Commercials That Annoy, Irritate or Outright Enrage

[Yeah No]

5 hours ago, TattleTeeny said:

I just think a cleaning service could easily clean the windows as part of the service. Just basic clean, boom, done. As part of the rest of the room. Wipe them. I mean, as long as the customer isn’t led to believe it’s this super-involved situation you’re describing, why wouldn’t wiping insides of a room’s windows be part of it? That’s all I wondered. Didn’t mean to get everyone all fired up over the parameters of window cleaning (which can be whatever the cleaning service deems them to be).

Proper window cleaning is super time consuming and laborious and I'm sure they don't want to do a half assed job or a lot of people would complain. Who would invite cleaning people into their house and say, "Oh, just take a wet wipe and go over the top of everything once, forget the sides, I'm OK with that"? Most people want a deeper clean than that from a professional service. Also most cleaning services offer what they offer and don't want to add stuff to it. They know that there are specialists that handle windows so they don't have to get involved in it. Once they agree to do the inside it would only set the customer up for asking for more and they just don't want to encourage that, I'm sure. It would involve more equipment and people that can handle that kind of work. Not every cleaning person can handle windows.

Also, just from personal experience, when I used to ask my friend to clean my windows I once asked him to just do the insides and it was really worthless because most of the dirt is on the outside anyway.

[TattleTeeny]

No one is saying do a half-assed job. It is not a half-assed job to make something cleaner than before, which is what BASIC cleaning services do (and the commercial I saw looked basic as hell). For example, they don't shampoo the carpets in a basic cleaning, they vacuum them. 

Whatever, OK. I think my windows look better after I clean even just the insides. And if a service said that's what they do, seems fine to me. Agree to disagree, blah blah boring!

[Yeah No]

7 hours ago, TattleTeeny said:

No one is saying do a half-assed job. It is not a half-assed job to make something cleaner than before, which is what BASIC cleaning services do (and the commercial I saw looked basic as hell). For example, they don't shampoo the carpets in a basic cleaning, they vacuum them. 

Whatever, OK. I think my windows look better after I clean even just the insides. And if a service said that's what they do, seems fine to me. Agree to disagree, blah blah boring!

Well, it's not just me saying this stuff. I found this on this website:

Click for article about why cleaning services don't commonly offer window cleaning as a part of their regular cleaning service

"Depending on the size of your windows, cleaners might need special equipment to complete this task. For instance, most modern window cleaners use high-reach water-fed poles and specialized equipment for water purification. It even takes a separate van just to transport this equipment. 

Handling high-tech equipment requires complex skills and extensive training. It doesn’t really make sense for companies to invest in training every employee to handle this kind of equipment. Besides investing in employees’ qualifications, there are also high insurance costs.

Another reason window cleaning is a service separate from other home cleaning services is that it can be risky. As window cleaning sometimes might require abseiling or climbing, it poses a risk to the cleaner’s safety.

Window cleaning is very time-consuming. Depending on the number of windows in your home, it could be a whole days’ worth of work to get the windows clean. Don’t forget the time it takes to clean blinds. Add blinds to the list of items to be cleaned, and those tasks could add significantly more time requirement.

Window cleaning and blind cleaning are tedious tasks that require a lot of patience and caution so that the blinds don’t break. (We even sometimes suggest replacing old blinds instead of cleaning them. Vinyl blinds tend to dry rot over time and can be very broken easily when trying to be cleaned).

Whereas house cleaning personnel might clean the inside-facing portions of windows, and might also clean the outer-facing sides of tilt-in windows, it’d could be unreasonable to ask (or allow) them to climb ladders or swing from boatswain’s chairs to access certain types of windows.

Most experienced housekeeping services do not offer window cleaning as a service (other than for possibly for move-out cleanings) because windows and glass take a substantial amount of time to clean, they are also a breakable thing, and they are very tedious. Depending on several factors like the size and condition of the home being cleaned and/or how many windows and/or blinds that need cleaning, it might be impossible to complete all those tasks in a day and do a quality job."

Even in smaller homes with smaller windows window cleaning can involve getting up on ladders, stretching and other "gymnastics" that a lot of cleaning people aren't up to doing. So the mention of risk is very on point here. I'll leave it at that but I'm kind of amazed at how closely it echoes most of the points I made.

[Danielg342]

I'm surprised the Questrade ads in Canada have yet to make this list. They've annoyed me for the past four years and I've just about had it with their nonsense.

For those who don't know the ads, Questrade started a schtick around the beginning of the pandemic where they claim that if you invest with them and not pay "high fees" associated with other investment brokerages, you can attain guaranteed wealth. What these "high fees" are is never explained, the closest Questrade ever gets to explaining them is an apparent 2% fee applied to most of their competitors' mutual funds. One ad features a professor telling his class about "compound interest" and saying that by not paying the 2% fee, you can earn over $400,000 more over the lifetime of the investment.

Now, I admit, I'm not the most investment literate guy on the planet, but these ads send off the "B.S." meter about 100 times. There might actually be some truth in that not paying "high fees" would lead to a greater return on investment, as, after all, you'll get to keep more of that investment for yourself. However, there's no guarantee that, without the fee, you will get a great return on the investment.

I mean, it's not rocket science for me to explain that investments are volatile. It's like gambling, in a way, as investors essentially bet on stocks and the return on investment is based on those stocks' performances, which are not guaranteed. Yes, there are tricks of the trade that can make investments more of a "sure thing", but it's always an inexact science.

So Questrade, essentially, guaranteeing that you will earn more with them with their "lower fees" is a flat out lie. You might- especially if you know what you're doing- but it's also no guarantee.

If it sounds fishy, Questrade likely realized it because part of this ad series has people explaining that, within the Questrade app, are the advice of "top analysts". Which, of course, sounds great at first glance- but who these "top analysts" are is never explained.

For all I know, it could be Jim Cramer...or it could be someone's dog.

Overall, the ads give off incredibly "scammy" vibes. I have been, unfortunately, a victim of one of those scams so I have some experience with how they work. The main trick a scammer uses are promises of big fortune and great results with grand statements and lots of emphasis on how much you'll gain with the scam all while being light on the actual details. That's because the scammer knows that the actual details aren't as rosy as the presentation of them are, and that if you did know the details, you likely wouldn't go through with the scam.

Now, I'm not suggesting that Questrade is, itself, a scam. They have been around since 1999, they've survived three economic bust periods (the dot-com bust, the 2008 economic crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic) and they likely couldn't get away with airing this ad campaign for four years if there wasn't the slightest bit of truth about them.

However, even if Questrade has a large barrage of happy customers, it still doesn't excuse them from overpromising to a large group of people. By having a series of ads guaranteeing great wealth, you are setting up a good proportion of people for failure, and they will not be happy about it. It would not surprise me if there's a Questrade lawsuit at some point down the road.

That's not the worst part of what Questrade has done. More recently, Questrade has come out with a series of ads which are actual, verifiable lies, ones that you don't need financial literacy to understand. The Government of Canada has come out with a new tax-free savings account with the intent of helping people save up for a home. Of course, this TFSA has a limit of $40,000, and I don't know of a single home anywhere in this country that will cost me $40,000. $40K also isn't even enough for a down payment, at least in places like Toronto and Vancouver, where the average house price is north of $1 million.

...but there's Questrade, boldly declaring that if you sign up for their TFSA, you will be able to afford a home. One of their actors even outright says so,  declaring to the camera "because it's not a matter of 'if' we can afford a home but how soon."

Buddy, you're not buying a house with $40K. Stop kidding yourself.

Which leads me to the worst part about these Questrade ads- who they are targeting.

Questrade decided its target audience were young adults and millennials like me, people who have, historically, struggled financially. Now, we can debate forever about why those generations are struggling and what the solutions ought to be, but if there's one thing I know for sure, there are no "magic tricks" that are going to allow the struggling generation to fix their problems.

Thus, there's nothing sicker and more disgusting in my mind that there's a company that has the audacity to claim that they're some "financial superhero" that's going to solve all of my problems and the problems of people like me.

Stop trying to fool me, Questrade. It won't work.

That's not the worst part about that line of targeting. The worst part is that people who are struggling are vulnerable, and they're more prone to scammy tricks than those who are better off. I would hazard a guess that many millennials and young adults struggling to make ends meet don't have the financial literacy to know the difference between a bad deal and a good deal, so the chance that they'll get hoodwinked by Questrade's vague promises of massive wealth with "lower fees" is quite high.

...and quite maddening, because I'm sure the company's marketing department knows this.

There's nothing more upsetting for me than someone who decides to willfully take advantage of someone else, especially someone who is vulnerable. It's bad enough to have an ad with questionable metrics that has the potential to mislead- it's even worse to target said ad to people who might not be able to catch those misleadings and who need to be misled the least.

Hopefully I am wrong and the ads are just poor presentation, with the many customers satisfied with what they have. It still doesn't clean the bad taste out of my mouth this ad leaves, and it doesn't make me feel any better when I fear what the actual reality of this ad could be.

[littlebennysmom]

Let's talk about something we can all agree on -- Tovala's commercial with vocal fry girl "something else has entered the chat" and "yah, it's a vibe" is rage inducing in so many ways.  Discuss.

[TattleTeeny]

They could still wipe the insides as part of a BASIC cleaning. No more, I can't.

 

Edited July 15 by TattleTeeny

[mmecorday]

Quote

The Wendy's Nuggs ad that has started permeating the air waves is dreadful.

Let's not talk that way folks.

And it seems that the crew members have been dismissed. I liked them!

[janie jones]

There's a commercial (for maybe an internet service provider?) in which a lady decides not to make her bed, and then starts goofing off around her house.

Someone bursts in the door like Kramer and they start playing basketball. That part weirds me out because if you open a door and immediately a basketball is thrown at you, you'd be taken aback, you wouldn't instantly start dribbling it.

But what annoys me about this commercial is the end, when it looks like they're watching sports, the lady gets up and starts jumping on her couch like Tom Cruise.

Also, I'm taking some window cleaning comments to Small Talk.

Edited July 15 by janie jones

[CrystalBlue]

On 7/12/2024 at 1:08 PM, proserpina65 said:

Just say nuggets damn it!  It's one extra syllable, people.

Is this like the idiots who started calling appetizers "apps"?

[Prevailing Wind]

4 minutes ago, CrystalBlue said:

Is this like the idiots who started calling appetizers "apps"?

They've been "apps" long before programs were called that. There's a craftbrew/restaurant near me: "Melton's App & Tap."  Been there for decades.

[CrystalBlue]

13 hours ago, TattleTeeny said:

They could still wipe the insides as part of a BASIC cleaning. No more, I can't.

 

The horse is dead.  Stop beating it.

ETA:  Thank you, janie jones, for taking window washing to Small Talk.

Edited July 16 by CrystalBlue

[CrystalBlue]

20 minutes ago, Prevailing Wind said:

They've been "apps" long before programs were called that. There's a craftbrew/restaurant near me: "Melton's App & Tap."  Been there for decades.

I'm unfamiliar with that restaurant as I don't live wherever you live.  I've never heard appetizers being called apps until the software application programs came to be and then it was on TV commercials all of a sudden.

[Palimelon]

Quote

They've been "apps" long before programs were called that.

Yeah. maybe not as widespread a phrase as it is now, but I heard it used by other people as well long before apps was used for programs.

[Gharlane]

On 7/11/2024 at 6:57 PM, meep.meep said:

The Wendy's Nuggs ad that has started permeating the air waves is dreadful.

You know what's funny? KFC released the same thing at the same time as Wendy's.

[TattleTeeny]

21 hours ago, CrystalBlue said:

The horse is dead.  Stop beating it.

ETA:  Thank you, janie jones, for taking window washing to Small Talk.

Yeah, wasn’t me doing the beating, but OK. 

Edited July 17 by TattleTeeny

[annzeepark914]

On 7/7/2024 at 6:58 PM, Browncoat said:

The Honda commercial that talks about hiking the "appellation" trail is driving me nuts.  "Appalachian" does not sound like "appellation."

To me it does. I never heard it pronounced "Appalatchin" until I moved to Raleigh. It just depends on where you're from. I'm not sure where the dividing line is, though ☺️.

[SoMuchTV]

On 7/7/2024 at 6:58 PM, Browncoat said:

The Honda commercial that talks about hiking the "appellation" trail is driving me nuts.  "Appalachian" does not sound like "appellation."

 

On 7/9/2024 at 2:55 PM, janie jones said:

I'm from the West Coast and say neither of these. I say Appalay-chin. 🤷‍♀️

 

On 7/9/2024 at 3:18 PM, Ohiopirate02 said:

You are using the "lay" pronunciation there. I honestly believe that is the "correct" way to pronounce the region outside of those living in Southern Appalachia. I have spent enough of my life in regions that pronounce the word differently, so I selectively use both. I really only use the "latch" pronunciation when talking about Appalachian State University because those graduates will call you out on it or just shorten the name to App State. 

 

14 minutes ago, annzeepark914 said:

To me it does. I never heard it pronounced "Appalatchin" until I moved to Raleigh. It just depends on where you're from. I'm not sure where the dividing line is, though ☺️.

It kind of seems like people who don’t live there are telling people who live there that they’re saying it wrong. But I’m just trying to stay out of the window washing debate so maybe I’m overthinking this. 
 

hey, Nevada Nevada, right?

Edited July 17 by SoMuchTV

[dleighg]

7 hours ago, SoMuchTV said:

It kind of seems like people who don’t live there are telling people who live there that they’re saying it wrong

just to note that the Appalachian mountains go all the way up to Maine, so lots of different people live "there." 

Sure "Appalachia" is a specific region.

[TattleTeeny]

Well, it wasn't a debate so much as people writing passionate answers to questions that weren't posed. But never mind that...

I saw some commercial for some kind of wrap-type of sandwich thing (I don't remember what place -- maybe Subway?). While the actress eating the food is not being messy or gross or anything, the closeups of her mouth taking bites and chewing is...bleh, ugh. I can't even recall if they ever show us what's in the thing, just this mouth taking an annoyingly precise bite and then chewing in a way that seems kind exaggerated. Ugh, too much mouth!

Edited July 17 by TattleTeeny

[annzeepark914]

3 hours ago, TattleTeeny said:

I saw some commercial for some kind of wrap-type of sandwich thing (I don't remember what place -- maybe Subway?). While the actress eating the food is not being messy or gross or anything, the closeups of her mouth taking bites and chewing is...bleh, ugh. I can't even recall if they ever show us what's in the thing, just this mouth taking a annoyingly precise bite and then chewing in a way that seems kind exaggerated. Ugh, too much mouth!

These way too close-ups of food entering mouths have gotten worse every year, it seems. Did Guy Fieri start it all? He's been shoving huge bites of various foods into his mouth on his show forever. 

[meep.meep]

On 7/15/2024 at 8:45 PM, CrystalBlue said:

I'm unfamiliar with that restaurant as I don't live wherever you live.  I've never heard appetizers being called apps until the software application programs came to be and then it was on TV commercials all of a sudden.

In the Parks & Rec episode Soulmates, Tom Haverford talks about what he calls his food - he starts the list with Apps & Zerts.  It aired in 2011.  

[proserpina65]

On 7/13/2024 at 8:05 AM, chessiegal said:

You don't have to be watching Amazon Prime to see it often. I see it multiple times a day on all the channels I watch. Which prompts me to think, hmmm, I need to see if they have any good deals I'd be interested in. So, the ad has the intended effect on me.

All I think is "I don't want anyone with those nails making my food.".

On 7/13/2024 at 2:36 PM, Yeah No said:

Speaking of Windows, I happened to leave the TV on after the news today and on came an infomercial for "Renewal by Andersen".

I couldn't believe my eyes so I had to take a still picture of this screen:

You can't make this shit up!  I'm seeing this more and more these days. How many idiots have to miss this before it gets on the screen?

I believe they meant to include that screen as part of the commercial.

[SoMuchTV]

1 minute ago, proserpina65 said:

I believe they meant to include that screen as part of the commercial.

So they can attract more "cutomers"? 😉

[TattleTeeny]

I remember places using the term "apps" -- and worse, "appies"! -- in the '90s. I feel like it was Chili's but it could have been Bennigan's or Friday's or some other run-of-the-mill chain. 

I can't tell if the chewing lady is doing it in slo-mo (or rather, if the footage of her chewing normally is in slo-mo) or if she's just being extra dramatic for whatever reason. Sort of like when "bad" characters on TV chew gum very aggressively!

Edited July 17 by TattleTeeny

[proserpina65]

6 minutes ago, SoMuchTV said:

So they can attract more "cutomers"? 😉

OMG, I completely missed the misspelling!  Maybe I should work for Andersen's ad agency. 😲

[Baltimore Betty]

1 hour ago, meep.meep said:

In the Parks & Rec episode Soulmates, Tom Haverford talks about what he calls his food - he starts the list with Apps & Zerts.  It aired in 2011.  

I learn a lot from TV, for instance I had never heard anyone call pizza, "za," before I heard it on The Office and personally I think it sounds incredibly stupid.

[TattleTeeny]

I've also never heard a real person use "za" in a non-mocking way. I assume Michael Scott (that's who said it on The Office, I think? I should really know this for sure) thought it was cool to do, but we are definitely not supposed to, haha! I have a definite image in my head of its origin, but it's pure speculation -- a Nickelodeon-channel type character with oversized bright-colored clothes, maybe a sideways hat, and probably a skateboard.

[Yeah No]

3 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

OMG, I completely missed the misspelling!  Maybe I should work for Andersen's ad agency. 😲

That's OK, I had to edit my post because I mistakenly spelled it "Anderson" and not "Andersen", LOL. 😉

[Browncoat]

2 hours ago, Baltimore Betty said:

I had never heard anyone call pizza, "za," before I heard it on The Office

We used to say it when I was in college in the early 80s as a way to mock Valley Girls who supposedly said it non-ironically.  That along with 'rents or parental units, waitron, gag me with a spoon, and "Like, ohmygod!" were go-to words and phrases for a lot of people.  I blame MTV.

[Winston Wolfe]

On 6/15/2024 at 8:49 AM, Baltimore Betty said:

On 6/14/2024 at 10:54 PM, voiceover said:

I would love for Jason Kelce to start running counterpoint ads (#IYKYK)…his latest rant is his confession he only washes his “hot zones” and anyone else who says different is in thrall to Big Soap 🤣 

I cannot remember which celebrity couple it is but wealthy enough to afford hot water but do not believe in bathing their children very often...I guess they wait till someone tells them their kids stink?

I believe that was Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard. I used to think she was so cute.

[Dirtybubble]

If I have to hear Aquaman and the 2 guys from Scrubs sing about T-Mobile home internet one more time I'm going to scream!

[Blergh]

On 7/17/2024 at 1:57 PM, Baltimore Betty said:

I learn a lot from TV, for instance I had never heard anyone call pizza, "za," before I heard it on The Office and personally I think it sounds incredibly stupid.

Taking it to small talk. . .

[tres bien]

Dear Dr Lume,

Sometimes when I'm at the gym working out there's a smelly man next to me.

What should I do?

Thank you 

[dleighg]

offer to spread some Lume on his butt cheeks?

[lh25]

On 7/10/2024 at 1:42 PM, dleighg said:

Not really an "annoying" just an observation. We've discussed the horrible jingle for Jardiance many, many times. So this ad really surprised me (for a similar drug). I live near NYC so am used to getting ads for Broadway musicals, and to my ear, this jingle sounds like a song from a not-terrible Broadway show LOL.

 

Funny, I came here to post about this one.  The song is all about accepting yourself as you are.  Seems to conflict with a message about losing weight.

[AgathaC]

The Verizon commercial with a parade of people accidentally destroying their phones. I can’t pinpoint exactly why it irritates me, but it does.

[Blergh]

14 hours ago, dleighg said:

offer to spread some Lume on his butt cheeks?

Wouldn't it be less dicey to use a clothes pin on one's nose?

And does anyone watching truly get the 'she smells as fresh as a daisy' vibe from that shill?

[KWalkerInc]

MLB Extra Innings shows the same commercials over and over on every game (instead of letting us see the ads from each region they way it once did).  One of them is for a soft drink line called Poppi.  It starts with the voiceover saying that it will make you stop thinking of "soda" as a dirty word.  (I hadn't.)  Then some other woman screams "SODA!" at the top of her lungs, and the voiceover goes on to say the word "soda" so many times in a 30-second ad that I now may never want to hear the word again.  So congratulations to them on achieving exactly the opposite of the goal they stated at the start of the ad. 

[dleighg]

my husband loves that Poppi stuff. I should never have bought it for him because it's expensive LOL.

[Ancaster]

I don't know if I should post here or in the grammar thread - it annoys me because it's grammatically incorrect.

Some weight loss pill or system is apparently for: "People who suffer from obesity or overweight."

You don't "suffer from overweight", you are overweight. 

Edited July 21 by Ancaster

[marceline]

On 7/20/2024 at 5:35 AM, dleighg said:

my husband loves that Poppi stuff. I should never have bought it for him because it's expensive LOL.

I picked up a couple of cans and even the cashier stopped and said "I think this price is wrong." It's funny because the commercial says we'll stop thinking of soda as a dirty word. But I'm in Ohio where we call "soda" pop so I never think of soda at all and the fact they called it "Poppi" made me feel seen. 😁

[Palimelon]

Quote

But I'm in Ohio where we call "soda" pop

The do that in neighboring Illinois as well. Wonder where else they do that too.

[Gharlane]

On 7/19/2024 at 5:36 PM, AgathaC said:

The Verizon commercial with a parade of people accidentally destroying their phones. I can’t pinpoint exactly why it irritates me, but it does.

I think it's because the scenes are way too contrived and the people overact to their phones being damaged by their own stupidity.

 

[Ghost of TWOP Past]

As the one billionth Burger-King-with-guy-who-can't-sing came on, I dropped my remote in the haste of my blazing hatred and could not click away before hearing part of the lyrics. "Eat like a king who's on a budget." If you're on a budget, idiot, you are not eating like a king. 

SO. 
MUCH.
HATE. 

[Crashcourse]

8 hours ago, Palimelon said:

The do that in neighboring Illinois as well. Wonder where else they do that too.

I don't know about the rest of Pennsylvania, but I grew up near Pittsburgh and we called it pop.  

[chessiegal]

20 minutes ago, Crashcourse said:

I don't know about the rest of Pennsylvania, but I grew up near Pittsburgh and we called it pop.  

I grew up near Philadelphia and we called it soda. I know my cousins in Ohio called it pop.

So how expensive is Poppi? The only soft drink I buy is zero sugar Canada Dry ginger ale. I do see Poppi on sale occasionally.

[dleighg]

1 hour ago, chessiegal said:

So how expensive is Poppi?

around me (NYC suburbs) about $2 to $2.50 a can. Yeah, expensive.

[Crashcourse]

1 hour ago, chessiegal said:

I grew up near Philadelphia and we called it soda. I know my cousins in Ohio called it pop.

Yeah, we thought of Philly as being in another state. 😆

[HyeChaps]

I find it very amusing when that crappy BK commercial comes on when I'm watching the high end restaurant on The Bear.

 

Edited July 21 by HyeChaps
Typo

[Madding crowd]

14 hours ago, Palimelon said:

The do that in neighboring Illinois as well. Wonder where else they do that too.

I live in Illinois and have never heard anything but soda. I’m also originally from Wisconsin and we call it soda too- I don’t know where these pop people are cause I never met one.