Commercials That Annoy, Irritate or Outright Enrage

Brattinella · January 20, 2015

I have to agree; there is a current 'whistling' commercial that drives me BERSERK! I have no idea what product they are plugging; I always mute it immediately.

peeayebee · January 20, 2015

Now I need to listen for the whistling. I'm sure I've heard commercials with it, but since it doesn't bother me, I don't really think about it.

backformore · January 20, 2015

The new trend in commercials is definitely whistling. God forbid you have an INTENSE HATRED of whistling, like I do (misophonia)...I'm on my way to developing tendonitis in my thumb from hitting the mute button repeatedly. If I started to list the commercials, I'd be here all night. I just don't understand why whistling is the "it" audio these days. In my opinion, it is a shit audio. It's kind of like Target's "Marshmallow World" holiday commercial...we were all saying STFU because it was played at every commercial break. Well, the whistling is every commercial break -- it's just in a ton of different commercials.

Okay, I'll stop now, because I probably sound nuts. :/

What? that's a thing? misophonia? Who knew there was a name for my hatred - not even hatred, my inability to tolerate - whistling! Seriously, someone at work whistles, and my skin crawls, it's like that ONE sound pierces my head like an ice pick. My son whistles, and I feel as though he's dong it on purpose to piss me off. I have no idea why I react like I do, and until now I never knew it was something others shared.

BubblingKettle · January 20, 2015

What? that's a thing? misophonia? Who knew there was a name for my hatred - not even hatred, my inability to tolerate - whistling! Seriously, someone at work whistles, and my skin crawls, it's like that ONE sound pierces my head like an ice pick. My son whistles, and I feel as though he's dong it on purpose to piss me off. I have no idea why I react like I do, and until now I never knew it was something others shared.

Oh yes, backformore....my list of hated sounds is quite long, and whistling might be at the top of my list (gum and sharp /s/ sounds are right up there, too). This video is from ABC's 20/20:

peeayebee · January 20, 2015

Wow, CoolWhipLit. I can't imagine how that guy gets by day to day. Do you have similar reactions with certain sounds?

potatoradio · January 20, 2015

Jan from Toyota was bad enough behind the desk in the showroom...

Jan started as a fairly bland, innocuous spokesperson I could tolerate. Then Toyota decided she should be the next Flo and thought she would become a thing and now she really grates my nerves. Worse, though, is that she now coos, bats her eyes and acts like the porn salesgirl from SNL. Really, Toyota? You had to go there? I don't want to go any place with your trollop.

I hate the new McDonald's ad with the signs addressing tragedies and community togetherness.

I think poor old McD's is really going through an identity crisis. They missed the coffee shop cash cow (sucks to be McCafe), they can't rebrand themselves as healthy to catch the latest health craze (though a Quarter Pounder Kale Burger development wouldn't surprise me - with adzuki beans and spirulina sauce!), their clown has always been mildly terrifying, they can't compete with family casual...what's left but to try to promote themselves as ambassadors of world peace? It's kind of funny to watch them flounder. I think that corporation is greedy and vile and I'd love to see this latest marketing mistake crap all over their brand.

I feel really badly for anyone with misophonia who can't find the mute button in time when a KitKat commercial comes on. The crunching, the groaning, the mmmmmm-ing....it takes a lot to turn me off to chocolate, but dang, they did it.

heebiejeebie · January 20, 2015

CoolWhipLite I'm fine with most whistling but I feel your pain. There was a small persistent trend in sitcoms last year where each scene would have a weird cacophony disguised as "music" to carry the break between scenes that drove me nuts. I think Mom or Two Broke Girls started it and there were a couple of short lived sitcoms on NBC that also used it -- the one with the sad failed Superman Routh was one of the worst. I'm not sure what to call those riffs but they literally hurt my ears and made me all ragey. The trend seems to have died already along with most of the shows that featured it.

The closest analogy I can come up with is take that screeching old man from the H&R blocks and his "get your billions back America" and translate it into some kind of electronic percussion 30 second track and you might have some idea. That guy on the H&R Block ads makes me wish they would stop all research and development in Smell or Taste o vision (no matter what the best episode of Top Chef can inspire) and work instead, tout suite on Punch in the Face o Vision.

Edited January 20, 2015 by heebiejeebie

BubblingKettle · January 20, 2015

Wow, CoolWhipLit. I can't imagine how that guy gets by day to day. Do you have similar reactions with certain sounds?

Thank goodness I don't have reactions like the guy in the video. If I'm in a meeting with a pen-clicker, I usually just shoot them a death look. A few times, when a look didn't work, I asked, "What is that sound? Is it the vent?" Haha -- I'm not an employee concerned that the ventilation system might have a loose part. I know it's crazy, but it does make the clicking person stop. The guy in the video really decompensated, and I can relate to him...when someone's eating crunchy food, chewing/snapping gum, has a speech pattern that I find irritating, cracking knuckles, -the list goes on and on- I either leave the room (pretend bathroom break), put in my earplugs (I always have them with me), or try like hell to power through.

BubblingKettle · January 21, 2015

I feel really badly for anyone with misophonia who can't find the mute button in time when a KitKat commercial comes on. The crunching, the groaning, the mmmmmm-ing....it takes a lot to turn me off to chocolate, but dang, they did it.

YES! I completely lose it with Kit Kat commercials. I can't even eat them (and I adore chocolate) because once I see the wrapper, the earworm attacks. Same deal with the Magnum ice cream bar commercial. And thank God they don't air commercials for Washington apples any more.

heebiejeebie · January 21, 2015

As I'm getting my stuff ready for the morning, I find the hydroxy cut ads that take a couple of fitness models and bloat them up with huge water retention and what looks like rushed carbs piss the fuck out of me. Pathetic gym rat here, but these ads are the worst of the weight loss one since you can easily see the ab cuts still on all both the models and the guys still have pec development like crazy. Not "bitch tits" but actual pecs. Because you can layer on weight if you are into fitness professionally and then take it off to cut up. It is what bodybuilders and fitness competitors do all the freaking time. At least they stopped using men who less than year prior to the ad were gracing the covers of fitness mags. But since most fitness mags have disappeared (most were nothing but eyecandy for gay men anyway) maybe I'm putting the horse before the cart.

OriginalCyn · January 21, 2015

I feel really badly for anyone with misophonia who can't find the mute button in time when a KitKat commercial comes on. The crunching, the groaning, the mmmmmm-ing....it takes a lot to turn me off to chocolate, but dang, they did it.

YES! I completely lose it with Kit Kat commercials. I can't even eat them (and I adore chocolate) because once I see the wrapper, the earworm attacks. Same deal with the Magnum ice cream bar commercial. And thank God they don't air commercials for Washington apples any more.

I was a kid when Kit-Kat came up with that fucking jingle, and it's been like nails on a chalkboard from the first time I heard it. They're decent enough chocolate-covered wafer bars for vending machine candy, and I'll even admit, when I'm hungry, they can be a tasty little snack in a pinch.

Back to the jingle....It was horrific enough when it was an actual tune with lyrics ( "Gimme a break, Gimme a break, Break me off a piece of that Kit-Kat Bar!" ) ::shudders involuntarily:: but when their advertising company came up with the oh-so-briliant idea of replacing the lyrics with the sounds of various tools and machinery, sirens, and the absolute WORST ones of the bunch, the sounds of people crunching, smacking, and "Mmmmmm"-ing, they crossed a line with me, and I banned them from the House of Cyn. Whenever the commercial airs, the damn thing sends me diving for the remote the second I hear the first "note," and I shamelessly admit that if necessary, I'll mow over a kid if he/she is in my way.

*******

I cannot sleep without some sort of droning sound in the background, so I usually keep my TV on with the volume pretty low, unless I fall asleep with it on, in which case the volume is slightly louder. I've tried white noise machines, audio tapes with natural sounds, etc., none of which worked, so the TV it is...

As to the above, this isn't directed towards any specific commercial, but there needs to be a special room in Hell for any fuckwit who creates an ad that includes the sounds of doorbells ringing and/or alarm clocks going off. Adjacent to said room in Hell should be the room for assholes in programming that run these ads in the middle of the night or in the morning. One ad in particular that several cable channels would run constantly during the day had an alarm clock buzzing in it, the sound of which is identical to the one on my bedside table, and I cannot tell you how many times that fucking thing jarred me awake, sending me into a panic.

Edited January 21, 2015 by OriginalCyn

CarpeDiem54 · January 21, 2015

Can we add the assholes who have police sirens in radio ads to your special room in hell? I've almost peed my pants several times over those pain in the ass ads while driving.

SoSueMe · January 21, 2015

Whistling doesn't bother me but I just can't handle the hootenanny-style hand-clapping in the Kyocera commercial music, it sets my teeth on edge for some reason.

InDueTime · January 21, 2015

This guy on the National ad thinks of himself as a "control enthusiast." I think of him as a jackass.

ari333 · January 21, 2015

OMG I feel you, OriginalCyn; We have two huge fans (on the floor not aimed at the bed in the winter) set on high. It sounds like an airport in there. And we sleep great. My bf poo pood it at first; now he cant sleep without them hehehe.

Hate the kitkat commercial.

Hate the insurance Progressive commercial with "Flo" in the locker room with the dude who is not a champion with sprinkles HATE> especially the way they try to do that old school very special movie atmosphere.

Edited January 21, 2015 by ari333

SmithW6079 · January 21, 2015

One ad in particular that several cable channels would run constantly during the day had an alarm clock buzzing in it, the sound of which is identical to the one on my bedside table, and I cannot tell you how many times that fucking thing jarred me awake, sending me into a panic.

To be fair, that's not really the commercial's fault because you sleep with the TV on. "Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice..."

I hate the pizza commercial (is it Little Ceasar's -- the one with the $5 ready to go?). Because seriously, it is not that difficult to call ahead for your pie. Or is the commercial a comment on our inability to accept nothing less than immediate gratification as a society?

Moose135 · January 21, 2015

Hate the insurance Progressive commercial with "Flo" in the locker room with the dude who is not a champion with sprinkles HATE> especially the way they try to do that old school very special movie atmosphere.

I don't like Progressive or Flo either, but I'll never not laugh at "Sprinkles are for winners..."

erikdepressant · January 21, 2015

I too must chime in on my hatred of Kit Kat commercials. They actually drove me to this forum in the first place. Kit Kat commercials are Number One on my list of TV content to mute with extreme prejudice*.

I don't see how a melody of repulsive sound effects can get stuck in your head, so they defeat the purpose of the original jingle. Does the next generation of future diabetics even know the jingle once had lyrics? When I hate a commercial, I boycott the advertised product; I haven't eaten a Kit Kat in like a decade. I long for the good old days, when candy bar commercials just showed bundles of sugar flying in and out of whirlpools of liquid chocolate. BRB, kids on my lawn...

*FWIW, the rest of my mandatory-mute TV content:

#4: Any time on a competition show where the contestants tell their lies and sob stories about why they need/deserve to win (major side-eye at you, Food Network).

#3: Peyton Manning's Nationwide jingle commercial.

#2: That segment on Jeopardy! where Alex Trebek gets to know the contestants. Alex is annoying. The contestants' insipid personal anecdotes are annoying. But holyfuck, when Alex offers witty banter or charming commentary on the anecdotes... he kills puppies and phytoplankton. Just wish them good luck and go back to overpronouncing foreign words from your podium!

LoneHaranguer · January 22, 2015

This guy on the National ad thinks of himself as a "control enthusiast." I think of him as a jackass.

He reminds me of Hymie the Robot on the old Get Smart series.

I hate the pizza commercial (is it Little Ceasar's -- the one with the $5 ready to go?). Because seriously, it is not that difficult to call ahead for your pie. Or is the commercial a comment on our inability to accept nothing less than immediate gratification as a society?

One of their latest ads is dragging in the difficulty of paying up-front with a credit card. That's a false comparison because you're not doing that at Little Caesar's and don't have to at their competition either. BTW, they call their pizzas "$5 Hot and Ready"; but that shouldn't be taken to mean that they'll necessarily be hot or ready.

smittykins · January 22, 2015

Can we add the assholes who have police sirens in radio ads to your special room in hell? I've almost peed my pants several times over those pain in the ass ads while driving.

Some of us Of A Certain Age Will remember the song "Indiana Wants Me" from the early '70s which prominently features police sirens; supposedly a version without them had to be issued after reports of people pulling over to the side of the road when the song came on their car radios.

The two brats in the Excedrin Mild Headache commercial who keep whining "Pleeeeease?" can go away any time now. Though I give their mother credit for sticking to her "No," if they were my children, they would be informed that my decision was final and that the next "Pleeeeease?" would get them grounded, privileges taken away, or both.

Rick Kitchen · January 22, 2015

Somebody needs to buy Andrew Rose suits and shirts that fit.

merylinkid · January 22, 2015

I hate the Sonic commercials to begin with. Those two morons sitting in their car being morons does not inspire me to eat there. But the newest ones are the absolute worst. They are talking to their hot dogs like they are real dogs "sit, roll over" etc. Then they eat them. EWWWWWWWWWW. Who thought this was a good idea? Let's equate our hot dogs with eating real dogs, that bring the folks out in droves. More like cause them to drive on past.

Haleth · January 22, 2015

This guy on the National ad thinks of himself as a "control enthusiast." I think of him as a jackass.

That's Patrick Warburton. a very funny actor. I think the ad is trying to appeal to a certain generation that remembers Puddy.

He reminds me of Hymie the Robot on the old Get Smart series.

According to Wiki, he played Hymie in the Get Smart movie.

Edited January 22, 2015 by Haleth

Prevailing Wind · January 22, 2015

I remember him as Eric Junior, the handyman, on "Dave's World." By the time Puddy showed up, I was on the cusp of ceasing to watch Seinfeld. (Eugene Roche was Eric Senior.)

suedehead · January 22, 2015

It hurts to hear someone refer to Patrick Warburton as "that guy." He's doing Puddy, or at least a variation of him. I agree that the under 25 demo probably isn't the target for a car rental agency and some are too young or may not remember him in Seinfeld, weren't one of the 10 people that saw The Tick, won't fall into the demo for Rules of Engagement, or don't recall the other parts he's played, but c'mon, the voice doesn't immediately bring to mind Joe Swanson from Family Guy?

Edited January 22, 2015 by suedehead

SmithW6079 · January 22, 2015

#2: That segment on Jeopardy! where Alex Trebek gets to know the contestants. Alex is annoying. The contestants' insipid personal anecdotes are annoying. But holyfuck, when Alex offers witty banter or charming commentary on the anecdotes... he kills puppies and phytoplankton. Just wish them good luck and go back to overpronouncing foreign words from your podium!

Oh yes, Alex Trebek is a douchebag. I stopped watching "Jeopardy" because of his pomposity.

riley702 · January 22, 2015

Some of us Of A Certain Age Will remember the song "Indiana Wants Me" from the early '70s which prominently features police sirens; supposedly a version without them had to be issued after reports of people pulling over to the side of the road when the song came on their car radios.

The two brats in the Excedrin Mild Headache commercial who keep whining "Pleeeeease?" can go away any time now. Though I give their mother credit for sticking to her "No," if they were my children, they would be informed that my decision was final and that the next "Pleeeeease?" would get them grounded, privileges taken away, or both.

:D I'm both Of A Certain Age AND grew up in Indiana, so this was my favorite song to listen to on the school bus - until I figured out it wasn't a good thing for Indiana to want you...

Hate that Excedrin Mild Headache commercial and predict it will tank. I'd be embarrassed to buy mild headache pills - don't you know mine are the biggest, baddest, gotta have the migraine-strength stuff? And yes, I'm aware that until now, all Excedrin formulations were the same damned thing with different labels (migraine, extra-strength, back and body) slapped on the packages. You'll never lose money betting on the hypochondria of the American public. Also, I misheard the Mom with the whining kids the first time through. "Not bad enough for a lot of medicine, but (cut to annoying kids) still bad enough that you want a gun." Oops, that's "want it gone".

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

Edited January 23, 2015 by riley702

Aquarius · January 22, 2015

I miss when Americans weren't such wussies and we only took headache medicine for full-grown, adult-sized bangaroos.

Lola16 · January 22, 2015

I like the Kit Kat jingle and the crunching.

Have y'all seen the new Honey Maid graham cracker commercial? There's a family walking down the street and the lady says "We're a mixed family..." (she's black, her husband is white). I start paying closer attention, wondering what the ad was for, and they show a box of Honey Maid. "WTF does being a mixed family have to do with graham crackers?!" you ask? I did too...then they reveal the chocolate and vanilla flavors they're selling. BOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

Haven't seen it but it gets a big thumbs down from me. HM got great cred for diversity in their commercials, to jump off and become literal, just no.

ninjawirehead · January 23, 2015

It hurts to hear someone refer to Patrick Warburton as "that guy." He's doing Puddy, or at least a variation of him. I agree that the under 25 demo probably isn't the target for a car rental agency and some are too young or may not remember him in Seinfeld, weren't one of the 10 people that saw The Tick, won't fall into the demo for Rules of Engagement, or don't recall the other parts he's played, but c'mon, the voice doesn't immediately bring to mind Joe Swanson from Family Guy?

He also voices Brock Samson in "The Venture Brothers.". I think he also voiced the Wolf in Hoodwinked.

xls · January 23, 2015

Every time I see the commercial for the movie Lucy, I want to scream! Almost all of your brain is always busy doing something. Maybe not all at once.

Edited January 23, 2015 by xls

xaxat · January 23, 2015

Can we add the assholes who have police sirens in radio ads to your special room in hell? I've almost peed my pants several times over those pain in the ass ads while driving.

It's not quite a room in hell, but recently,

Viacom and ESPN fined for using emergency alert tones to advertise movie

Viacom and ESPN must pay $1.4 million to the government as punishment for airing a movie commercial that misused Emergency Alert System (EAS) warning tones.
The commercial for the 2013 film Olympus Has Fallen (see video below) used actual emergency alert tones along with messages such as "This is not a test" and "This is not a drill." The Federal Communications Commission prohibits transmission of actual or simulated EAS tones except during real emergencies or authorized tests.

InDueTime · January 23, 2015

It hurts to hear someone refer to Patrick Warburton as "that guy." He's doing Puddy, or at least a variation of him. I agree that the under 25 demo probably isn't the target for a car rental agency and some are too young or may not remember him in Seinfeld, weren't one of the 10 people that saw The Tick, won't fall into the demo for Rules of Engagement, or don't recall the other parts he's played, but c'mon, the voice doesn't immediately bring to mind Joe Swanson from Family Guy?

I knew he was the voice of both Brock Samson (The Venture Bros.) and Joe Swanson (Family Guy, which I haven't watched in years), but that doesn't make me dislike the ad any less.

suedehead · January 23, 2015

This guy on the National ad thinks of himself as a "control enthusiast." I think of him as a jackass.

I knew he was the voice of both Brock Samson (The Venture Bros.) and Joe Swanson (Family Guy, which I haven't watched in years), but that doesn't make me dislike the ad any less.

I agree the ad isn't great, but "This guy" sounded as if you didn't know who he is. Since PB has been around a minute, the thought that someone on this site doesn't know who he is not only surprized me, it made me feel old.

Now please excuse me. I need to yell at some kids to get off my lawn.

Edited January 23, 2015 by suedehead

Brattinella · January 23, 2015

I still watch Family Guy, and love Warburton in other shows, too!

Shriekingeel · January 23, 2015

The cow giving the wedding toast has worn out her welcome.

Rick Kitchen · January 23, 2015

The cow giving the wedding toast has worn out her welcome.

But seeing the little girl off to her first day of school will never get old.

Muffyn · January 23, 2015

Hate that Excedrin Mild Headache commercial and predict it will tank. I'd be embarrassed to buy mild headache pills - don't you know mine are the biggest, baddest, gotta have the migraine-strength stuff? And yes, I'm aware that until now, all Excedrin formulations were the same damned thing with different labels (migraine, extra-strength, back and body) slapped on the packages. You'll never lose money betting on the hypochondria of the American public. Also, I misheard the Mom with the whining kids the first time through. "Not bad enough for a lot of medicine, but (cut to annoying kids) still bad enough that you want a gun." Oops, that's "want it gone".

Mild headache includes acetaminophen and caffeine. So they changed the formula for once - no more aspirin. Of course this is just the equivalent on a tylenol and a cup of tea. Your annoyance was enough to make me look this up. This company is really great at relabeling the same damn thing.

Bastet · January 23, 2015

But seeing the little girl off to her first day of school will never get old.

"Noon?!"

I love that cow.

Brattinella · January 23, 2015

"Noon?!"

I love that cow.

You beat me to it!

Prevailing Wind · January 24, 2015

I've hated that cow since she was in the shower, with a shower cap on, singing so loudly, the whole house was shaking.

ebk57 · January 25, 2015

Here's an ad that is on ALL THE TIME in my area - As soon as the guy started making those puking sounds I was done. Who comes up with this crap? a bunch of 4th graders?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kvp2bsFUQMc

I'll see you the puking couple and raise you the "chaise" couple. I will never, never, ever, ever buy furniture from this place. Never ever.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eK1UWQjc-I

And I apologize if someone already posted this. Hell, I apologize anyway for posting it myself.

janie jones · January 25, 2015

Why does the puking couple keep looking at the goddamn coffee table if it makes them feel that way?

I can't hate the "chaise" couple, because I can totally see myself doing that to my husband; the only difference would be that I'd be doing it intentionally to annoy him.

bilgistic · January 25, 2015

What bothers me is I don't see what's so bad about the coffee table. I guess it's not laquered enamel to go with the black leather couch?

That black leather couch just makes me think that I'd wake up sweating from any nap I took on it.

scarletine · January 26, 2015

Watching the NFL Pro Bowl, and this commercial has been on almost every commercial break. I thought it was cute the first 20 times I saw it, but now thank GOD for the mute button.

http://youtu.be/UoTSKnZYXhY

theatremouse · January 26, 2015

My real gripe about that commercial is there are two versions of it. Having one slightly shorter edit of a spot is not uncommon, and not something I object to in general, but the shorter one of this skips the part where she pushes a button of any kind. Drove me nuts the first handful of times I saw it because it made no sense to me what was happening, why she'd keep singing, not notice the music in the car stopped, confused conference room dudes, etc. It was only when I came on here and saw others kvetching I realized she was supposed to have sent the call to VM to continue singing her jam, but oops answered instead. I didn't actually see that bit until maybe my 8th time, not because I didn't notice, but because it wasn't there.

Amethyst · January 26, 2015

I can't hate the "chaise" couple, because I can totally see myself doing that to my husband; the only difference would be that I'd be doing it intentionally to annoy him.

Same here. I do find her funny just sprawling all over like she's the queen of luxury. I can see how the "CHAAIIISEEE" would drive people crazy, though.

But the puking couple? That's just gross and childish. Why would you base a commercial off of some of the worst sounds you can hear?

The Acura 2015 commercial bugs, too. Too bad, because I love that song.

backformore · January 26, 2015

What bothers me is I don't see what's so bad about the coffee table. I guess it's not laquered enamel to go with the black leather couch?

That black leather couch just makes me think that I'd wake up sweating from any nap I took on it.

Yeah, the table is just a different style than the sofa. They must have liked it at some point in the past. If I had a piece of furniture that made me want to vomit when I looked at it - I would carry it out to the trash.

Funny, I have a family member who thinks the Value City commercials are hilarious.

mbaywife123 · January 26, 2015

I really hate the Mickey Mouse (voice)

little girl on the care.com commercial!

Edited January 26, 2015 by mbaywife123

AntiBeeSpray · January 26, 2015

Here's an oldie from ABC Warehouse:

I have a love/hate relationship with it. Been looking for it for years for the lols though.

"Gordy you asshole" XD lol

It never gets old, any annoyance aside.

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