If I see one more of those "Obey" ads, I'm going to punch the Internet

[Pyper]

Right in the face.

"1 Rule to a Flat Stomach: Obey." "I got rid of my wrinkles by following this one rule: Obey." "I lost one million pounds of belly fat by following this one golden rule."

I don't know what it is about these ads- The transparently false blog aspect, the claim that following "one old rule" will cure everything from fat to wrinkles, the repetitive language from ad to ad- all I know is that they make my really, REALLY angry. Like, Hulk Smash angry. I don't think I've ever felt this furious about an ad campaign before.

Anyone else?

[Todderbob]

I don't think I've seen an ad on the internet in two years.

[Der Trihs]

I seldom see ads any more; even when I can't avoid them I avert my eyes. But I have to say that just the description gives me a very "They Live" vibe.

[Claire Beauchamp]

Solution = Firefox + Ad Block Plus

[Pyper]

I try to avert my eyes, but my gaze is inexorably drawn to the black hole of stupidity.

I'm definitely checking out Ad Block Plus.

But, really? Nobody else sees these ads? Everybody else is light-years beyond me in ad-blocking technology?

[kittenblue]

No, I see them...and they are annoying.

[tr0psn4j]

Yep between Ad Block Plus and No Script I hardly see any adds.

[Renee]

Yeah, ad block. Haven't seen an internet ad in years.

[Electric Warrior]

Adblock Plus is great, but what I really wanted to say was I thought you were going to talk about the OBEY GIANT graffiti! (Which I love.)

[GameHat]

OBEY

[LSLGuy]

Never seen one, don't intend to.

What is this "internet advertising" of which you speak?

[TheFaerie]

Originally Posted by Claire Beauchamp

Solution = Firefox + Ad Block Plus

I already use Firefox and I just installed Ad Block. Wow! That is awesome! No more moving, flashy-flashy, annoying ads!

Thank you.

[Todderbob]

Originally Posted by TheFaerie

I already use Firefox and I just installed Ad Block. Wow! That is awesome! No more moving, flashy-flashy, annoying ads!

Thank you.

Next, get NoScript, and you have to manually enable/allow individual scripts (on a 1-time or permanent basis).

[Cisco]

I don't know if the technology has improved but I tried an ad blocker a few years ago and the big blank spots everywhere were more displeasing to the eyes than the ads were. My eyes are (mostly) conditioned not to see ads, but a blank spot really jumps out at me.

But yeah, I've seen the "obey" ads. They are everywhere. They are .

[Spectre of Pithecanthropus]

Originally Posted by Electric Warrior

Adblock Plus is great, but what I really wanted to say was I thought you were going to talk about the OBEY GIANT graffiti! (Which I love.)

Do you mean the ones that look vaguely like early Soviet-era propaganda posters? I've always wondered who puts those up and why.

[Renee]

Originally Posted by GameHat

OBEY

I don't get it. What are they trying to sell?

[elfkin477]

:: plantive wail :: but what IS the one rule to getting a flat stomach? I've never been able to find a cite that will give you the "answer" without making you sign up for something. I just want to know how absurd the rule is. sniff.

[Cisco]

Originally Posted by elfkin477

what IS the one rule to getting a flat stomach?

Burn more calories than you take in.

[FlyingRat]

It's not an Internet ad, but I almost had a nose-coffee moment when I came across this piece of Watchmen movie memorabilia the other day . It's clearly a takeoff on the OBEY ads.

I would never buy the thing, as it's butt-ugly (and makes the ordinarily delicious Matthew Goode look hideous), but I think it's slyly and hilariously (in)appropriate given the context of the story. "Ozymandias: A Name You Can Trust!"

SPOILER:

To drop a Giant Mind-Raping Vagina Squid on you.

[corkboard]

I see the ads. On my work computer I can't install things like Ad Block Plus, and what not. I'd say that on an annoyance scale, they're about a 2.5 out of 10.

[Cisco]

Originally Posted by FlyingRat

It's not an Internet ad, but I almost had a nose-coffee moment when I came across this piece of Watchmen movie memorabilia the other day . It's clearly a takeoff on the OBEY ads.

Huh? How so?

[Marley23]

Originally Posted by Spectre of Pithecanthropus

Do you mean the ones that look vaguely like early Soviet-era propaganda posters? I've always wondered who puts those up and why.

I don't know who puts them up, but they were created by Sheppard Fairey, who did the famous Obama Hope poster.