Commercials That Annoy, Irritate or Outright Enrage

[Gramto6]

It has only been playing a few days as far as I know, but the Amazon one day delivery ad with Ave Maria playing is getting on my last nerve. It seems to be playing every hour a couple of times. I love the song, but soon I won't any more at this rate!

[Suzn]

On 9/4/2019 at 7:56 AM, Tom Holmberg said:

Unlike dogs, cats generally will eat when they are hungry and stop when they feel full.  If a big bag of cat food fell on the floor a cat might peck at it. If a bag of dog food fell on the floor, the dog would sit there and eat the whole thing. If you throw something to a cat, it will let fall on the floor, sniff it and maybe deign to eat it.  If you throw something to a dog it will catch it, swallow it, then wonder what the hell it just ate.  At least that's my experience. 

Yep.  I've seen that look on a dog's face.

[Kelloggirl]

On 9/5/2019 at 10:46 AM, funky-rat said:

They actually are - it is a real song.  When the commercial first came out, I listened very carefully and googled what words I could understand, because it bothered me too.  It's a song about ships (kind-of as a metaphor for lost love), and I have no clue what ships passing or coming in (even as a metaphor for people/lost love) has to do with psoriasis.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtp72RnFaRU

Oh my god!!! THANK YOU!!! I thought I was losing my mind! "Storing up on your summer glow" - never in a million years would I have thought that is what they were saying but now I have real words!!! You spared me a stint in the looney bin, I swear!

22 hours ago, Maverick said:

 Can we please stop with "Mac Book". What a dullard.   This is a stupid concept anyway.  Like I'm going to buy a computer based on what some guy says because of his name. 

Word. It's this stupidest dorkiest concept based on...I don't know, it's not even remotely clever. That ad agency is clearly out of ideas and they should be fired forthwith!

[knitorpurl]

The commercial that is pushing me over the edge right now is for a drug called Skyrizi. Apparently it is for psoriasis and it may work great but I don't care because the name is insane. They are just shoving words and syllables together and slapping it on pill bottles now. 

[peacheslatour]

On 9/5/2019 at 7:46 AM, funky-rat said:

What annoys me most is that part where the host turns around and the guy pretends he's just hanging on the porch.  Um, you took one from him a minute ago.  Just man up and say "That's really good.  I'd like some more."

They actually are - it is a real song.  When the commercial first came out, I listened very carefully and googled what words I could understand, because it bothered me too.  It's a song about ships (kind-of as a metaphor for lost love), and I have no clue what ships passing or coming in (even as a metaphor for people/lost love) has to do with psoriasis.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtp72RnFaRU

I roo had to look it up. To me it sounded like it might be a Fleet Foxes song.

[TattleTeeny]

17 hours ago, knitorpurl said:

The commercial that is pushing me over the edge right now is for a drug called Skyrizi. Apparently it is for psoriasis and it may work great but I don't care because the name is insane. They are just shoving words and syllables together and slapping it on pill bottles now. 

There are actually reasons and FDA guidelines for naming them (both the generic and the brand), which is at least part of why they sound so stupid.

[scarletine]

18 hours ago, knitorpurl said:

The commercial that is pushing me over the edge right now is for a drug called Skyrizi. Apparently it is for psoriasis and it may work great but I don't care because the name is insane. They are just shoving words and syllables together and slapping it on pill bottles now. 

I honestly thought at first that it was a spoof. It's so ridiculously overacted, and the name of the drug is so stupid. 

[TerriBelle]

On 8/27/2019 at 4:33 AM, Tashalynn29 said:

Anyone else  want to punch the tv when that geico commercial comes on, the one with the small horse in the apartment disguised as a "dog"?

First off it is stupid. And the guy sitting on the floor, his voice absolutely gets on my nerves. Ill be glad when that commercial runs its course 

That seems to follow in the footsteps of shows featuring nerdy/geeky characters in TV shows but this Geico commercial is an all time low even for them.

i want to slap the s—- out of the weirdo, Rescue the poor mini horse, and tell the normal roommate to run for the hills!!

[TerriBelle]

On 8/19/2019 at 2:32 PM, iMonrey said:

There's this weird ad for Jif Peanut Butter with a woman sitting on a park bench, and she has a jar of Jif with her, and she spreads it on a piece of bread. Then an army of squirrels amasses around her all demanding peanut butter. Then a guy with a squirrel head tries to get some peanut butter. 

First of all, who in the hell just walks around with an entire jar of Jif Peanut Butter? I mean, if you plan to have a snack at the park, wouldn't you put the peanut butter on the bread before you left the house? Instead of taking the jar with you, and a knife? 

Second of all, when hundreds of squirrels start swarming around you, it's time to get the hell out. You don't wait for the weirdo guy with the squirrel head before you beat a path to safety.

That squirrel guy freaks me out!  I have a fear of clowns and this guy is quickly joining that circle!

[ams1001]

She-Shed Cheryl in her own words:

I’m The Star Of That ‘She Shed’ Commercial.

On 8/28/2019 at 5:47 PM, Mabinogia said:

Exactly. Bounce is all "you can use two!" but, why would I WANT to use two? So I can spend twice as much money on dryer sheets?

Ding ding ding ding ding! 

I hardly ever use dryer sheets any more. They're bad for towels, so I stopped using them except for clothes, and half the time I don't even do that. I have those wool dryer balls and they work pretty well (and are much quieter than the nubby plastic dryer balls, which I'm sure my neighbors appreciate). 

On 8/31/2019 at 12:46 PM, margol29 said:

I bet a lot of kids get in to trouble for following her example.

My brother had a pencil drawing of a dolphin coming up out of water next to the light switch in his bedroom. Except he did it as a teenager (probably) and he could actually draw - he actually did go to school for art. (I was a little sad when my parents painted over it before I moved into that room when I was in college.)

On 9/1/2019 at 11:46 PM, xls said:

The Real Real: Damn I know I have zero fashion sense & I'm not into status shite, but I  wouldn't pay 2cents for some of these get-ups. A couple are okay but most of them are clownish AF!

They've started sponsoring podcasts recently; I knew I had heard of it but couldn't place it. Now I realize it was here (because I know it's been mentioned before).

On 9/3/2019 at 6:12 PM, chenoa333 said:

Not sure. She's in an HBO series called Euphoria and in a Lancome perfume commercial where she's riding a white horse down an old brick (?) street. She's got long frizzy dark hair (Zendaya. Not the horse)

I do not understand perfume commercials. There was also one with Natalie Portman (for Dior) that played every five minutes (or on every other Youtube video) a while back and I don't get that one, either.

On 9/5/2019 at 10:51 AM, Brattinella said:

And WHY did they change the name?  Carnation Instant Breakfast was a great name!

On 9/5/2019 at 4:23 PM, iMonrey said:

Because the word "instant" has negative connotations in this day and age, suggesting cheap and unhealthy. 

On 9/5/2019 at 4:43 PM, Gramto6 said:

Maybe because they thought if had Essential in its name people would believe it was essential to a good breakfast.

Probably both. Essential also implies "essential nutrients." I used to drink it as a kid (still do, occasionally) but there were many days my mom would bring it to my room while I was getting ready for school and I wouldn't drink more than a few sips before rushing out the door and then it would sit there until I got home. It tends to separate into a thick foamy mess at the top with thinner liquid at the bottom, in case you were wondering what the results of that particular unintentional science experiment are. 🤢

[materialgirl101]

I absolutely DETEST what that car company (Mazda?) did to the Cranberries’ song. I have to mute the commercial immediately or I have a rage stroke. HATE HATE HATE it. 

[TattleTeeny]

What do dryer sheets do to towels? I ask because I have had the same towels for a decade or more, haha!

[chenoa333]

10 minutes ago, TattleTeeny said:

What do dryer sheets do to towels? I ask because I have had the same towels for a decade or more, haha!

I was just going to ask the same question.

[Brattinella]

Dryer sheets make towels non-absorbant.

[CoderLady]

1 hour ago, Brattinella said:

Dryer sheets make towels non-absorbant.

Right. It's basically wax.

[ams1001]

1 hour ago, Brattinella said:

Dryer sheets make towels non-absorbant.

Yup. And at the same time it makes them hang onto moisture and get all musty-smelling.

Don't listen to Big Dryer Sheet!

[TattleTeeny]

Weird! But because I've noticed none of these things, I guess I'm OK with them.

[Prevailing Wind]

Fabric softener does the same thing if you use too much. It took me very long time to realize the allergic reaction my eyes were having wasn't to any makeup, soap, etc., but the dryer sheets I used on the pillowcases.  I use a fragrance-free softener now (which means I have to monitor the washer's cycle to put it in during the rinse) and I no longer have itchy eyelids.

As to Instant Breakfast: I compared it to Ovaltine when it first came out and Ovaltine had more basic nutrition in it for two-thirds the price. Oh, big deal - you have to count out the tablespoons instead of ripping open a pre-measured envelope - but what if you don't WANT a full glass? I've been drinking Ovaltine all my life and it's getting harder and harder to find the malt flavor in stores. I'm now ordering it by the six-pack from Amazon.  The reason I don't want the chocolate flavored stuff is that chocolate interferes with the body's absorption of calcium. If I'm drinking a glass of milk, by gum, I want the FULL benefits of it.

[materialgirl101]

On 7/22/2019 at 5:18 PM, catlover79 said:

First of all, I think it's way TMI. Secondly, I don't like it because it's triggered some traumatizing experiences - much like @BoomerRumor and the "foodgasm" ads. 😢

I also have to dive for the remote every time a KY ad comes on when I am watching TV. Either I flip the channel for a minute and then turn it back, or I will press mute and look away. It doesn't matter which KY commercial it is. They all make me feel sick. 😢

Not only is it TMI, but they are all skinny white chicks with thigh gaps. Way to reinforce one body type, and not body type diversity.

[materialgirl101]

On 7/29/2019 at 11:11 AM, funky-rat said:

I've mentioned before that I've purchased a few things off of Poshmark before.  All small purchases, and nothing that would be any type of prestige brand.  I buy Betsey Johnson bags because I love her quirky style.  She offers two lines - one you can get at places like TJ Maxx and Marshall's, and another that you order directly from her, or higher end stores like Nordstrom or Macy's.  Sometimes the higher end stuff goes for more money than I want to spend on a non-leather small purse that I may only carry a few times a year, so I check the secondary market (eBay, Mercari, Poshmark, etc) to see if I can get something barely used.

Some of the stuff that shows up on Poshmark is store returns or display items (they're often marked as such).  I got my Bestsey "Ring Me Up" purse because it was a display model, and they had to toss the handset for sanitary reasons.  I paid $25 for the purse (tags still on it) and I bought a handset for under $10, so total was no more than $35 for a purse that was on her website for $95.  So people who work in stores are likely buying up stuff cheap and re-selling.  Also, thrift stores in better areas can be an invaluable place to pick up decent stuff for cheap to re-sell.

And yes, some of the stuff on there is fake.  Betsey often says that if you see jewelry of hers with Hello Kitty, or Minions, etc, on it that it's fake, because it's extremely rare she does anything with licensed characters, and there's no shortage of that stuff out there.  I also see Thirty-One bags/accessories marked "Used" or "Display" and state that there are no labels (not tags, but the logo label) for that reason.  Red flag there for being fake.  Also, the closures are often wrong (the real item may have beads at the end of a cord, where the fake ones are just a knot, or the item came with a branded removable clip but the fake ones always have the clip missing), and sometimes the stuff comes in patterns that were never an option for that particular item.

So these people either work at stores, are heavy-duty thrifters, are really bad with spending, or are selling fakes.  Or a combination of all 4.

Some of the items you think are fake might be samples from the Steve Madden design showroom (they own, design and produce the BJ lines).

Often there are sample sales where they sell the prototypes, revised prototypes or showroom samples, which will vary from the final version that is actually purchased by the store buyers... Sometimes samples come in with incorrect, non signature or substitute hardware and/or fabrication due to timing OR because the original material was not liked as much when the sample showed up/cost too much (OR sometimes they are developing new hardware or fabric, and do not have the approved version yet - it takes at least 4-6 weeks to even see a 1st version of anew piece of hardware, and then another several weeks for the actual piece to be made for sampling).

Signed - A handbag designer

[Bort]

54 minutes ago, Prevailing Wind said:

Fabric softener does the same thing if you use too much. It took me very long time to realize the allergic reaction my eyes were having wasn't to any makeup, soap, etc., but the dryer sheets I used on the pillowcases.  I use a fragrance-free softener now (which means I have to monitor the washer's cycle to put it in during the rinse) and I no longer have itchy eyelids.

Yeah, dryer sheets and fabric softener give me a rash, I don't use them at all. I've discovered since my discontinued use of them that my clothes are just fine, it's a total waste of money. Especially when the commercial is telling you to use two?! I've noticed the detergent commercials do the same thing with the pods, I'll see the guy/gal in the commercial tossing two pods in the washing machine. Dafuq? That stuff is like $6 for the smallest possible bag you can buy. No way in hell I'm using two.*

*Disclaimer: I also don't use pod detergent, I just buy some liquid generic store cheap shit. It's soap, for pete sake!

[Mabinogia]

12 hours ago, ams1001 said:

I hardly ever use dryer sheets any more. They're bad for towels, so I stopped using them except for clothes, and half the time I don't even do that. I have those wool dryer balls and they work pretty well (and are much quieter than the nubby plastic dryer balls, which I'm sure my neighbors appreciate). 

I just bought the wool dryer balls. Haven't tried them yet but glad to know they work. Yay! They claim to last for ever. I never did care for dryer sheets. 

[ams1001]

13 minutes ago, Mabinogia said:

I just bought the wool dryer balls. Haven't tried them yet but glad to know they work. Yay! They claim to last for ever. I never did care for dryer sheets. 

I read that you can put a few drops of essential oil on them, too, if you like scented laundry (I don't; everything I use in the laundry is unscented. I am essentially the delivery woman in this commercial for Gain Scent Blast detergent; I also have mild eczema so I try to avoid stuff that might aggravate it). The ones I got came in a cute little bag with a sheep on it, too. 🐑 (There are six but I only use three. Just gotta be careful when taking the load out; I either get one tangled up in a sheet or something and can't find it or they get pulled out and go rolling across the room). Whenever I do use up the dryer sheets I have I don't plan to buy more.

49 minutes ago, kariyaki said:

*Disclaimer: I also don't use pod detergent, I just buy some liquid generic store cheap shit. It's soap, for pete sake!

I tried a sample once and the pod itself didn't dissolve so I had a little sticky plasticky thing left behind in my washer. That was when they were a fairly new thing so maybe they're better now? Too expensive, anyway. I usually get the concentrated All Free & Clear, because it's one of the less expensive name brands and is also frequently on sale in Target's Cartwheel app, and the small bottle stores easily in my tiny laundry space, which is in my bathroom. Though right now I have Arm & Hammer powder; best thing about that is if you spill it you can just vacuum it up. (There don't seem to be too many unscented powders out there, though.)

(On a side note, an article I just saw on how to use laundry pods correctly said if you have an extra large capacity washer and it's full, you should use two pods, but for a normal size washer/load, which is probably most people, only one is necessary. Also said that if the washer is too full or if you put it on top of the load it might not dissolve properly, so maybe that's what I did wrong...who knows? Still not spending that much money on laundry soap.)

[materialgirl101]

On 8/12/2019 at 11:34 AM, sempervivum said:

Jeep ads with Jeremy Renner- is it just me, or is there a strong odor of douche nozzle about this guy? Why would a marketing firm think of him as the 'face' of their brand?

I believe he is trying to promote his album because he is a "singer" now.

[Brookside]

Kraft "Natural cheese."  Just two words, but I don't even know where to start about how wrong this is.

[Blergh]

On 8/19/2019 at 2:32 PM, iMonrey said:

There's this weird ad for Jif Peanut Butter with a woman sitting on a park bench, and she has a jar of Jif with her, and she spreads it on a piece of bread. Then an army of squirrels amasses around her all demanding peanut butter. Then a guy with a squirrel head tries to get some peanut butter. 

First of all, who in the hell just walks around with an entire jar of Jif Peanut Butter? I mean, if you plan to have a snack at the park, wouldn't you put the peanut butter on the bread before you left the house? Instead of taking the jar with you, and a knife? 

Second of all, when hundreds of squirrels start swarming around you, it's time to get the hell out. You don't wait for the weirdo guy with the squirrel head before you beat a path to safety.

YEESH! I hate rats-with-bushy-tails AKA squirrels and no way would I have sat in that park if even ONE squirrel went after my sandwich much less hundreds or them and I think she should have called the cops on that weirdo in that costume! 

[sempervivum]

1 hour ago, Brookside said:

Kraft "Natural cheese."  Just two words, but I don't even know where to start about how wrong this is.

God, I hate these. The kids demand chicken in a bucket, burgers, etc, and dimbulb Mom of course has to appease them. She serves them a crummy frozen (I assume) pizza with a whole package of shredded 'natural' cheese on it,  on a bare table with zero salad or fruit offered. Just 'za, nothing else. In an earlier ad, the pouting brats refuse to eat broccoli, so again she dumps an entire bag of shredded cheese on it.

I wonder how she deals with the contant constipation issues!

The 'Red Baroness' ads offer equally terrible menu advice.

[xls]

On 9/4/2019 at 8:56 AM, Tom Holmberg said:

Unlike dogs, cats generally will eat when they are hungry and stop when they feel full.  If a big bag of cat food fell on the floor a cat might peck at it. If a bag of dog food fell on the floor, the dog would sit there and eat the whole thing. If you throw something to a cat, it will let fall on the floor, sniff it and maybe deign to eat it.  If you throw something to a dog it will catch it, swallow it, then wonder what the hell it just ate.  At least that's my experience. 

Haha omg this is so accurate!🤣

[Colleenna]

PNC bank .... commercial with the little girl who looks to be about 9 --- certainly old enough to know better --- flushing the credit card down the toilet. 

[chessiegal]

A lot of kids will flush just about anything down a toilet whether they know better or not. My stepdaughter said 1 day it got way too quiet, and she found her 3 merrily flushing anything and everything down the toilet. They all knew better.

[ams1001]

25 minutes ago, xls said:

Haha omg this is so accurate!🤣

Sometimes I think they're just trying to make you look bad. My cat (who lives with my parents and loves my dad more than me) has dry food always available and gets wet food twice a day. Last time I cat sat, she only ate a few bites of the wet food in the morning of the last day, and had a little dry food in the bowl, so I didn't fill it before I left in the early afternoon. Sometime in the hour or so between then and when my parents got home, she finished both the wet food and the dry food, so it looked like she hadn't been fed. Little brat.

[peacheslatour]

1 minute ago, ams1001 said:

Sometimes I think they're just trying to make you look bad. My cat (who lives with my parents and loves my dad more than me) has dry food always available and gets wet food twice a day. Last time I cat sat, she only ate a few bites of the wet food in the morning of the last day, and had a little dry food in the bowl, so I didn't fill it before I left in the early afternoon. Sometime in the hour or so between then and when my parents got home, she finished both the wet food and the dry food, so it looked like she hadn't been fed. Little brat.

It has been my experience that cats are compulsive and remarkable liars. Every one of them.

[Pickles]

On 9/4/2019 at 10:58 PM, friendperidot said:

And Tom Selleck pushing reverse mortgages makes me see red. The only people that can really benefit from one are those who's homes are paid off, have at least $350,000 in equity and may need minor repairs. In the neighborhoods I've lived in, that's an automatic bank repossess when the home owner dies. Even if the house is paid off, they are not worth an amount of money that would be worth their children losing it, if the children don't move into the parents' home on their deaths, they can still sell them for a little something. And in this day and age when young people can't afford to buy a home, the prospect of being able to move into mom's house is a nice idea. And I loved Tom Selleck as Magnum, liked him ok for a while in Blue Bloods, but this ad just sets my teeth on edge. Homeownership is the only wealth building for lower income people and too often the retirees with only SS retirement are the ones these reverse mortgages appeal to. 

Do not like Tom Selleck. This is a bit off topic, but he has a big avocado farm/ranch whatever. I remember years ago he was on one of the late night talk shows and whining and complaining about how it was SO expensive to run his avocado farm. Like I am supposed to feel sorry for Tom Selleck? Um, no. And I think he is a total cheapskate (and a thief). When there was a drought in his area a couple of years ago, he was accused of stealing water from some big tankard or something. He eventually had to pay up, if I remember correctly. So, I think he would do anything for a dollar or to save a dollar.

[chessiegal]

Don't judge me, but the Kraft cheese commercials got to me. When I saw the family eating tacos I thought, dang, we haven't had tacos in a long time. I went to the grocery store and there will be tacos with cheese for dinner tonight. And cheese on broccoli sounds good to me. We eat a lot of broccoli - I steam it. Next time it's going to have cheese on it. Just us 2 adults, so there is no bribing anyone to eat anything.

[ams1001]

2 minutes ago, chessiegal said:

Don't judge me, but the Kraft cheese commercials got to me. When I saw the family eating tacos I thought, dang, we haven't had tacos in a long time. I went to the grocery store and there will be tacos with cheese for dinner tonight. And cheese on broccoli sounds good to me. We eat a lot of broccoli - I steam it. Next time it's going to have cheese on it. Just us 2 adults, so there is no bribing anyone to eat anything.

[CrystalBlue]

2 hours ago, Pickles said:

Do not like Tom Selleck. This is a bit off topic, but he has a big avocado farm/ranch whatever. I remember years ago he was on one of the late night talk shows and whining and complaining about how it was SO expensive to run his avocado farm. Like I am supposed to feel sorry for Tom Selleck? Um, no. And I think he is a total cheapskate (and a thief). When there was a drought in his area a couple of years ago, he was accused of stealing water from some big tankard or something. He eventually had to pay up, if I remember correctly. So, I think he would do anything for a dollar or to save a dollar.

I was never a certified Tom Selleck fan even though I admit to watching and enjoying his 80's show Magnum, P.I.  (I liked John Hillerman more so.)  I remember the drought story from 2015, as I'm a Californian.  Google "tom selleck steals water during drought" for stories if anyone's interested.

Edited September 8, 2019 by CrystalBlue

[andromeda331]

3 hours ago, sempervivum said:

God, I hate these. The kids demand chicken in a bucket, burgers, etc, and dimbulb Mom of course has to appease them. She serves them a crummy frozen (I assume) pizza with a whole package of shredded 'natural' cheese on it,  on a bare table with zero salad or fruit offered. Just 'za, nothing else. In an earlier ad, the pouting brats refuse to eat broccoli, so again she dumps an entire bag of shredded cheese on it.

I wonder how she deals with the contant constipation issues!

The 'Red Baroness' ads offer equally terrible menu advice.

I hate those commercials. The kids come off as brats for the most part the kid gagging and pretending to faint because of fish and gets rewarded with tacos. What did his parents just throw out the fish? Or the parents come off as idiots like the one chasing her daughter with a fork and "Just one more bite" when the girl says she's full.  Or the one with each kid requesting different food and serves pizza which goes over well because apparently she's patting herself on the back just like the woman in the Red Baroness. Wow getting your kids to eat pizza? That must be so hard. The only one I do like is the one covering the broccoli with cheese. She's not changing the entire menu because the kid's being a brat or forcing the kid eat when their full. But just covering what she already was making with cheese. Yeah, its probably not healthy but its getting them to eat vegetables. When they get older she probably won't need too. My parents used to do the same thing or we had ranch dressing to dunk our broccoli, carrots and cauliflower in. Eventually my brother and I got to the point we'd eat them without anything and liked them. 

[materialgirl101]

7 hours ago, xls said:

Haha omg this is so accurate!🤣

Not my cat Ziggy Stardust Stardust (aka Piggy) when he was younger... but now he is a svelt geriatric senior. 😹

Edited September 9, 2019 by materialgirl101
Edited for spelling

[ams1001]

Okay, I was mildly amused by the Surface commercial with Mackenzie "Mac" Book but I have seen it at least four or five times in the two hours I've had the TV on tonight and I am over it.

[catlover79]

On 9/2/2019 at 5:56 AM, friendperidot said:

I love insomnia so very much, I get to see more Frank Thomas, I really want to slug him when he says, "and she'll like it too!" and gives a sly wink, to which they've added a twinkle. I'd like to punch him in that winkie twinkie eye! But now there's another one, Super Force, no, it's not at all phallic when a gas pump nozzle being put into a car's gas tank and it fills the screen. But I do laugh when they zero in on and draw a bull's eye on the male private parts, makes it about as cringe worthy as showing young women trimming their bushes.

I think in the middle of the night, the only commercials are lawsuits over drugs, medical devices and male enhancement/supplements, 4 ads in a row on one commercial break. 

I know - those ads are about as subtle as a bull in a china shop. Can anyone post a link to that gas nozzle commercial? I want to show it to someone.

[funky-rat]

On 9/8/2019 at 9:24 AM, materialgirl101 said:

Some of the items you think are fake might be samples from the Steve Madden design showroom (they own, design and produce the BJ lines).

Often there are sample sales where they sell the prototypes, revised prototypes or showroom samples, which will vary from the final version that is actually purchased by the store buyers... Sometimes samples come in with incorrect, non signature or substitute hardware and/or fabrication due to timing OR because the original material was not liked as much when the sample showed up/cost too much (OR sometimes they are developing new hardware or fabric, and do not have the approved version yet - it takes at least 4-6 weeks to even see a 1st version of anew piece of hardware, and then another several weeks for the actual piece to be made for sampling).

Signed - A handbag designer

Interesting.  I knew Steve Madden did her stuff - I wanted Betsey glasses frames, so I inquired with Betsey Johnson's people where I could get them in my general vicinity (rural - I was willing to drive to a larger city) and they turned me over to Steve Madden's people, who ended up getting me where I needed to go.

The ones I was concerned were fake of Betsey's was the jewelry.  They all had licensed characters on them (Minions and Hello Kitty, among them).  There was a never ending supply of them, the tags looked off, the jewelry wasn't of good quality per the photos (Betsey's stuff is definitely costume jewelry, but I have a number of her pieces with cats on them, and they're well made), and a lot of it shipped from China.  That, and Betsey's people saying to be wary of anything with licensed characters on it because she rarely does licensed stuff (the only thing in recent memory was a collaboration with the Trolls movie a few years back) was what all set off the red flags.

The bags I was 99.9% sure were fake were from Thirty-One.  The one that caught my eye big-time was their thermal bottle holder, because I was looking for one in a colorway/pattern that would match my lunch bag.  The stitching was off and the top just had knots in the drawstring instead of the beads, there was no hook for the carabiner clip, there was no tag sewn on any of them, and they came in colorway/patterns that Thirty-One didn't offer in that item.  I can understand samples, but when someone has more than 100 of an item, I tend to raise an eyebrow.  Also, again 90% of these came from China.

[Tom Holmberg]

19 hours ago, xls said:

Haha omg this is so accurate!

The only exception to this was the cat we had that, literally, would go insane for muskmelon.  It would cry and howl for us to give it muskmelon if we were eating it. If you gave it a piece of muskmelon, it would wrap it's front legs around it and roll around on the floor in pure ecstasy  before eating it. It wouldn't do that for any other kind of food.

[materialgirl101]

30 minutes ago, funky-rat said:

Interesting.  I knew Steve Madden did her stuff - I wanted Betsey glasses frames, so I inquired with Betsey Johnson's people where I could get them in my general vicinity (rural - I was willing to drive to a larger city) and they turned me over to Steve Madden's people, who ended up getting me where I needed to go.

The ones I was concerned were fake of Betsey's was the jewelry.  They all had licensed characters on them (Minions and Hello Kitty, among them).  There was a never ending supply of them, the tags looked off, the jewelry wasn't of good quality per the photos (Betsey's stuff is definitely costume jewelry, but I have a number of her pieces with cats on them, and they're well made), and a lot of it shipped from China.  That, and Betsey's people saying to be wary of anything with licensed characters on it because she rarely does licensed stuff (the only thing in recent memory was a collaboration with the Trolls movie a few years back) was what all set off the red flags.

The bags I was 99.9% sure were fake were from Thirty-One.  The one that caught my eye big-time was their thermal bottle holder, because I was looking for one in a colorway/pattern that would match my lunch bag.  The stitching was off and the top just had knots in the drawstring instead of the beads, there was no hook for the carabiner clip, there was no tag sewn on any of them, and they came in colorway/patterns that Thirty-One didn't offer in that item.  I can understand samples, but when someone has more than 100 of an item, I tend to raise an eyebrow.  Also, again 90% of these came from China.

Yeah, I agree - if someone has more than 100 (even 20 is quite a bit) items, I too would be suspicious...unless they did some sort of buy out from a store....

I am not familiar with Thirty-One, is it a store?

There are EXCELLENT fakes out there (usually made by the same factory that made the actual branded item). I guess I just don't know what market would be interested in BJ/licensed characters to the point that a factory would invest in making an amount of items that would be profitable, which is usually in the thousands... unless a legit factory had to make extra items for an order and kept the extra to sell off themselves (with a slight tweak to avoid... some issue legally)? Which is done all the time and helps them not lose money on the production run.

Jewelry, glasses/sunglasses, handbags- most fashion in general - is produced in China. Some items are made in India (clothing/bags/shoes), Cambodia (clothing, bags), Vietnam (clothing/bags), Romania (clothing), Mexico (clothing - especially jeans), Spain and Brazil (shoes)... but if something is from China, that in itself shouldn't be suspicious, FYI.

I have been in China and seen versions of things I have designed using proprietary materials, that I KNOW I make/design or even know about that HAD to come from the factory we worked with on the item... So, yeah. China has always taken advantage in whatever way they can in order to make a buck. Very unscrupulous.... but also cheap labor and materials so.... (insert shrug emoji here).

The tariffs are going to put a huge hurt on fashion (it already hit bags as of Jan - lost my job due to that) and many other items that you cannot just up and move the production of out of the country due to infrastructure and materials, etc.... (Tariff rant over)

*This has been your manufacturing informational post for the day*

[funky-rat]

18 minutes ago, materialgirl101 said:

Yeah, I agree - if someone has more than 100 (even 20 is quite a bit) items, I too would be suspicious...unless they did some sort of buy out from a store....

I am not familiar with Thirty-One, is it a store?

There are EXCELLENT fakes out there (usually made by the same factory that made the actual branded item). I guess I just don't know what market would be interested in BJ/licensed characters to the point that a factory would invest in making an amount of items that would be profitable, which is usually in the thousands... unless a legit factory had to make extra items for an order and kept the extra to sell off themselves (with a slight tweak to avoid... some issue legally)? Which is done all the time and helps them not lose money on the production run.

Jewelry, glasses/sunglasses, handbags- most fashion in general - is produced in China. Some items are made in India (clothing/bags/shoes), Cambodia (clothing, bags), Vietnam (clothing/bags), Romania (clothing), Mexico (clothing - especially jeans), Spain and Brazil (shoes)... but if something is from China, that in itself shouldn't be suspicious, FYI.

I have been in China and seen versions of things I have designed using proprietary materials, that I KNOW I make/design or even know about that HAD to come from the factory we worked with on the item... So, yeah. China has always taken advantage in whatever way they can in order to make a buck. Very unscrupulous.... but also cheap labor and materials so.... (insert shrug emoji here).

The tariffs are going to put a huge hurt on fashion (it already hit bags as of Jan - lost my job due to that) and many other items that you cannot just up and move the production of out of the country due to infrastructure and materials, etc.... (Tariff rant over)

*This has been your manufacturing informational post for the day*

Thirty-One is a MLM company that sells bags - some purses, but a lot of things designed at organizing, etc.  They're a bit pricy, but they are decent quality and last a long time.  I hooked myself up with a few consultants who run contests, hand out discounts for participation in their groups, etc.  This way I get what want at a discounted price, and have only had to have a party once, so I could get their crafting storage line for free.

Sorry to hear about your job.  It's hit my husband in the past 2 years, and it's horrible.  With the jewelry, I think they may have manufactured it for someone else and it didn't sell or they didn't take it, and they just slapped Betsey tags on it, figuring people would snap it up.

Made In China isn't a red flag - Item Ships From China is.

Edited September 9, 2019 by funky-rat

[materialgirl101]

21 minutes ago, funky-rat said:

Thirty-One is a MLM company that sells bags - some purses, but a lot of things designed at organizing, etc.  They're a bit pricy, but they are decent quality and last a long time.  I hooked myself up with a few consultants who run contests, hand out discounts for participation in their groups, etc.  This way I get what want at a discounted price, and have only had to have a party once, so I could get their crafting storage line for free.

Sorry to hear about your job.  It's hit my husband in the past 2 years, and it's horrible.  With the jewelry, I think they may have manufactured it for someone else and it didn't sell or they didn't take it, and they just slapped Betsey tags on it, figuring people would snap it up.

Made In China isn't a red flag - Item Ships From China is.

Ah... thanks for explaining...

As for the "shipped from China" thing, yeah. That would def. be a red flag!

[janie jones]

On 9/4/2019 at 7:15 AM, Kelloggirl said:

- Perpetual hate for every Liberty Mutual ad for ever and ever and ever, amen.

The new (to me, anyway) one with the dumb actor isn't bad, relatively speaking.

On 9/8/2019 at 5:44 AM, Prevailing Wind said:

As to Instant Breakfast: I compared it to Ovaltine when it first came out and Ovaltine had more basic nutrition in it for two-thirds the price. Oh, big deal - you have to count out the tablespoons instead of ripping open a pre-measured envelope - but what if you don't WANT a full glass? I've been drinking Ovaltine all my life and it's getting harder and harder to find the malt flavor in stores. I'm now ordering it by the six-pack from Amazon.  The reason I don't want the chocolate flavored stuff is that chocolate interferes with the body's absorption of calcium. If I'm drinking a glass of milk, by gum, I want the FULL benefits of it.

I got a craving for Nesquik on vanilla ice cream and went to the store to get it, but I didn't really want an entire thing* of Nesquik, so I compared the ingredients to Carnation Instant Breakfast (which is what I still call it), which I always have on hand for when I don't have time for breakfast, and I found they had all (or virtually all) the same ingredients, in the same order.  So I just put the Carnation on my ice cream.  Also, I prefer the strawberry and I wish they'd carry the strawberry in the big container and not only in packets.

*I almost said "tin" before I remembered it didn't come in a tin anymore.  That's how long it's been since I've had Quik.  I also don't know when they stopped calling it Nestle's Quik. (I don't care, and I can google, so you don't need to tell me. 🙂 )

[Brattinella]

I haven't bought Nestle's Quik in decades, and I'm surprised it doesn't still come in a tin.  Quik was a big part of my childhood (the Strawberry one, too).

[mousegirl]

Anyone here have certain commercials you hate but still watch anyway - sort of a love-to-revel-in-how bad-they-are kinda thing?  Obviously we Primetimers do this with shows - otherwise this website would hardly exist.  But what about the ads? 

I do this with a couple of them.  The first one is the Sensodyne toothpaste commercial with the woman who keeps saying "in THREE DAYS" over and over again.  Blah, blah blah in THREE DAYS, In THREE DAYS maybe over a weekend (which is NOT three days, by the way), blah, blah, blah in THREE DAYS.  It just kills me every time.

Another one is the California Psychics commercial.  It's seriously stupid, but I still get a kind of twisted kick out of watching and re-watching it, especially the woman who says "the reading was.....unexpectedly WARM", throwing her head back like she's about to break out into some kind of corny musical-movie song.  

I'm sure I'll think of more....what say you?

Edited September 10, 2019 by mousegirl

[Annber03]

Just now, mousegirl said:

Another one is the California Psychics commercial.  It's seriously stupid, but I still get a kind of twisted kick out of watching and re-watching it, especially the woman who says "the reading was.....unexpectedly WARM", throwing her head back like she's about to break out into some kind of corny musical-movie song.  

I haven't seen that one. That sounds hilarious. "Unexpectedly warm"???

[Brattinella]

12 minutes ago, mousegirl said:

Another one is the California Psychics commercial.  It's seriously stupid, but I still get a kind of twisted kick out of watching and re-watching it, especially the woman who says "the reading was.....unexpectedly WARM", throwing her head back like she's about to break out into some kind of corny musical-movie song.  

Dear me!  THIS is my most pet-peevish commercial, "unexpectedly WARM!"  LOL!  She always strikes me that way.