# Again with the annoying commercials! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** commercials-ads\ **Created:** [June 28, 2017, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/again-with-the-annoying-commercials/790089 "2017-06-28T22:06:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 367
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2026, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/again-with-the-annoying-commercials/790089/7327 "2026-04-17T18:43:47Z")
Sky TV has an ad that is supposed to be showcasing the variety of different well-known movies and series you can stream on their service. The ad consists of (what appears to be) the costume/wardrobe department of somewhere or other. Various costumes (some of them recognisable as belonging to well known characters from the movies) come to life and start dancing together in a frenetic synchronised number to Kylie Minogue’s _Love at First Sight._ I think we’re meant to watch it and think “Hey’s that’s the thing from the thing I know” and maybe be wowed by the sheer number of popular movies being referenced, but for me, it just suddenly hit differently: The costumes are all empty - soulless, characterless empty sets of clothes. They’re all dancing the same dance - even the costumes that belong to recognisable characters who actually dance in their movie, they’re not dancing that dance. There is no trace of the personality of the character that the costumes belong to; any character referenced in the ad is basically reduced to ‘the girl with that dress’ or ‘the guy with that jacket’. And I think this is unintentionally ironic because it totally represents how Sky as a broadcaster propbably regards all these characters as properties - it doesn’t matter what they are as characters or what they did or said in their appearance in their various media - they’re just _assets._ ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2026, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/again-with-the-annoying-commercials/790089/7328 "2026-04-17T19:30:04Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > There’s one where he and his buddy are mercilessly mocking another guy for paying too much for his hotel room. And over such a trivial amount. Wow. You saved like, $15 or something. I got more than that under my car seat. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2026, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/again-with-the-annoying-commercials/790089/7329 "2026-04-17T19:44:43Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > I’ve found some videos of the actress in interview or travelog settings. She’s either always in character (à la Gilbert Gottfried) or it’s her normal speech pattern. I’m going to lean towards “she’s always, or at least often, doing an in-character voice.” I found this clip of her in a one-person show from a few years ago; she doesn’t really start talking until the second half of the clip, but her voice is fairly normal, and not much at all like that of the Mara character. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/XvwFoz26Awo/maxresdefault.jpg "Natalie Palamides in Laid") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvwFoz26Awo) ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2026, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/again-with-the-annoying-commercials/790089/7330 "2026-04-18T03:54:24Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ms6fruTEfR0/maxresdefault.jpg "New Boyfriend | Progressive Insurance Commercial") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ms6fruTEfR0) You “stand corrected”? Stand corrected from _what?_ Has their entire writing staff been replaced by computers? ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2026, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/again-with-the-annoying-commercials/790089/7331 "2026-04-18T04:02:41Z")
I apologize for this advertising campaign, because due to having Progressive, I’m microscopically funding this horseshit. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2026, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/again-with-the-annoying-commercials/790089/7332 "2026-04-18T04:13:49Z")
S’okay, we were a GEICO customer. [Until they apparently decided we’re too much of a risk.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-geico/683400/15) ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2026, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/again-with-the-annoying-commercials/790089/7333 "2026-04-18T17:02:19Z")
Ugh, saw a Youtube commercial last night for a ridiculous gadget that claims to improve gas mileage, specifically for trucks, when you plug it into THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER. It made me wish it was yet another AI generated Tai Chi workout commercial. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2026, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/again-with-the-annoying-commercials/790089/7334 "2026-04-18T19:01:26Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > S’okay, we were a GEICO customer. GEICO is the worst. Try getting them to pay out a claim sometime. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2026, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/again-with-the-annoying-commercials/790089/7335 "2026-04-18T20:05:15Z")
Without watching the video- is there a gag in there where she is mistakenly thought to have cum on her face? That’s the only explanation for the thumbnail. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2026, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/again-with-the-annoying-commercials/790089/7336 "2026-04-18T20:28:10Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > Without watching the video- is there a gag in there where she is mistakenly thought to have cum on her face? No, though I suspect that that visual, and the show’s name, are meant to be provocative. As far as I can tell, it’s about a woman who is tasked with incubating, and hatching, a bird egg. ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2026, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/again-with-the-annoying-commercials/790089/7337 "2026-04-18T22:08:43Z")
> [@scabpicker](#): > > Ugh, saw a Youtube commercial last night for a ridiculous gadget that claims to improve gas mileage, specifically for trucks, when you plug it into THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER. The Fuel Shark? 🤣 How many new vehicles even have a cigarette lighter, or similarly-shaped outlet? I was surprised to find the outlet (no lighter) buried in a pocket on the dashboard of a Mazda I drove earlier this week. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2026, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/again-with-the-annoying-commercials/790089/7338 "2026-04-18T22:10:13Z")
> [@WolfpackJeep](#): > > How many new vehicles even have a cigarette lighter, or similarly-shaped outlet? Most do, as I understand it, to act as a power port, even if they are sometimes more hidden now. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2026, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/again-with-the-annoying-commercials/790089/7339 "2026-04-18T22:54:06Z")
> [@WolfpackJeep](#): > > The Fuel Shark? 🤣 How many new vehicles even have a cigarette lighter, or similarly-shaped outlet? I didn’t wait long enough to find out the name of the product, but that seems to be the same type of product. I had never seen one of that type before. I mean, it’s not even a _good_ scam. The OBD-II fuel scams at least plug into a circuit that could possibly affect the performance of the fuel system. Anything that you could plug into the 12V connector can only consume energy and hurt your fuel consumption as a result. Just the dumbest, most obvious scam I’ve ever seen. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2026, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/again-with-the-annoying-commercials/790089/7340 "2026-04-18T23:14:27Z")
I mean, theoretically, you could put a battery in the device that’s higher-voltage than the car’s battery, and thus take a little bit of load off of the alternator (while the device’s battery lasts). But the alternator is a tiny, tiny fraction of the load on a car engine, and you’re not even eliminating all of that load. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2026, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/again-with-the-annoying-commercials/790089/7341 "2026-04-18T23:24:39Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > You “stand corrected”? Stand corrected from _what?_ Stands corrected from when she said her daughter’s hair would look bad cut short. It’s implied, not stated. The daughter is trying to rebel, and everything she does gets turned backwards.She’s obviously threatened to cut her hair before. I actually like this one. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2026, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/again-with-the-annoying-commercials/790089/7342 "2026-04-19T03:06:13Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Most do, as I understand it, to act as a power port, even if they are sometimes more hidden now. No longer a lighter, now a power point. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2026, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/again-with-the-annoying-commercials/790089/7343 "2026-04-19T16:36:27Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I mean, theoretically, you could put a battery in the device that’s higher-voltage than the car’s battery, and thus take a little bit of load off of the alternator (while the device’s battery lasts). Heheh, yeah, and then the battery will have to be charged from somewhere. That’s most likely going to be from the 12V outlet, making it a wash at best. I suppose you could hook it up to photovoltaic panel… ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2026, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/again-with-the-annoying-commercials/790089/7344 "2026-04-20T04:22:25Z")
Commercials are like jokes: ones that need to be explained are not very good. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2026, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/again-with-the-annoying-commercials/790089/7345 "2026-04-20T04:40:20Z")
Hmmm…no one needed to explain it to me. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2026, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/again-with-the-annoying-commercials/790089/7346 "2026-04-20T04:47:41Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > no one needed to explain it to me. Let’s just say that (speaking as an industry veteran): - Sometimes agency creatives get too smart or subtle - A lot of the general public are (a) very literal, and (b) don’t like to – or aren’t capable of – understanding anything that isn’t flat-out stated. Something that is implied, or too subtle, will go over a lot of people’s literal, don’t-make-me-think-too-hard’s heads. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/again-with-the-annoying-commercials/790089.md?page=366) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/again-with-the-annoying-commercials/790089.md?page=368)