# Ads you don't understand... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 4, 2001, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ads-you-dont-understand/85437 "2001-10-04T20:20:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2001, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ads-you-dont-understand/85437/1 "2001-10-04T20:20:08Z")
While driving home the other day, I saw a billboard for WB’s new TV show **Smallville.** Being well-versed in comic-book lore, I know this is a reference to Superman’s hometown, so presumably the show is some sort of “early days of Suparman” deal. However, what I don’t understand is how the rest of the billboard sells that idea. For those who haven’t seen it, the image consists of a cornfield, and at the right-hand side of the image is a bare-chested young man (Clark Kent, I’ll wager), whose arms are _lashed_ to a wooden plank. WTF?!? And to top it off, his bare chest is “decorated” by a crudely-drawn “S” in what appears to be red spray pint. _What does **any** of this have to do with a Superman TV show?_ Can someone explain it to me, please? And while we’re on the topic, what other head-scratching ads have you seen and are still pondering over? ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2001, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ads-you-dont-understand/85437/2 "2001-10-04T20:32:01Z")
I vaguely recall seeing some trailers for this show. It seems to be Superman meets Dawson’s Creek, or Superman, the Teen Years. Anyway, it revolves around Clark and a young Lex Luther, how Clark saves a young Lex from drowning after a car accident, and then Lex turns on Clark. So I expect this was a teaser of events to come. FWIW, this might go further as a discussion on the series in Cafe Society, unless you are looking for other example for “I don’t get it” kind of advertising. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2001, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ads-you-dont-understand/85437/3 "2001-10-05T18:41:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ShibbOleth \* > It seems to be Superman meets Dawson’s Creek, or Superman, the Teen Years. Anyway, it revolves around Clark and a young Lex Luther, how Clark saves a young Lex from drowning after a car accident, and then Lex turns on Clark. So I expect this was a teaser of events to come. With a bare-chested Clark sporting a spray-painted “S” while having his hands bound to a plank? WTF? > [@](#): > > FWIW, this might go further as a discussion on the series in Cafe Society, unless you are looking for other example for “I don’t get it” kind of advertising. I don’t mind those as well – I am interested in hearing from folks who end up scratching their heads when an ad misfires. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2001, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ads-you-dont-understand/85437/4 "2001-10-05T20:43:10Z")
The new post office one with the teddy bears. Edlyn and I can’t understand what they (the teddy bears) are saying. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2001, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ads-you-dont-understand/85437/5 "2001-10-06T07:17:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Libertarian \* > \*\*The new post office one with the teddy bears. Edlyn and I can’t understand what they (the teddy bears) are saying. \*\* Is this a TV commercial? Because I don’t recall seeing the teddy bears the last time I went to the office… ---
**Author:** ![acconav](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f4b2a3/32.png) [@acconav](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/acconav)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2001, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ads-you-dont-understand/85437/6 "2001-10-06T07:44:07Z")
i don’t get the gameboy advance tv ads. like the one set in a church, where the choir consists of bare-chest muscular men, and a snowboarder jumps over the congregation for no apparent reason. juh? ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2001, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ads-you-dont-understand/85437/7 "2001-10-06T12:55:55Z")
I’m still wondering why the local Wendy’s decided to do a movie tie-in with _Titus_. It was a good movie, but I couldn’t watch the meat pie scene without thinking “Happy Meal”. I also avoided the burgers for quite some time after that. ---
**Author:** ![kiz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7feea3/32.png) [@kiz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiz)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2001, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ads-you-dont-understand/85437/8 "2001-10-06T13:22:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by acconav \* > \*\*i don’t get the gameboy advance tv ads. like the one set in a church, where the choir consists of bare-chest muscular men, and a snowboarder jumps over the congregation for no apparent reason. > > juh? \*\* You’re not the only one… ---
**Author:** ![katiekilldare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/838e76/32.png) [@katiekilldare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/katiekilldare)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2001, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ads-you-dont-understand/85437/9 "2001-10-06T13:40:47Z")
Now, I don’t own a Gameboy, but I thought that advert was showing a kid playing a game in church. His reality is changed into what he’s playing on his Gameboy, so like WWF guys become the choir members and there are racing motorcycles flying and stuff. Pardon me if I’m off here. I only saw the commercial once. ---
**Author:** ![acconav](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f4b2a3/32.png) [@acconav](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/acconav)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2001, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ads-you-dont-understand/85437/10 "2001-10-06T13:59:56Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by katiekilldare_ > **I thought that advert was showing a kid playing a game in church. His reality is changed into what he’s playing on his Gameboy, so like WWF guys become the choir members and there are racing motorcycles flying and stuff.** yea, i think that’s what they’re _trying_ to do. it just comes off so… weird. my reaction each time i see the ad is to stare at my tv and wonder what the hell just happened, instead of thinking, “i need to buy a gameboy advance!” which i’m sure is the reaction nintendo would prefer. ---
**Author:** ![Skwerl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Skwerl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skwerl)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2001, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ads-you-dont-understand/85437/11 "2001-10-07T03:05:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by acconav \* > yea, i think that’s what they’re _trying_ to do. it just comes off so… weird. my reaction each time i see the ad is to stare at my tv and wonder what the hell just happened, instead of thinking, “i need to buy a gameboy advance!” which i’m sure is the reaction nintendo would prefer. \*\* Personally, I really like that commercial. I like the surreality. Especially cool is where someone puts an octopus on the donation plate. ---
**Author:** ![HelloKitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecccb3/32.png) [@HelloKitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelloKitty)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2001, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ads-you-dont-understand/85437/12 "2001-10-07T03:11:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Libertarian \* > \*\*The new post office one with the teddy bears. Edlyn and I can’t understand what they (the teddy bears) are saying. \*\* Well, they seemed more to me like satanic monkeys, but I think I finally figured out what this commercial means. The company that makes the satanic monkeys was waiting for the computer chips to be delivered in order to make the monkeys demonic eyes and spine tingling chant come to life. I guess they were saying that the post office saved the day by delivering the chips on time. So thanks to them we now have a large hoard of satanic monkeys on our hands. Makes sense to me… ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2001, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ads-you-dont-understand/85437/13 "2001-10-07T11:21:12Z")
😃 Merciful heavens. Y’know, that’s probably right! But what are the demonic monkeys _chanting?_ Can you tell? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Mad\_Hermit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5ac83/32.png) [@The\_Mad\_Hermit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Mad_Hermit)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2001, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ads-you-dont-understand/85437/14 "2001-10-08T06:58:22Z")
It bugged me too- but I listened, and the monkeys are saying “Give me a hug.” I think… ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2001, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ads-you-dont-understand/85437/15 "2001-10-08T10:02:43Z")
Creepy. All I can say is that ad agency did a good selling job to the post office. I would have thrown them out on the street. ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2001, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ads-you-dont-understand/85437/16 "2001-10-08T13:54:31Z")
The one I don’t get is the PETA-Kids commercial with the kid from “7th Heaven” saying, “Do you want to prevent school violence? Talk to your teacher about stopping animal dissection in your school.” WTF? What does animal dissection have to do with school violence, especially when most people are equating the term “School violence” with that which happened at Colombine High School? Crazy PETA MF’s. ---
**Author:** ![Rosebud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@Rosebud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rosebud)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2001, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ads-you-dont-understand/85437/17 "2001-10-08T14:02:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Libertarian \* > \*\*😃 Merciful heavens. Y’know, that’s probably right! But what are the demonic monkeys _chanting?_ Can you tell? \*\* “Neither rain nor sleet nor dark of night shall prevent us from DEVOURING YOUR IMMORTAL SOUL.” ---
**Author:** ![Alex\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Alex\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alex_B)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2001, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ads-you-dont-understand/85437/18 "2001-10-08T14:23:51Z")
> [@](#): > > Well, they seemed more to me like satanic monkeys… Actually, I believe they’re rogue bonobos monkeys. > [@](#): > > But what are the demonic monkeys chanting? Can you tell? “Francesca Is Our Dark Satanic Mistress. Francesca Is Our Dark Satanic Mistress. Francesca Is Our Dark Satanic Mistress…” ---
**Author:** ![Francesca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@Francesca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francesca)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2001, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ads-you-dont-understand/85437/19 "2001-10-08T15:09:11Z")
_wields the whip_ Wait my pretties… the time will soon be upon us. We have sent the warning in the form of an advert to befuddle and confuse the populus. They are weak, and we shall strike soon. ---
**Author:** ![Modian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Modian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Modian)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2001, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ads-you-dont-understand/85437/20 "2001-10-08T15:51:13Z")
I still don’t get the VW wedding one. Is he trying to stop it cause he loves her? Is he late to his own and the groom stepped in? I had other theories but I forgot em. Has cool music though. -Mod [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ads-you-dont-understand/85437.md?page=2)