Everytime I see this, I keep thinking they should be playing In the Air Tonight in the background.

There's an ad for birth control or something where various women and girls twirl around to the La's "There She Goes" - then we hear over the happy lilting strains "may cause diarrhea, rash, brain tumor, etc." and it kind of dims the mood a little.

etain

I shoulda looked harder, etain. Indeed they are.

MyKaleidoscope

According to the link (it's noisy, so watch out) MyKaleidoscope kindly provided, there is a name for my pain: Spongemonkey. Those scary lil things are called Spongemonkeys.

Vermicious Knid: BWAH!

They sure look like some some goddamned spongemonkeys. Wait, maybe that's unfair to monkeys. And sponges.

I knew smoking was deadly when I was 14, but I wanted to try it anyway. Telling me again that it would give me cancer, turn my teeth yellow (instantly, apparently!) and nobody would want to kiss me didn't convince me. My dad STILL bursts into the occasional "and that's why smoking is eeeevil!" rant.

It was the issue of having no spending money that really decided the issue for me.

That's exactly what it is--I work for Philip Morris and that's what Truth is aiming for.

So the ironic thing is, Truth is funded by monies from the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement, which is paid by most of the cigarette companies. So we're effectively funding it--but they're not supposed to use the money to target any particular company.

They (Truth) have gotten in trouble in the past for targeting us, for that ad that took place outside "big tobacco's headquarters in NYC"--where PM's headquarters were at the time. And I think this one might be an issue too--we're the only company who has put out the type of "cigarettes are bad, etc" commercials on TV that they're making fun of, and on the website shardsoglass.com, the "president" of their company is Ronald Richmond, and PM's headquarters are now in Richmond. Kind of interesting knowing the backstory.

I just loved it that PM's "1 in 5 kids" ad got higher ratings than the "shards o glass" ad. Take that Truth!

I fucking hate those fucking Truth ads! I want to strangle every fucking one of those smug little shits. And I'm not even a smoker!

That is all.

It's ALWAYS bothered me that they show the "Big Tobacco Company" in NYC. ALL of the Big 5 are based in Richmond, not just PM, but do you think any of the Truth people would even bother filming a commercial there? Probably not, because they would get their asses kicked as soon as they bust out with the orange flyers. Forget the companies, the entire city of Richmond started smoking when they were 15! The Truth ads are just annoying!

Count me as another ex-smoker who hates the Truth ads. I understand the message and the value of said message...I just can't stomach the ads for some reason. They rub me the wrong way. I think it's because they tend to feature a bunch of teens who are smug and snide in all the wrong ways. I knew what I was doing when I smoked. I didn't need a bunch of sarcastic angels trying to save me from myself. Fuck 'em. Those commercials make me want to go buy a pack of unfiltered Lucky Strikes and inhale 'em all out of spite.

I know this is a local Tulsa area ad, but I've got to get it off my chest.

[rant]
Mathis Brothers, Go Away, or at least Get Off My TV

While you are doing that, younger one, take both your dog and child with you. Or at least choose one or the other to hold during your ads, along with your goofy smile. Your smile causes young children to run away in fear, and makes strong men quail in their boots.

[/rant]

Edited because man and men are not the same word.

I've never smoked a cigarette in my life, but those Truth ads are making me want to start.

Because when they get older and are on Medicare, and all those health problems from smoking catch up to them, WE are the ones paying for their care. Not very fair, IMO. Personally, I like the Truth ads.

Sort of like the fact that people in their 20s and 30s are paying for the obesity of their forefathers? Every generation's got their own diseases...and the generation after them has to pay for it. Anyhow-- I'll stop before I get on my soapbox about all that money I give in Soc Sec taxes that I'll never see when I'm 65. But what-ev

As a smoker- I actually love the Truth ads. I like what they're trying to do, but I think they're horribly misguided. I want to see the focus groups that they're getting this out of. And I'm with all of you- I'd love to have seen those 1 in 5 kids smoking.

There's a difference between popularity and effectiveness, though. The Truth kids may be unpleasent, but I think they make their point better. And some of these other ads are so uncool ("Smoking is Whack if you're a teen", just to beat my dead horse), they just increase the perception that smoking=cool.

My favorite anti-smoking ad though, was one I thought got to the heart of the matter. Daughter's going out, Dad quizzes her on who's going to be there, etc. Dad mentions no drugs or smoking, Daughter rolls her eyes and says, "yeah, I know." Later we see her friend offer her a smoke, and she says, "No thanks". And her friend says, "all right", and doesn't mock her or reject her.

Anyway, that was always my experience when I was that age. The smokers didn't stop hanging with you if you said you didn't want to smoke. And I think that's something that everyone overlooks.

Just caught the Pepsi RIAA ad again. Annoyance #403: no, kid, you weren't prosecuted. You were sued. Pretty important distinction there.

Somebody needs to tell Cadillac that, because the 18-35 demographic they fired the guy over the Celine Dion ads for. Still not listening.

Those commercial were the most unforgettable I have ever seen.

mlooney, are you old enough to remember Linda Soundtrak? Worst. Local. Ad. EVER. Anywhere. In history. A small, loud woman literally shouting for the entire duration.

And then there are the Beeline Furniture ads. Ugh, why did I have to go and remember those.

I'm so sad nobody loves the Spongemonkeys.

I was loving it too...I liked the cute arrangement of "when Irish eyes are smiling" playing in the background, and the decorations were cute. But then the screen comes up that says "Treat St. Patricks Day like a Real Holiday." It's kind of offensive to imply that a holiday isn't "real" unless there are presents.

Actually, the other animal crackers are jealous of the monkey because it's the only cracker wearing clothing. And the monkey cracker, meanwhile, gets all superiour on them because he has pants on. So he sits in the box saying to them -- in a French accent -- "Ha! I mock you with my monkey pants!"

Or however that line from BUFFY goes.

Topic. Uh. Oh, saw a couple ads for a tax prep company, featuring "number [blank] of the top 50 most overlooked tax deductions"; I've seen two; one of them featured a woman luring her "cat" into the house, calling "here kitty," then cooing over a skunk wandering up to the house. The screen cut to "most overlooked deduction #3 - eyeglasses and other vision treatment."

Taxes and comedy. Heh.

HA, HA, HA! LMAO. They STILL play those commercials? That's too funny. Guess those ugly mofos are growing up.

In Tulsa, do they still run the misogynist furniture commercial with the old bastard in the furniture store sitting around doing nothing while proclaiming loudly, "I'm the boss and the TV star!" as his wife does all the work?

For years I thought he was saying he was the Boston TV star. Can't remember the name of the store.

Well, they would only be cannabalistic if they ate other children. But yeah, I hate the ad too.

I didn't see most of the ads during the Super Bowl, so I'm just catching up on some of them now. I hate the Quizno's critters. And what happened to Miss Piggy's voice?

Those Quizno's critters gave me nightmares. No, I'm serious. I saw them yesterday, and had a strange dream last night, and those strange creatures were in them. It was rather frightening. Not screaming-nightmare frightening, but still odd, and not in the natural order of things.

Or maybe I'm just a weirdo.

Ford commercials in Texas bug me. Yes, we all know that everyone in Texas drives a damned pickup truck and listens to country music. Yes, yes we do. Which is precisely why I rarely listen to country music and drive a '98 Plymouth Neon. Right.

Re: the Quiznos ad: Senor Wences.

Not that I have noticed.

We still have the "4 Day Furniture" guy with the weird helicopter spining arm.



Ah, yeah, I'm old enough. I still think the younger Mathis brother is just plain creepy.

I think what they are actually trying to say is drink REAL Irish beer on St. Patrick's day...not watered down pee miller light beer with green food coloring in it. Yeah...St. Patrick's Day is totally amateur. I HATE St. Patrick's Day. It's an insult to Irish culture. </rant>

edited because spelling counts!

I've never been on the Jessica Simpson love train, but Ive never had out and out hatred for her- oh wait, did she do that song where she just sang over the hook of "Jack and Diane"? Yeah, scratch that, I do have active hate for her. But in that new Muppet Pizza Hut commercial she looks all kinds of scary, and it makes me sad for the Muppets to be associated with it.

And that one Super Bowl commercial with the ref getting yelled at by his wife (that's how be builds up his tolerance, ha-ha!) seriously irked me.

I LOOOOVE the car commercial (don't ask me which one it is) with the "SUV"s that are actually giant bulldozers and steamrollers and the like. Hee!

I totally feel like that every time I wait in the pickup line at my son's private school, where 98% of the parents are riiiich. (We're on scholarship) Here I am in my wee little beat-up Saturn, and in front of me and in back of me for blocks are nothing but Hummers and Cadillac Escalades (Which I secretly covet. Shut up.) and other freakishly ginormous SUVs. I can't see shit around them. I feel like my car is this little, trembling Chihuahua, surrounded by Bernese Mountain Dogs, or Great Danes, or Irish Wolfhounds, or something.

Of course, that ad is, ironically, for an SUV! (albeit a "smaller" one) While I love the concept of the commercial (because I soooo identify), I think it would've been more effective as an ad for a car car.

The rathergood Quiznos mutant guinea pigs of doom crack me up for about 4 1/2 seconds, and then I want them to vanish instantly. Sort of like other people's children. Seriously, whose teeth did their creator use for their teeth? Are they upside down or something? Why do they look so... wrong?

MyKaleidoscope, I showed my kids that website and they loved the Spongemonkeys. In fact, they played it again so many times this morning that I now have that song stuck in my head.

We love tha mooooon...

I guess I've got a somewhat different sense of humor, because those Quizno's things don't make me laugh. Even on the web. They freak me the hell out.

ITA, steering fish. I am particularly hating the most recent one, where that very earnest doctor with the sad, sad expression mourns that the evil, evil Big Tobacco companies have found a way keep coroners from putting "tobacco" as a cause of death on death certificates.

Yeah, ya know why, Einstein? Because causes of death are things like cancer, emphysema, heart disease--all things that can be, but not always are caused by smoking tobacco. Very few people actually die "of tobacco"--and the ones that do were either trapped under a fallen pile of it drying in the barn or beaten to death with it by a mad spouse.

The next thing you know, Big Fast Food is going object to putting "hamburgers" as a cause of death. And maybe Big Alcohol will chime in with prohibiting "tequila" as a cause.

Marry me.

The creator of the spongemonkeys is British. 'Nuff said.

I love those little critters too. Senor Wences indeed. I finally caught the commercial last night, and I thought they were cute. Go figure.

The Snuggle bear sends me screaming from the room. That song starts playing, and I'm outta there, because changing the channel would involve looking at the TV and perhaps seeing that creature.

The Snuggle bear used to be cute! What the hell did they do to him? It's like what they did to Greg the Bunny halfway through the season. I couldn't put my finger on it, but he suddenly wasn't as cute anymore.

I'm a little sad that I have yet to see my favorite tax-related ad, which is a man getting progessively more frustrated as he tries to do his family's taxes. At the end, they show the mom and daughter sitting on the couch reading, and the man pops in from another room and screams "Daddy needs quiet!!!!"


I actually detest this commercial for the same reasons you like it. Oh, so your company's SUV isn't as monstrous as the other ones? Big fucking deal. That commercial just shows me that this SUV is the auto equivalent of a bully's toady.

I saw this mentioned earlier, but I'm wondering if they are still playing the ad with Derek Jeter, and Josh Beckett (of the Marlins) discussing the Super Bowl ads. What I thought was so bizarre was that after discussing them, they went back to playing wiffle ball inside, and Josh gave Derek a choice: "Do you want Game 3 or Game 6?" and Jeter chooses Game 6 -- the one the Yankees lost and Beckett dominated. I'm so confused.

Hey mlooney, is this spinning-arm guy a portly older fellow who has bulging eyes and who looks like he might be Rodney Dangerfield's untalented stepbrother? I think I've seen that same guy hawking furniture in Dallas; and when I moved to San Antonio, well, there he was hawking satellite TV service, his arm still twirling away crazily. Haven't seen him recently, but I was at one time seriously afraid that there was no escaping that loose-limbed bastard. It is nice to know that he's found his niche, though. [/insert fat joke here]


dzdzsty I think that Jeter just wanted a rematch to see if the outcome would be any different. Either that or he's a dyed-in-the-wool masochist, which is entirely possible given that his boss continues to be George Steinbrenner.

OK, topic: Regarding those Quizno's spongemonkey things, I'm puzzled as to what the Quizno's folks were thinking. You'd think that after the raised-by-wolves commercial campaign (which seemed to be aimed at the wolf teat fetishist crowd), Quizno's would try to mount a surefire campaign to entice folks to try their sandwiches rather than to make viewers sustain hand and wrist injuries from trying to change the channel too quickly. Instead, with the spongemonkeys, Quizno's seems to have succeeded in alternately confusing and horrifying most of the viewing audience; and while the commercials do amuse some people, the spongemonkeys apparently aren't making anybody particularly hungry.

It all kind of makes me miss the good ol' suckled-by-wolves commercial. No, wait . . . no it doesn't. Whew.

In the McDonalds ad with the mom driving with the two little kids in the back seat, I don't understand why the mom is so frickin' giddy about going to McDonalds? Does anyone understand this ad? She's clapping her hands and jumping in her seat, whilst both kids look at her like she's on crack. Is she really that jacked about getting a salad in a plastic cup?

Hey. I thought those Quiznos wolf commercials were damned funny.

Seriously (monkey).

I suppose the next Quiznos commercial will be 'Raised By Wolves Guy' suckling a spongemonkey.

I love the spongemonkeys! But only because they damn commercials make me jump around singing "We love tha mooooooon! Almost as much as cheese!" At least it ain't the wolves guy. Honestly, it takes a lot to squick me out but damned if that didn't to it poste haste.

I still heart the Jack in the Box commercials, now with Jack riding the bus.. even if just for him tooling around on the Kawasaki with a gigantic Jack-head sized helment on.

ETA that the Snuggle bear, while always vaguely a boy, has never before been so... well, leeringly masculine. And it creeps me out. Next thing you know the Pillsbury Doughboy will be lecherously gazing at Jessica Simpson eating a biscuit.

Oh, jeez. Where's the brain bleach?

You forgot about the part that never fails to make me laugh. The doomed cookie pops up from the edge of the screen and yells "Yummmm-E!" and wiggles his eyebrows (with this eyebrow tinkle noise). Hee.


Is it thier job to know?


I attribute that more to peer pressure and that youthful "That won't happen to me!" attitude.


Someone slipped the competitor's brand of fabric softener in the wash the last time he was being cleaned?

The Snuggle bear has never been cute. It always makes me think of those dorky/scary "ventriloquist-dummy comes to life and kills people" movies. It's soulless eyes clutch at my soul and try to drag me into hell every time it pops on the screen.

WORD!

Hee! I actually bought a set of pajamas with monkeys all over the pants, just so I could wear them and dance around in front of my family while telling them "I mock you with my monkey pants!"

That would be awesome. Apallingly weird guy is asked, "Were you raised by wolves?" and we get a shot of weirdo suckling a spongemonkey.

. Exactly. He needs to go back to hell and take Teddy Ruxpin with him.

That would be the one.

You mean to tell me he's NOT the owner or manger of the store but is a hired "talent"?

That's just scary.

You know what commercial bothers me lately?

The Verizon commercial where the guy is watching the game and painting the house at the same time. He looks at the TV for when a big play happens, and ends up hitting his mom squaw in the face with the paintbrush, giving her a nice white stripe. He then gets on a phone and says to his Wife/Girlfriend "I think Mom loves the new paint job".

The problem? The Mom looks to be in her mid 40's (if it's not a nice BoTox injection), and the Son looks to be in his mid 30's-early 40's. What, was she pregnant at age 10 or something?

I just saw this commercial last night. Thank you for clearing up who the goateed pitcher is. I had no idea who it was since they only show him a couple of times. And apparently Alex Rodriguez is in there, too. With highlights? Anyway, why does Derek Jeter get four times the amount of face time in this commercial compared to the other guys? I'm assuming the pitcher is good (I don't follow individual players very closely) and A-Rod is good.

Hate for the Snuggle bear, no! I will always love the Snuggle bear. He used to be one of my invisible friends when I was little.