Commercials That Annoy, Irritate or Outright Enrage

[iMonrey]

There's an ad for chicken nuggest (I think Wendy's, or maybe KFC) where a bunch of little kids are complaining because their parents have been feeding them crap all this time and they're just now finding out about these wonderful chicken nuggets. Typical indulgent, bratty kids that are supposed to be cute. I have to admit, though, I did snicker at the one kid who said he wanted three of his five years back.

Edited March 11, 2015 by iMonrey

[janie jones]

I hate that commercial.  I also hate that children that age are such connoisseurs of chicken nuggets.  Why have children that young consumed so many chicken nuggets that they're experts about it?

[Rinaldo]

I had thought that Justin Guarini had disappeared from the face of the Earth, only to find out recently that he's been acting on Broadway.

Yes, and more than that, he's a respected pro in the Broadway community. A couple years back he (and Laura Benanti) kind of stole the honors in Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown from top talents like Brian Stokes Mitchell, Patti LuPone, and Sheri Rene Scott. Next week I'm looking forward to seeing him alongside Keith Carradine in Paint Your Wagon.

[DeLurker]

I hate this Metlife commercial about Dad falling and guaranteed life insurance.  Due to some insomnia last night, I caught the full thing and noticed that they play Linus and Lucy by the Vince Guaraldi Trio (yep, from the Christmas Special played every year) in a Muzak'd slowed down form.  I hate the commercial anyway, but this makes me hate Metlife for subverting a find memory of our collective culture.

[90PercentGravity]

Nothing creeps me or more than kids with adult faces. Why do commercials insist on using them so much?

[merylinkid]

Geez I knew MetLife had the rights to the Peanuts characters, but the music too?

[Aquarius]

Nothing creeps me or more than kids with adult faces. Why do commercials insist on using them so much?

 

Nothing creeps me out more either (well, maybe clowns or those old fashioned dolls).  But whaaa?  What commercials are using them?  Are they a CGI thing?  (I ask so that I may avoid them.)

[AntiBeeSpray]

All of the commercials pertaining to Disney World vacations annoy me right now.  Considering that a trip to Disney would cost the average family a few months' mortgage payments, it just irritates me that they make it seem like it is no big deal to drop a few thousand dollars on a Disney vacation.  The one with the hotel concierge with the fairy wings is especially annoying since it is obviously one of the high end hotels that is hundreds of dollars a night.

 

Same here. Especially when they're taking place during AFV. Seriously Disney, I know you own ABC, but please don't BUTT into my favorite show.

[Brattinella]

And NBC is promoting the HELL out of that bondage novel!

[iMonrey]

What on earth is up with that Juicy Fruit commercial where two middle-aged men in the locker room wearing only towels share a stick of Juicy Fruit then start making armpit farting noises?!? What is this commercial trying to say? That chewing Juicy Fruit makes you act like an idiot?

[erikdepressant]

That must be a "rebranding" effort to go after a younger demographic.  Guess I will continue spending my old-guy money on better-tasting gum products*.

 

The old-school Juicy Fruit commercials were so wonderfully cheesy; I get nostalgic over them.  "The taste is gonna move ya!"

 

*Good thing I caught my typo before posting "better-tasting bum products."

[riley702]

Nothing creeps me or more than kids with adult faces. Why do commercials insist on using them so much?

Slightly better than the adults with kid faces, or kid voices, like those sub ads where some poor schmuck keeps letting a female coworker walk off with his sandwich because, "You're my boyfriend!".

[Cobalt Stargazer]

*Good thing I caught my typo before posting "better-tasting bum products."

 

You better look out. If you put that out there in the universe, the Cottonelle people might get ideas.

[Brattinella]

You better look out. If you put that out there in the universe, the Cottonelle people might get ideas.

 

 

GAH!!!! :D

[Stella MD]

Apparently the Yogurt Bitch grew up and got a hearing aid: http://www.ispot.tv/ad/7rqb/miracle-ear-car-keys

[AntiBeeSpray]

And NBC is promoting the HELL out of that bondage novel!

 

*ugh* I know :(. Enough NBC!

[kassa]

Some allergy product's entire sales pitch seems to center around something like "we address 6 problems.  They address 1.  SIX IS MORE THAN ONE!"

 

I don't know why it makes me stabby, but it does.

[proserpina65]

Narwhals, Narwhals, swimming in the ocean!

I can't get it out of my head!

Oh man, I love that commercial!  I sing along whenever I see it.  (Yeah, I know.)

[meep.meep]

You can't help yourself.  It's also the cheezy art and the smiles.  Oh the horror of the smiles.

[Ubiquitous]

I hate that commercial.  I also hate that children that age are such connoisseurs of chicken nuggets.  Why have children that young consumed so many chicken nuggets that they're experts about it?

I hate that parents serve chicken nuggets to their brats so often.

[Sandman87]

I hate that commercial. I also hate that children that age are such connoisseurs of chicken nuggets. Why have children that young consumed so many chicken nuggets that they're experts about it?

I get distracted by the little girl. Kid looks strange, like she's going to transform into a Deep One any day now.

[OriginalCyn]

I become unreasonably annoyed whenever I see Julia Louis Dreyfus shilling for Old Navy. I mean, she's got her own show on HBO for which she has won multiple Emmys, I'm sure she was paid a pretty penny during her Seinfeld years, and she did a movie with James Gandolfini. Just how much money does this lady need? I know, I know, it's probably very tempting when someone waves millions of dollars in her face for a few days' work, but still. Have some self respect, lady.

JLD's Old Navy commercials were fast-tracked onto my Automatic Mute List. I've wracked my brain trying to understand why Old Navy feels this type of personality will appeal to consumers, because I don't know a single person that doesn't hate this series of ads. Seriously, Old Navy, what the fuck?! The following surely cannot be their sales concept:

When it comes to buying clothes somewhere, there's no better inspiration to start spending than watching a celebrity spokesperson who's an overbearing, self-important gasbag invade a girl's personal space and, at the same time, give her the third degree in a voice only slightly louder than a dump truck being cranked on a Winter morning.

The Old Navy ads are agonizing enough when watching on a regular TV, but watching online takes it to a whole new level of torture. For some reason, when streaming live television via comcast's website, they run the fucking Old Navy ads twice (back-to-back) during Each. And. Every. Commercial. Break. For added viewing pleasure, the ad's default volume is almost twice as loud as the programming.

I hope that when H&R Block returns with its tax time commercials next year that the green-tie wearing spokesperson has been replaced by someone slightly less annoying like, say, Jar-Jar Binks.

This? 24K comedy GOLD.

Oh My GOD! The commercial with the KID IN A CAPE that jumps ON the OPEN DISHWASHER DOOR! GAH!!!

And, THEN: The Mother PATS said kid on the head while the repairman fixes the dishwasher!

WTFF?? Swear to God what are they trying to do? "Everything my special snowflake does is OKAY WITH ME".

Ohhhhhh....don't get me started on ads that feature destructive fuck trophies. In that ad, I'm not sure which is more infuriating - The obnoxious little brat who jumped onto the dishwasher door, or his fuckwit of a Mother. The only thing I could come up with to reasonably explain her calm, smiling demeanor is a couple of Xanax that were washed down with half a glass of Pinot Blanc.

Some allergy product's entire sales pitch seems to center around something like "we address 6 problems. They address 1. SIX IS MORE THAN ONE!"

I don't know why it makes me stabby, but it does.

Six is more than one?! Shit, you say. I'm surprised Captain Obvious didn't photobomb (videobomb?) this one.

Stabby? Oh yeah. Anyone who isn't stabby after seeing that ad (that's for either Nasacort or Flonase) which, now that we're entering Spring allergy season, started running several times an hour on every goddamn channel this past week.

[bilgistic]

The Old Navy ads are agonizing enough when watching on a regular TV, but watching online takes it to a whole new level of torture. For some reason, when streaming live television via comcast's website, they run the fucking Old Navy ads twice (back-to-back) during Each. And. Every. Commercial. Break. For added viewing pleasure, the ad's default volume is almost twice as loud as the programming.

This drives me bat-shit insane. I watch the majority of my programming online and every show is like this. Plus, the show "buffers" every 30 seconds (looking at you, AT&T U-Verse) but the ads play loudly and flawlessly.

Ohhhhhh....don't get me started on ads that feature destructive fuck trophies. In that ad, I'm not sure which is more infuriating - The obnoxious little brat who jumped onto the dishwasher door, or his fuckwit of a Mother. The only thing I could come up with to reasonably explain her calm, smiling demeanor is a couple of Xanax that were washed down with half a glass of Pinot Blanc.

::singing:: I honestly love yoooou! This is the most beautiful takedown ever of that obnoxious commercial. I watched it more closely the last time I saw it, and the kid is at least 7 or 8--he is as tall as his "mom's" shoulder. She needs to drop his ass off on the front steps of an adoption agency, stat. Dishwasher repair is not cheap. Most often, it's more economical to replace the dishwasher (speaking from experience, and even my cats knew better than to get on the dishwasher door).

[OriginalCyn]

This drives me bat-shit insane. I watch the majority of my programming online and every show is like this. Plus, the show "buffers" every 30 seconds (looking at you, AT&T U-Verse) but the ads play loudly and flawlessly.

 

::singing:: I honestly love yoooou! This is the most beautiful takedown ever of that obnoxious commercial. I watched it more closely the last time I saw it, and the kid is at least 7 or 8--he is as tall as his "mom's" shoulder. She needs to drop his ass off on the front steps of an adoption agency, stat. Dishwasher repair is not cheap. Most often, it's more economical to replace the dishwasher (speaking from experience, and even my cats knew better than to get on the dishwasher door).

 

Thanks, bilgistic :)

 

********

 

As of late, they've been airing a relatively new commercial for Stelara (psoriasis medication) featuring Caridee English from America's Next Top Model that grates on my last nerve.  

 

For starters, her diction throughout the entire commercial is just awful, and throughout her voice-over, she keeps speeding up and slowing down. When you put those two things together, she winds up sounding like she's trying to set a speed-record for reciting The Tale of the Jabberwock with marbles in her mouth.

 

Back when she won ANTM, the Fashion Show during the F2 was one of the most memorable moments in the show's history due to Caridee's OTT theatrical runway walk and posing that were simultaneously hilarious and cringeworthy -- back then no one thought they could ever get any worse.  This is the only way I can describe how it looks these days:

 

Caridee struts a catwalk and strikes a pose about as well as Elaine Benes boogies on the dance floor.

 

The cable channels have been airing this thing non-stop, so if I have the TV on for any length of time, I'm treated to this hot mess three or four times an hour.

Edited March 15, 2015 by OriginalCyn

[Stella MD]

When the dishwasher repair guy shows up, they should have shown the kid sadly taking out the garbage in the background, his superman costume clearly visible in the top of the bag.

[bilgistic]

How about if he had his cape wrapped around his belongings (picture a teddy bear head poking out) and tied to the end of a stick, which was resting on one shoulder, cartoon-hobo style, as he skulked off down the suburban road?

[Maverick]

Thanks, bigilistic :)

********

As of late, they've been airing a relatively new commercial for Stelara (psoriasis medication) featuring Caridee English from America's Next Top Model that grates on my last nerve.

For starters, her diction throughout the entire commercial is just awful, and throughout her voice-over, she keeps speeding up and slowing down. When you put those two things together, she winds up sounding like she's trying to set a speed-record for reciting The Tale of the Jabberwock with marbles in her mouth.

Back when she won ANTM, the Fashion Show during the F2 was one of the most memorable moments in the show's history due to Caridee's OTT theatrical runway walk and posing that were simultaneously hilarious and cringeworthy -- back then no one thought they could ever get any worse. This is the only way I can describe how it looks these days:

Caridee struts a catwalk and poses about as well as Elaine Benes dances.

The cable channels have been airing this thing non-stop, so if I have the TV on for any length of time, I'm treated to this hot mess three or four times an hour.

Is this the chick that walks through the different seasons? I don't watch ANTM model and have no idea who she is but those damn poses she does in each scene are idiotic. I think the worst one is when she's on the beach and does this thing where she runs her hand through her hair whilet attempting to syltare soulfully at the ground. As Bugs Bunny would say, what a maroon.

[Jamoche]

Is this the chick that walks through the different seasons? I don't watch ANTM model and have no idea who she is but those damn poses she does in each scene are idiotic. 

She walks like someone who has never worn heels before and doesn't know how to adjust. 

 

Guy in a big box store walks up to checkout with a big box. Does he want to pay cash or credit? Nope, he wants to walk out with it and just pay for it in little bits over time, without arranging such a thing, just by saying he wants to do that. The cashiers, rightly, look at him like he wants to steal it.

 

Apparently what he really wants is a rent-to-own place. Awesome, dude. You're actually better off charging it, but whatever - go to a store that offers what you want.

Edited March 15, 2015 by Jamoche

[OriginalCyn]

Is this the chick that walks through the different seasons? I don't watch ANTM model and have no idea who she is but those damn poses she does in each scene are idiotic. I think the worst one is when she's on the beach and does this thing where she runs her hand through her hair whilet attempting to syltare soulfully at the ground. As Bugs Bunny would say, what a maroon.

 

Yup, that's the one.  I'll see if I can find the clip of her on the catwalk on ANTM.

 

You're absolutely right about that beach pose - a maroon if I ever saw one.

 

Here's the fashion show from the ANTM finale:

 

 

In each runway pass, the models are supposed to get increasingly scary and dramatic but continue to model through it and "Strike a Pose." I've posted the time-stamp for each of Caridee's passes on the runway.  The final one is the best as she's a hot-ass fucking mess from head to toe the entire time:

 

First pass:  1:22

Second pass:   2:10

Third pass:   4:42

 

Here's the Stelara ad with her stroll through the seasons, complete with soulful stares, chest-waggling, pigeon-toed posing, and the marble-mouthed voiceover:

 

[Prevailing Wind]

WTF *was* that?  That's an actual TV show people sit down to watch?  Isn't there a book you'd rather read?  Or a crossword puzzle? Or something else a bit more mentally challenging?

[90PercentGravity]

Nothing creeps me out more either (well, maybe clowns or those old fashioned dolls).  But whaaa?  What commercials are using them?  Are they a CGI thing?  (I ask so that I may avoid them.)

In this particular case, it was  Wherther's commercial.

 

[DeLurker]

WTF *was* that?  That's an actual TV show people sit down to watch?  Isn't there a book you'd rather read?  Or a crossword puzzle? Or something else a bit more mentally challenging?

If you are referring to ANTM, I loved the first several seasons of it! It was non-stop amusement of the highest (well, lowest) order.

[slensam]

Yup, that's the one.  I'll see if I can find the clip of her on the catwalk on ANTM.

 

You're absolutely right about that beach pose - a maroon if I ever saw one.

 

Here's the fashion show from the ANTM finale:

 

 

In each runway pass, the models are supposed to get increasingly scary and dramatic but continue to model through it and "Strike a Pose." I've posted the time-stamp for each of Caridee's passes on the runway.  The final one is the best as she's a hot-ass fucking mess from head to toe the entire time:

 

First pass:  1:22

Second pass:   2:10

Third pass:   4:42

 

Here's the Stelara ad with her stroll through the seasons, complete with soulful stares, chest-waggling, pigeon-toed posing, and the marble-mouthed voiceover:

 

I remember that I kind of her liked her during that season and wanted her to win. Top Model has gone completely downhill over the past few years and is now completely insane. Haven't watched it for about three or four years. This ad started airing recently and all I noticed was her sticking her top and bottom out at each pose. I'm a guy so I guess I would notice that but still. All that Top Model training gone to waste.

[smittykins]

Apparently what he really wants is a rent-to-own place. Awesome, dude. You're actually better off charging it, but whatever - go to a store that offers what you want.

Yeah, if you don't mind paying 2-3 times more than if you bought it outright.(I read of a study that proved that if you put the money you would pay a RTO place every week into a savings account--or, hell, even in a shoebox--you'd be able to buy it free and clear weeks sooner than those rental plans.)

But of course, that would mean delayed gratification. Who am I kidding? :(

[erikdepressant]

#FuckYouToyota

 

 

#InstantHate

#MandatoryMute

 

I don't even use Twitter, and I still know this commercial would have been dated and irrelevant several YEARS ago.

 

Has anyone in the history of ever actually followed a hashtagged ad slogan?

[sofaslug]

Add me to the list of people annoyed by "Superhero Boy" in the Sears' appliance ad. He's old enough to *not* be running around like that in the store and definitely to not use the dishwasher door as a launch pad.

Equally annoying was the girl who Sears used in their last campaign who apparently left crayons in her pocket and they melted in the dryer.

[bilgistic]

That commercial needs a crossover from The Slap, because that kid needs a "full-on walloping". His mom should be right beside of him, getting the blowback, for not giving him any boundaries or structure.

Edited March 15, 2015 by bilgistic

[Jamoche]

Yeah, if you don't mind paying 2-3 times more than if you bought it outright.(I read of a study that proved that if you put the money you would pay a RTO place every week into a savings account--or, hell, even in a shoebox--you'd be able to buy it free and clear weeks sooner than those rental plans.)

But of course, that would mean delayed gratification. Who am I kidding? :(

Yeah, I think John Oliver touched on it once. But smug asshats who go to a store that doesn't do what they want and act all condescendingly faux-shocked about it deserve to pay 2-3x.

[Neurochick]

Here's the Stelara ad with her stroll through the seasons, complete with soulful stares, chest-waggling, pigeon-toed posing, and the marble-mouthed voiceover:

 

 

I don't get what's wrong with the voiceover; I could understand her.  But that posing....she looked like a fool.  

[peeayebee]

#FuckYouToyota

 

 

#InstantHate

#MandatoryMute

Blech. It's not only their saying "hashtag" but also doing a sign with their hands. It makes me feel angry.

[theatremouse]

This should just plain be disallowed entirely. You speak in hashtags, you're dead to me. You do the hand gesture, I am walking away. They seem to think they're being cute and/or ironic about it, but it just puts me in a rage.

[Rick Kitchen]

Speaking of big box stores, the ad where the guy actually BUILT a big box for him to "practice" looking for flooring at a big box store is just idiotic.  And then he's surprised that he can't find anybody to help him in his self-built big box?  DIAF.

[theredhead77]

I read back a bit and haven't seen this Time Warner commercial mentioned (I can't find it online).

 

Basically all the neighbors go to one house (Mike) to use his high speed internet because theirs sucks and his is fast and supports multiple devices.

Drives me crazy. Get faster internet people! What sets me over the edge though is the kid (maybe 12 or 13) who wants to use "Mr. Mike's" internet to play online games because theirs isn't fast enough. My mom would have kicked my ass in to next week if I even thought about asking someone that.

And FFS, why doesn't he just say no?!

 

I'm way more worked up about this than I should be. Oh, and I'm in Charter territory so it's not like I can switch anyway.

[bilgistic]

Time Warner Cable's a complete joke, anyway, so the entire concept of that commercial is lost on me. I had TWC at my old condo a little over a year ago, and my connection would just drop out for no reason at all. I would pray it would come back after I reset everything so I didn't have to delve into one of the circles of hell that is calling tech support/customer service. Thank god I had another option when I moved.

[theatremouse]

Basically all the neighbors go to one house (Mike) to use his high speed internet because theirs sucks and his is fast and supports multiple devices.

Drives me crazy. Get faster internet people!

That one bugs me for a different reason. Maybe this isn't true everywhere, but in everywhere I've lived the past 20 years or so (omg I'm old), there are basically mutually agreed upon monopolies, whereby, sure in the city there are multiple internet providers, but they basically divvy up the town so any one address really only has one option. So, if the neighbor had faster internet my immediate reaction is: either these idiots are still on dial-up, or there's a decent chance they have the same provider and just a slower package, so this isn't for new customers as much as convincing people to pay for the higher speed option. I hated my provider and wanted to switch to another and couldn't. Every other company I called asked me who I had currently and why I wanted to leave, only to tell me that they were actually a reseller for that same company. So switching wouldn't help me. And cost more...or, a very common possibility: the cabling to the house is shot and old and predates digital cable so they're getting crappy slow speeds because they don't realize they're not wired to carry what they're paying for. And the cable company, who can run signal strength tests if they'd called support, wouldn't just send someone out to make sure that's not the case without prompting, because hey, they've got your money. They don't give a shit if you have the service you paid for.

Also, they're probably illegally throttling you but would deny it.

Or I guess I could've more shortly said: grrr I hate that internet and phone and TV service are now all from the same companies and that all of said companies suck.

[theredhead77]

Through Charter I can select my internet speed and pay accordingly. I actually have the lowest speed and it's fast enough for me to be on general internet stuff and stream. 

 

The take-away I got from the TWC commercials is "Mike" has the fastest package and all these other people are too cheap to upgrade their speeds.

 

I never had issues with TWC or Cox but had a bunch with AT&T. Charter is alright (so far, been two years, knock wood) but I only have internet from them. No cable for this gal.

Edited March 16, 2015 by theredhead77

[ShortyMac]

I HATE this commercial! 

 

[backformore]

I'm annoyed by a commercial showing a little boy coming into the house numerous times calling 'MOM!"  because he broke his glasses.  the ad is for a glasses place, the point is that "boys will be boys"  and therefore always need new glasses.  

 

Is the point "Our glasses are so cheap, your kid will break them any time he tries to do anything remotely athletic? Better buy an extra pair, because these won't last!" 

[sofaslug]

I'm annoyed by a commercial showing a little boy coming into the house numerous times calling 'MOM!" because he broke his glasses. the ad is for a glasses place, the point is that "boys will be boys" and therefore always need new glasses.

Is the point "Our glasses are so cheap, your kid will break them any time he tries to do anything remotely athletic? Better buy an extra pair, because these won't last!"

Even more annoying is when *dad* comes in after trashing his glasses. If I were that woman we wouldn't be heading back to the Walmart eye center. I'd be tossing 'em a roll of duct tape and instructing them both to tape up the broken ones. Do you see money growing on any of those trees outside? No? Take care of your things.

[smittykins]

That one bugs me for a different reason. Maybe this isn't true everywhere, but in everywhere I've lived the past 20 years or so (omg I'm old), there are basically mutually agreed upon monopolies, whereby, sure in the city there are multiple internet providers, but they basically divvy up the town so any one address really only has one option.

That's still true where I live(Upstate NY, Time Warner). My apartment lease bans satellite dishes, so I'm screwed twice. :(

Those Fiber One commercials using the tune of "Total Eclipse Of The Heart" can go away anytime now. It's almost making me want to swear off Fiber One, which sucks because I love their brownies.