Commercials That Annoy, Irritate or Outright Enrage

[bilgistic]

25 minutes ago, backformore said:

 I don't know why this Chico's ad annoys me so much:

 

I guess I've just never bought a pair of pants that make me want to dance down the street.  If I was ever forced to walk down the street wearing leopard-print pants, I think I would be cringing and walking fast with my head down, not wigging my ass like a drunk woman. 

  and that new style of shirt, the "Cold Shoulder" style with the cut-outs on the shoulder leaves me confused.

I get that people like styles that I don't, and if you like those cutout-shoulder shirts, I am not trying to offend you, but I don't understand them, don't like them, and think they are terribly unflattering. They look cheap, even if they're not.

[Brattinella]

2 hours ago, Jaded said:

Commercials like this make me wish we had laws like other countries that have banned direct advertising of pharmaceuticals.

I had no idea other countries have done this; bravo to them!

[3pwood]

America used to do the same.  Allowing these ads still seems recent to me, but I suppose it started a long time ago, just don't remember exactly when.

[Duke2801]

On ‎9‎/‎16‎/‎2016 at 2:40 PM, callmebetty said:

I've only seen it a few times but the diaper commercial with song about a hug a day. The singers voice grates on my nerves so much that not only do I want to duct tape her mouth but whoever green lighted her "career"

Oh yes, this is another "remote diver" commercial for me.

I'm not entirely unconvinced it's not the Panera Bread spokeswoman warbling out that terrible ditty.  I mean, even if it's not her, they're probably in cahoots somehow right??

(<------------conspiracy theorist)

[Haleth]

12 hours ago, 3pwood said:

America used to do the same.  Allowing these ads still seems recent to me, but I suppose it started a long time ago, just don't remember exactly when.

I remember the olden days when pharma ads were not on tv. Every time I hear about how costly some meds are I wonder how much the advertising budget contributed to those costs. 

[Bookish Jen]

27 minutes ago, Haleth said:

I remember the olden days when pharma ads were not on tv. Every time I hear about how costly some meds are I wonder how much the advertising budget contributed to those costs. 

I think I read somewhere more money goes into advertising and marketing than into research and development.

And I, too, recall a day when I didn't see so many pharma ads on TV, not to mention on-line, in print, etc. I think I see more pharma commercials than any other type of TV ads.

[backformore]

I'm pretty sure it was in the 80's that prescription meds were first advertised directly to consumers. before that the ads were in medical journals, directed at physicians, and commercials on TV were not allowed.  I know the American Medical Association is trying to get those laws changed back, as there are a lot of problems with people asking for medications that might not be in their best interests.  

[mmecorday]

Quote

I was watching the In the Heat of The Night block of shows on WGN and this one for Tresiba came on a few times. The freeze frame shots and the looks on their faces and just about all of it was annoying to no end. Commercials like this make me wish we had laws like other countries that have banned direct advertising of pharmaceuticals.

I am beginning to wonder if there's some law on the books that says commercials for diabetes drugs must be uniformly awful. Because they certainly are. This one is a complete crapfest. The waitress who says "I work around the clock" really bugs. Around the clock? Is she striving for some Guiness World Record or something? Maybe in addition to waiting tables she's earning her degree in VCR repair from the Sally Struthers University. All of these people need to go away.

[Brattinella]

I read that TV shows are only a by-product; the reason TV programming exists at all is because of pharmaceutical commercials.  It's just to amuse the masses while they sell us drugs.

[AuntiePam]

3 minutes ago, Brattinella said:

I read that TV shows are only a by-product; the reason TV programming exists at all is because of pharmaceutical commercials.  It's just to amuse the masses while they sell us drugs.

I believe it. 

 

1 hour ago, Bookish Jen said:

I think I read somewhere more money goes into advertising and marketing than into research and development.

 

I believe that too.  The other day I read an article about a woman who is allergic to water.  Her own tears leave blisters on her face, and sweat is painful to her.  She only bathes once a week because it hurts so much.  She stays inside when it rains.  Novartis has tested a drug that alleviates the condition, but the FDA hasn't approved it because there have been no clinical trials.  Novartis won't do clinical trials because the condition is so rare, there's no money in it.  God forbid they do something that would decrease their bottom line.

[mojoween]

If I worked with the jackass in the Safe Auto ad (the COME ON guy) I would time my lunch so that I started heating up a five minute microwave meal the second he walked into the break room.

I appreciate Safe Auto knows he's a jerk; it doesn't make me any more likely to use their product.

[backformore]

I'm getting increasingly irritated by the lawyer commercials that are aimed at people who had adverse effects or died after taking blood thinners.   This has been leading, in our family to certain people wondering "should we sue?"   because of a family member who died from bleeding in the brain.  Look - blood thinners prevent stroke, but it's a delicate balance, because they also cause excessive bleeding if you have a bump.  So, after years of not having another stroke, if someone dies due to bleeding  - can we chalk it up to being over 80?  No, let's sue! 

[FormerMod-a1]

From what I understand, the drug commercials came to be in order to help consumers/patients be aware of all their possibilities.  Before that, doctors often prescribed whatever drug company last visited or made the biggest 'donation', dropped off the most free samples, or schmoozed them the best.  And even if that wasn't the case for all doctors/hospitals/clinics, that was the fear.  The commercials and ads for the masses were to help that, so you don't think there's just one drug for whichever ailment.  Keeping the consumer more well informed.  (And yes, you can look these things up, but you have to know what even to look up and where.  Also, even with these commercials, it's still on the doctor to say yes or no.)  Just because I ask about something, the doctor doesn't have to give it to me (and mine doesn't) - they can tell you why it is or is not their recommendation for you.

[topanga]

On 9/13/2016 at 5:59 PM, shoovenbooty said:

I don't know if this has already been discussed, but what I don't understand about the scared baby/dog commercial is this: If we are to assume the dog was the couple's "first baby" and has been in the house all along, before the baby was born to the couple, why isn't their daughter used to him yet? Or is he a new dog? Or is she a recently adopted, few-months-old baby? Or have they been hiding the dog in another room all these months until they figured the baby was old enough to interact with him? It just doesn't make sense to me that the baby is scared of the dog, and has been all along, and NOW the dad is figuring out, "Hey, maybe if I dress the dog like my daughter's favorite stuffed animal, she'll like him!" But I've never known a child who had a dog precede his/her arrival in the home, that grew up with the dog, that was afraid of the dog.

 

On 9/14/2016 at 4:59 PM, friendperidot said:

shoovenbooty, I said all that exact stuff about the Amazon Lab/lion either several pages ago or in a different thread. It annoys me that the baby doesn't already accept the dog as her family. 

My guess is that the baby recently became afraid of the dog--apparently babies start to develop new fears at around 6 months old. So she and the dog might have previously been best buds, and only now does the dog make her cry. 

--Which makes the dog's confused and sad face even more heartbreaking.

Everyone on the commercial is beautiful, from the dog to the humans. I hope the baby eventually outgrows her fear so the dog doesn't have to wear that stupid lion headdress long-term. 

[Brattinella]

1 hour ago, aquarian1 said:

From what I understand, the drug commercials came to be in order to help consumers/patients be aware of all their possibilities.  Before that, doctors often prescribed whatever drug company last visited or made the biggest 'donation', dropped off the most free samples, or schmoozed them the best.  And even if that wasn't the case for all doctors/hospitals/clinics, that was the fear.  The commercials and ads for the masses were to help that, so you don't think there's just one drug for whichever ailment.  Keeping the consumer more well informed.  (And yes, you can look these things up, but you have to know what even to look up and where.  Also, even with these commercials, it's still on the doctor to say yes or no.)  Just because I ask about something, the doctor doesn't have to give it to me (and mine doesn't) - they can tell you why it is or is not their recommendation for you.

I disagree with this completely.  I liked the way it used to be with doctors recommending new drugs if they thought they were better, or, recommending old drugs if they thought they were better.  Free samples weren't such a bad thing.  Who feared this??

[InDueTime]

On Monday, September 12, 2016 at 3:29 PM, candall said:

Oh, you guys.  I'm as anti-kid/pro-pet as they come and I just see a dad who spots his "first baby" hurting and addresses it.  It's not like he activated one-step ordering for a doghouse, a stake and a chain.

Besides, the dog looks happy to be lion-doggie and get in there close to love on that baby. 

Dogs, they rise to meet the occasion.

 

On Monday, September 12, 2016 at 4:40 PM, NinjaPenguins said:

I don't think the dog looks happy wearing that lion mane at all, but I applaud his patience with that affront to his canine dignity. The baby is cute and will probably grow up loving the family pet. I will never love the twee, mewling assholery that calls itself a song playing during the commercial. Instant mute!

I agree.  The singing is the worst part of the ad.  I can't hate on the baby for being a baby.

K-mart ads are amusing a lot of the time.  I don't know what they were thinking with this:

I'd bite her finger if she did that to me.

[Brattinella]

5 minutes ago, InDueTime said:

I'd bite her finger if she did that to me.

Agreed.  A stranger has no right to touch you at all.

[AuntiePam]

27 minutes ago, Brattinella said:

I disagree with this completely.  I liked the way it used to be with doctors recommending new drugs if they thought they were better, or, recommending old drugs if they thought they were better.  Free samples weren't such a bad thing.  Who feared this??

The positive side of the ads is that they describe the possible side effects and interactions.  That's better than having to read the warnings, which are often very long and usually in very small print. 

My husband's doctor didn't warn him about eating grapefruit, which interacts with one of his meds.  I didn't know about that either, until I saw it on a message board. 

[iMonrey]

Quote

The Neil Patrick Harris "flipping meat" ad really annoys me. I can just imagine the pitch.

It doesn't annoy me, but I do wonder if Heineken is trying to market exclusively to the gay community. Generally beer is associated with straight men, right or wrong. They generally use generic macho types as spokespeople. Typically, there is nothing so stereotypically and unapologetically male-oriented as beer commercials. So the choice of Neil Patrick Harris seems like an odd one to me for a beer brand. 

Now, granted, I'm fully aware that gay people drink beer probably in similar proportions to straight people and there's a market out there for them. But choosing NPH as your spokesperson strikes me as somewhat alienating a large percentage of beer buying consumers. Like it or not they're going to be regarded as "the gay beer." 

[Jamoche]

1 hour ago, aquarian1 said:

From what I understand, the drug commercials came to be in order to help consumers/patients be aware of all their possibilities.  Before that, doctors often prescribed whatever drug company last visited or made the biggest 'donation', dropped off the most free samples, or schmoozed them the best.

According to John Oliver, doctors are still prescribing whatever they got from the last company that visited, even when they think they don't. IIRC there was one doctor who didn't notice he preferred the one that gave him the pen he was using until he did an internal audit.

[random chance]

10 minutes ago, AuntiePam said:

The positive side of the ads is that they describe the possible side effects and interactions.  That's better than having to read the warnings, which are often very long and usually in very small print.

I agree, that more than makes up for it.  In fact if they ever decide drugs can't advertise anymore I think it'll be our loss, not theirs. 

[peacheslatour]

3 minutes ago, random chance said:

I agree, that more than makes up for it.  In fact if they ever decide drugs can't advertise anymore I think it'll be our loss, not theirs. 

I'd be thrilled if I had to look up side effects, reactions and interactions on the internet if the drug companies stopped passing their advertising costs on to the consumer. In this day and age there is no reason to be uninformed when information is so readily available.

[topanga]

28 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

It doesn't annoy me, but I do wonder if Heineken is trying to market exclusively to the gay community. Generally beer is associated with straight men, right or wrong. They generally use generic macho types as spokespeople. Typically, there is nothing so stereotypically and unapologetically male-oriented as beer commercials. So the choice of Neil Patrick Harris seems like an odd one to me for a beer brand. 

Now, granted, I'm fully aware that gay people drink beer probably in similar proportions to straight people and there's a market out there for them. But choosing NPH as your spokesperson strikes me as somewhat alienating a large percentage of beer buying consumers. Like it or not they're going to be regarded as "the gay beer." 

But is NPH a "gay actor," or is he just an actor who happens to be gay?

I do wonder if the whole "flipping a man's meat" discussion was a double entendré. Or were they really just talking about barbecue? BTW, I've never heard that argument. Usually men stay away from the grill entirely if another person is cooking (unless he asks for help). But I've never heard anyone mention that flipping another man's meat is a special violation of Dude Law. 

[3pwood]

22 minutes ago, AuntiePam said:

The positive side of the ads is that they describe the possible side effects and interactions.  That's better than having to read the warnings, which are often very long and usually in very small print. 

My husband's doctor didn't warn him about eating grapefruit, which interacts with one of his meds.  I didn't know about that either, until I saw it on a message board. 

My HMO requires patients to consult with a pharmacist whenever they fill a prescription for a medicine that they've never had before. The first time I was prescribed a statin for high cholesterol, the doctor didn't mention that grapefruit would interfere with it but the pharmacist did point that out (along with all of the other possible side effects) -- & it was stressed in the literature accompanying the medicine, which I do always read because I realize that it's important.

I would never depend on a TV ad for information about my medications.  Perhaps many people do, but I wish they'd question & listen to their medical advisers instead of trusting salesmen on this subject.

[Brattinella]

You all would be astonished at the cost of making those glossy commercials, and the cost of the air-time for them.  WE pay for that, in higher medicine costs.  I get all the information I need from a) My doctor  b) The internet  c) the tiny-inserts that come with medications, even if they are a tiny print they have ALL the info you would ever need.

[Prevailing Wind]

I think the drug ads showed up to fill the void left by no longer running ads for cigarettes & hard liquor.  Ban the pharma ads and what god-awful thing will take their place?

[peacheslatour]

6 minutes ago, Prevailing Wind said:

I think the drug ads showed up to fill the void left by no longer running ads for cigarettes & hard liquor.  Ban the pharma ads and what god-awful thing will take their place?

Weed! No that would be bad. I don't want to pay for their advertising costs either.

[DeLurker]

43 minutes ago, Prevailing Wind said:

I think the drug ads showed up to fill the void left by no longer running ads for cigarettes & hard liquor.  Ban the pharma ads and what god-awful thing will take their place?

An endless supply of yogurt bitches? 

Hmmm...given the choice, I'd probably choose Big Pharma.

[SoSueMe]

2 hours ago, AuntiePam said:

The positive side of the ads is that they describe the possible side effects and interactions.  That's better than having to read the warnings, which are often very long and usually in very small print. 

My husband's doctor didn't warn him about eating grapefruit, which interacts with one of his meds.  I didn't know about that either, until I saw it on a message board. 

Re: grapefruit, you might want to double check on kiwi as well. Both are verboten for my husband and his meds.

[LoneHaranguer]

6 hours ago, AuntiePam said:

Novartis has tested a drug that alleviates the condition, but the FDA hasn't approved it because there have been no clinical trials. 

Who cares if it's approved as long as patients can sign off on the fact that it hasn't? But I'm sure the FDA isn't allowing that; remember when they wouldn't let terminal cancer patients have an effective painkiller because it was addictive? Public opinion was so hostile when that came out in the media, they were forced to relent.

[bitchin camaro]

On 9/13/2016 at 0:44 PM, InDueTime said:

Jimmy John's needs a new ad agency.  Though, I likely still wouldn't eat there, since I find their subs overrated.

I just saw this once; and that was enough.  Annoy-iiiiiiiiiing!

 

 

The wife demands her husband to go get food, makes fun of how long he's taking, orders a sandwich behind his back, and doesn't even get him one.  I'm glad she lost the game.

 

Oh god, that's awful. 

Late night delivery (which they don't do to my house anyway) is the only good thing about Jimmy Johns. And I can't make myself eat from a place with the word "SMELLS" in neon on the front of the building.

[mojoween]

The Geico ad with the horrifically bastardized version of "The Distance" by Cake makes me want to stab everyone in sight.

[Haleth]

14 hours ago, Brattinella said:

You all would be astonished at the cost of making those glossy commercials, and the cost of the air-time for them.  WE pay for that, in higher medicine costs.  I get all the information I need from a) My doctor  b) The internet  c) the tiny-inserts that come with medications, even if they are a tiny print they have ALL the info you would ever need.

And the catch is that our insurance companies won't pay for the over priced name brand meds and we may end up asking the dr to prescribe a generic (or at least less costly alternative) anyway.  

At first I read c as tiny-insects.  LOL

[Brattinella]

3 hours ago, Haleth said:

And the catch is that our insurance companies won't pay for the over priced name brand meds and we may end up asking the dr to prescribe a generic (or at least less costly alternative) anyway.  

At first I read c as tiny-insects.  LOL

That's if you have insurance at all.

[KLovestoShop]

I HATE that K Mart commercial where the woman tells the other woman to shut up.  First of all, I don't get the meaning behind the commercial and second, if anyone told me to shut up and then put their finger on my person, I'd slap the crap out of her.  Plus, it really makes the finger pointing person look like a real bitch.  

[AuntiePam]

4 hours ago, mojoween said:

The Geico ad with the horrifically bastardized version of "The Distance" by Cake makes me want to stab everyone in sight.

I'm not familiar with that song, but I'm hating the Geico ad with the football players talking insurance in the middle of a game, on the line of scrimmage.  Rare that a Geico ad fails for me. 

[bad things are bad]

I've expressed my hate (and so have many others) for the Entresto "sun will come out tomorrow" ads before, and they seem to be listening. The newer ad is much less annoying; the music is in the background, instrumental only. And no one's taking a shower

[proserpina65]

On ‎09‎/‎17‎/‎2016 at 11:22 AM, bilgistic said:

The song annoys me so much because it doesn't rhyme. Who makes a four-line commercial jingle not rhyme??

It's a folk song, and the longer version of the commercial does end with a rhyme.  The version which doesn't rhyme is a very edited one.

[proserpina65]

On ‎09‎/‎19‎/‎2016 at 3:51 PM, Brattinella said:

I disagree with this completely.  I liked the way it used to be with doctors recommending new drugs if they thought they were better, or, recommending old drugs if they thought they were better.  Free samples weren't such a bad thing.  Who feared this??

The one downside with free samples is the doctor who gives you one to try out before you fill a prescription for it, not bothering to really read your file where they might find that you already take something which could interact badly with the new drug.  I had this happen to me with a new doctor who gave me a prescription for Vioxx and a sample of it; my pharmacist would've told me about the interaction issues with the diuretic/blood pressure medicine I was already taking, but because I took the sample first, I ended up with potentially life-threatening dehydration.  (Hmm, wish I'd known some ambulance chasing lawyers back then.)  I'm not saying pharmaceutical commercials are a good thing, just that the previous drug rep/sample system had its problems too.

Edited to note that the sample packaging had no interaction warning info about this potential side effect, and I didn't have internet access so I had no way to check it out myself.  I trusted the specialist to know, and it very well could've killed me since I was apparently only a couple of days away from renal failure when I passed out in my primary care physician's office.

Edited September 20, 2016 by proserpina65

[proserpina65]

21 hours ago, LoneHaranguer said:

Who cares if it's approved as long as patients can sign off on the fact that it hasn't? But I'm sure the FDA isn't allowing that; remember when they wouldn't let terminal cancer patients have an effective painkiller because it was addictive? Public opinion was so hostile when that came out in the media, they were forced to relent.

The FDA has to walk a very fine line regarding approving or not approving drugs which can severely injure/kill patients but also can cure/greatly alleviate the symptoms of serious diseases.  It's a difficult decision and they get criticism no matter what they decide.  Yeah, it's great that an unapproved drug might help someone with terminal cancer, but what about the many other drugs which might have potentially lethal side effects.  FDA scientists have a very tough job, and I'm glad I don't have to make those kind of decisions.

[frenchtoast]

The conversation about the pharmaceutical industry and healthcare has generally been fair and respectful. However, it is starting to slide more and more off topic. Please feel free to continue in the same civil, thoughtful and non-lecture-y vein in the Small Talk area. 

Thank you.

[ennui]

On 9/19/2016 at 1:45 PM, peacheslatour said:

In this day and age there is no reason to be uninformed when information is so readily available.

You are seriously overestimating the intelligence of the general public.

On 9/19/2016 at 2:07 PM, Prevailing Wind said:

I think the drug ads showed up to fill the void left by no longer running ads for cigarettes & hard liquor.  Ban the pharma ads and what god-awful thing will take their place?

I'd like them to bring back the booze ads with the subliminal porn hidden in the ice cubes.

[Brattinella]

2 hours ago, ennui said:

I'd like them to bring back the booze ads with the subliminal porn hidden in the ice cubes.

I KNOW!  I used to love looking at the subliminal stuff in advertising!

[SpikeGal]

On ‎9‎/‎19‎/‎2016 at 2:36 PM, backformore said:

I'm getting increasingly irritated by the lawyer commercials that are aimed at people who had adverse effects or died after taking blood thinners.  

It'd be kinda hard to call a lawyer if you were dead!

[SpikeGal]

On ‎8‎/‎20‎/‎2016 at 0:33 AM, friendperidot said:

Mojoween, I'm sorry, but there's something about the hot, salty, fried taste of French fries that is wonderful dipped in the freezing, sweet, chocolaty Frosty that is just so good. I guess it's a love it or hate it, and I enjoy it. Don't do it all the time, but yum. I'm not a big chocolate fan (gasp!) but I actually like a Frosty now and then, they aren't that chocolaty chocolate. I liked it better when Wendy's had vanilla Frostys, though.

My Wendy's where I am still has vanilla Frostys. I usually go to the mall once a week and I alternate. Chocolate one week, vanilla the next.

[DeLurker]

1 hour ago, SpikeGal said:

It'd be kinda hard to call a lawyer if you were dead!

Not if you're cheap ass family had sprung for the platinum burial package - in addition to the NASA approved memory foam eternal comfort casket liner, you would have had a wifi hotspot.

Yes, I did used to audit funeral homes and cemeteries! 

[Amethyst]

The Chico's ad reminds me of those old school diarrhea/constipation medicine commercials, and how the people would dance happily afterwards because they felt so "relieved," if you get my point.  

Gastrointestinal relief is probably not the message Chico's is going for.

Edited September 21, 2016 by Amethyst

[backformore]

Quote

It'd be kinda hard to call a lawyer if you were dead!

Yeah, but the commercials I  see always start with "If YOU, or a loved one, suffered injuries or death after taking (insert medication), then call the law offices of (insert law firm)" 

[random chance]

Food that is "forkable"? He talks dirty to his lunch and wants to spank it? Really? I don't even know what the product is, I'm too busy wondering if this is a real commercial or if I'm having some kind of a break from reality.

[ethalfrida]

Actually, we learned rhat ads of all genres were the reason we had tv shows. Big pharma came to the game late. Advertising attorney services and medicine was frowned upon. It was common to hear that only ambulance chasers and unsuccessful doctors would run commercials.