommend against putting UoP degrees on your resume, because no matter how much work you put in, their reputation counts against them.

Or, frankly any for-profit college. Which is one reason why the "degree is a degree" bit in the ad is so idiotic because the for-profits pretty much all have similar reputations currently. Those assholes.

[BW Manilowe]

If Travelocity wanted to make a commercial where they say someone wouldn't have booked travel to the wrong city if they'd used their service, shouldn't they have at least made sure there was airline service (it's presumed the traveler is [are] flying, mostly because 1 city is overseas) to each of the 2 cities mentioned?

I'm talking about the ad where the announcer says so & so wanted to book a trip to Athens, Greece, but booked themselves to Athens, Georgia, instead. Athens, Greece has airline service; Athens, Georgia, doesn't as far as I know.

Why not say--for example--Charleston, West Virginia, & Charleston, South Carolina, instead (confusion, but actually made by a travel agent as I remember, that happened to my Dad years & years ago)? At least both Charlestons have scheduled air service so it's believable you could at least accidentally book yourself to the wrong city; especially if you're booking with an airline which flies to both & the cities are listed alphabetically on the drop down menu in the reservations section of the airline website.

Another commercial which bugs is the 1 where the Mom keeps walking in on her kid & says his name--"Stephen!"--in a shocked tone, like she's just walked in on him having sex or something (even though that's not what he's doing, because the ad's on TV at all hours & you can't show that at all hours). And--I think--Stephen's got a friend who says she'd stop walking in on him/being shocked when she does if he did such & such (the point of the ad). I don't even know what Stephen's doing that Mom so disapproves of. I've never seen the ad, just heard it (So can someone who remembers maybe explain Mom's behavior for me, please?), but it bugs because Stephen's behavior can't be bad enough to warrant the reaction it gets from Mom.

[theatremouse]

I agree, although I think they were aiming for "as far apart as possible but still reasonable name recognition for both cities". (ie London, Ontario vs London, England was not an option, and I'm guessing they didn't do Portland vs Portland because they were trying for "not even the same country" too).

On the other hand, if I want to be devil's advocate, I forget if this ad specifically says "flight"? What the person might have purchased is not just plain a flight, but rather a vacation package (flight+hotel+maybe car?). There are also some small airports near Athens. Anyway, point is, if it were a vacation package, and the ultimate destination were Athens, GA, the lack of major airport might not have been a factor in the search. Whereas if it were just "buying plane ticket to..." then it's definitely a stupid example.

Edited June 25, 2016 by theatremouse

[riley702]

4 hours ago, Rick Kitchen said:

What drugs were the ad men taking when they decided that that ridiculous muppet Toomgis (and I had to look up the spelling) would be the mascot for AM/PM?

 

Whoa! That's like a bad acid trip, or the very personification of the munchies after smoking pot.

[Prevailing Wind]

14 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

Wow. Was it Life Alert or some other brand? I would like to get one for my dad.

I doubt it was Life Alert. This was in a small town in western North Carolina back in 2005; I have no idea who the company was, but when she accidentally wrote her rent check payable to them & sent it off, they deposited it. $146 for a $30 monthly fee.  You'd think they would have called to make sure it was right.  I soon took over paying her bills after that.

[editorgrrl]

Quote

Another commercial which bugs is the 1 where the Mom keeps walking in on her kid & says his name—"Stephen!"—in a shocked tone, like she's just walked in on him having sex or something (even though that's not what he's doing, because the ad's on TV at all hours & you can't show that at all hours).

And—I think—Stephen's got a friend who says she'd stop walking in on him/being shocked when she does if he did such & such (the point of the ad). I don't even know what Stephen's doing that Mom so disapproves of. I've never seen the ad, just heard it (So can someone who remembers maybe explain Mom's behavior for me, please?), but it bugs because Stephen's behavior can't be bad enough to warrant the reaction it gets from Mom.

Stephen's watching porn on his laptop, and his "friend" is a bottle of Clearasil Ultra Rapid face wash:

Edited June 25, 2016 by editorgrrl
Then he has unprotected sex at the drive-in and invents robot technology.

[janie jones]

Another commercial which bugs is the 1 where the Mom keeps walking in on her kid & says his name—"Stephen!"—in a shocked tone

This description made me think exclusively of this commercial: 

[Prevailing Wind]

That Stephen kid kinda looks like Tim Robbins. I wonder if he's one of the Robbins/Sarandon kids.

 

ETA: Never mind. Just googled pics of Miles & Jack Henry Robbins. Neither one are Stephen.

Edited June 25, 2016 by Prevailing Wind

[ennui]

On 6/24/2016 at 3:00 PM, peacheslatour said:

Wow. Was it Life Alert or some other brand? I would like to get one for my dad.

I think you're the one that Life Alert is marketing to ... I remember reading an article that most of these monitoring products are purchased by adult children for their parents, and most parents refuse to take them out of the box. I suggest people investigate for systems that do not have contracts.

Life Alert and similar products are excellent for people who live alone, yet need monitoring for health conditions. I recall a neighbor undergoing chemo who still wanted to live alone at home, and her doctor only gave permission if she subscribed to a monitoring service.

[SmithW6079]

I thought my dislike of Rebel Wilson was due to her unfunny appearances on  "The Graham Norton Show," but those new car commercials she's in with Keegan-Michael Key make me realize I just don't think she's funny or appealing in any way. 

[Rick Kitchen]

Aw, I adore Rebel Wilson.

 

Fun fact:  She has a brother named Ryot and sisters named Annachi and Liberty.  Ryot and Liberty competed on season one of Australian The Amazing Race.

Rebel is going to be doing Guys and Dolls in Australia, as Miss Adelaide.

[Brattinella]

22 minutes ago, Rick Kitchen said:

Aw, I adore Rebel Wilson.

 

Fun fact:  She has a brother named Ryot and sisters named Annachi and Liberty.  Ryot and Liberty competed on season one of Australian The Amazing Race.

Rebel is going to be doing Guys and Dolls in Australia, as Miss Adelaide.

Cool names!

[ExplainItAgain]

Has anyone seen that Maya Rudolph commercial for tampons? She's standing there with a microphone singing a "jingle" (her word - actually a "vajingle," because you know, it's about vaginas!). First of all, the commercial is uncomfortably long. I could have sworn it was like 2 minutes. Then, toward the end, she starts doing that exaggerated singing voice where you can't tell exactly what she's saying. It's so weird and uncomfortable - and it's not because of the subject matter.

Holy crap on a cracker, it's bad.

[Sandman87]

On Friday, June 24, 2016 at 7:03 PM, Rick Kitchen said:

What drugs were the ad men taking when they decided that that ridiculous muppet Toomgis (and I had to look up the spelling) would be the mascot for AM/PM?

 

We have reached the point where companies like AM/PM and Jack in the Box are actively courting the potheads. It's a pity, because Jack used to be my go-to drive-through when I wanted a fast food burger. But now I I don't intend to go anywhere near the parking lot of Impaired Driver Central.

[Prevailing Wind]

1 hour ago, ExplainItAgain said:

Has anyone seen that Maya Rudolph commercial for tampons? She's standing there with a microphone singing a "jingle" (her word - actually a "vajingle," because you know, it's about vaginas!). First of all, the commercial is uncomfortably long. I could have sworn it was like 2 minutes. Then, toward the end, she starts doing that exaggerated singing voice where you can't tell exactly what she's saying. It's so weird and uncomfortable - and it's not because of the subject matter.

Holy crap on a cracker, it's bad.

Are you sure that wasn't part of the Martin/Maya variety show with Martin Short?