# Advertisers need to knock this shit off! (extra lame) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 14, 2010, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advertisers-need-to-knock-this-shit-off-extra-lame/539457 "2010-05-14T19:05:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advertisers-need-to-knock-this-shit-off-extra-lame/539457/1 "2010-05-14T19:05:44Z")
I’m fucking sick and tired of commercials on TV and radio using the alarm clock [Sound effect.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SitTtOfopOM) It’s an irritating, offensive noise. Why don’t they just broadcast fingernails on a [chalkboard](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrQyfjRdHB4) while they’re at it? And radio ads, specifically, have to stop using [siren](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hXQMjjuNe0) and car [horn](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGtTtHe_iaM) sounds. It’s annoying to hear that shit while one is trying to drive. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advertisers-need-to-knock-this-shit-off-extra-lame/539457/2 "2010-05-14T19:14:11Z")
OMG yes. I hate the alarm clock sound effect _so much_. It burns, my rage does. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advertisers-need-to-knock-this-shit-off-extra-lame/539457/3 "2010-05-14T19:15:59Z")
Not extra-lame at all. Hell, one of my main planks in my campaign for World Dictator is the immediate lynching of any advertiser who uses a siren or car horn in a radio commercial. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advertisers-need-to-knock-this-shit-off-extra-lame/539457/4 "2010-05-14T19:51:50Z")
I wish they’d quit using loud doorbells in commercials, too. Every time they do, my cats freak out and head for the hills. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advertisers-need-to-knock-this-shit-off-extra-lame/539457/5 "2010-05-14T19:52:30Z")
The sound of a phone ringing in a commercial used to bother me a lot. Not so much now that no two phones sound alike - they used to all have that same bell. ETA: I mean I used to think for a second that it was _my_ phone that was ringing, which would cause me to freak out and head for the hills. ---
**Author:** ![Gustav](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/919ad9/32.png) [@Gustav](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gustav)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advertisers-need-to-knock-this-shit-off-extra-lame/539457/6 "2010-05-14T19:56:51Z")
Don’t forget the sound of a phone vibrating and the sound of speakers picking up incoming phone signals. Both trick me every. single. time. There seriously ought to be a law. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advertisers-need-to-knock-this-shit-off-extra-lame/539457/7 "2010-05-14T20:02:51Z")
> [@winterhawk11](#): > > I wish they’d quit using loud doorbells in commercials, too. Every time they do, my cats freak out and head for the hills. Maybe you need to stop letting your friends come over and torture your cats? -Joe ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tao_s_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advertisers-need-to-knock-this-shit-off-extra-lame/539457/8 "2010-05-14T20:18:39Z")
> [@Hal\_Briston](#): > > Not extra-lame at all. Hell, one of my main planks in my campaign for World Dictator is the immediate lynching of any advertiser who uses a siren or car horn in a radio commercial. If you can make this happen I will be your most devout henchman. ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advertisers-need-to-knock-this-shit-off-extra-lame/539457/9 "2010-05-14T22:07:12Z")
Moved from The BBQ Pit to Cafe Society. \*\* Gfactor\*\* Pit Moderator ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advertisers-need-to-knock-this-shit-off-extra-lame/539457/10 "2010-05-14T22:30:56Z")
> [@Hal\_Briston](#): > > Not extra-lame at all. Hell, one of my main planks in my campaign for World Dictator is the immediate lynching of any advertiser who uses a siren or car horn in a radio commercial. I was thinking about this just the other day. I so friggin’ HATE that. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2010, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advertisers-need-to-knock-this-shit-off-extra-lame/539457/11 "2010-05-14T23:55:16Z")
I hate this sort of thing most on radio. On TV, I’m anticipating it. On radio, I’m in a car, only barely paying attention. Stay away from sounds that cause me to jump. ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2010, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advertisers-need-to-knock-this-shit-off-extra-lame/539457/12 "2010-05-15T03:36:46Z")
I want them to retire the “records scratch” sound—the one they use to jump from a scene of total peace and serenity to one of chaos. Most of the people who are listening to the commercial have never had the experience of gently skidding the tone arm across the surface of an LP record. Worse still, I seem to recall that at least one individual interpreted the sound as a comic zipper effect, and got all in a huff over it, ready to complain to all of the proper authorities about the inappropriate sexual innuendo. Have to admit, though, the “record scratch” and “comic shock-jock zipper” effects sound pretty similar. ---
**Author:** ![jasonh300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/46a35a/32.png) [@jasonh300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasonh300)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2010, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advertisers-need-to-knock-this-shit-off-extra-lame/539457/13 "2010-05-15T04:45:49Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I hate this sort of thing most on radio. On TV, I’m anticipating it. On radio, I’m in a car, only barely paying attention. Stay away from sounds that cause me to jump. That’s the problem. When the radio ad plays a siren, I start looking around for a distant approaching police car or ambulance. Then I reach to turn the radio down so I can figure out where it is and I can’t hear it anymore, so I assume it’s moving away from me. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2010, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advertisers-need-to-knock-this-shit-off-extra-lame/539457/14 "2010-05-15T04:52:28Z")
Can we add stores that market you over the intercom while you’re shopping there? This is annoying the everloving piss out of me these days. I was in my local Sears a couple of days ago, and during my 15 minutes in there, there were eight interruptions to my peace and quiet - it was virtually non-stop. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2010, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advertisers-need-to-knock-this-shit-off-extra-lame/539457/15 "2010-05-15T08:43:27Z")
> [@Gfactor](#): > > Moved from The BBQ Pit to Cafe Society. > \*\* > Gfactor\*\* > Pit Moderator I will never understand what the Cafe Society forum is supposed to be for 😕 ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2010, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advertisers-need-to-knock-this-shit-off-extra-lame/539457/16 "2010-05-15T13:00:10Z")
_Imagine no advertising I wonder if you can No screaming ads for dog food And I can see the land_ ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2010, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advertisers-need-to-knock-this-shit-off-extra-lame/539457/17 "2010-05-15T13:41:27Z")
I wonder how many accidents have been caused by car horn or siren commercials. The car is the only place I listen to the radio, and in spite of my libertarianism, I truly believe these commercials should be banned. ---
**Author:** ![DChord568](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@DChord568](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DChord568)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2010, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/advertisers-need-to-knock-this-shit-off-extra-lame/539457/18 "2010-05-16T02:29:44Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > I wonder how many accidents have been caused by car horn or siren commercials. The car is the only place I listen to the radio, and in spite of my libertarianism, I truly believe these commercials should be banned. I could swear that during my days in radio (most of the 70s and 80s) there was a ban on using siren sounds in a radio commercial. But as any kind of enforcement by the FCC or anyone else was pretty weak by then, it may simply have been one of those unwritten rules that were observed…at least in my market. As the FCC has become even more toothless in the ensuing years, it makes sense that the convention is now being ignored.