Growing up, there was the occasional low-budget commercial starring the owner screaming about his low prices. The store often sold electronics, furniture, used cars or jewellery and had eponymous names like Krazy Kramer’s or Jimbo’s Jewellery. They seemed louder than the TV show. They seemed to like late night hours, UHF stations, “The Boss Is Away” sales.
It strikes me that I haven’t seen too many of these recently. Are they still around? Did you grow up with these?
There seem to be a few around here (DFW) where the carnival barker shrieks and breaks stuff with a crowbar. It’s probably some kind of building material, given he’s usually breaking a window of some type.
Due to the absolute, non-negotiable, pullin household rule, I rarely hear more than the first syllable from the shouter. The rule? Whoever has the remote is required to mute all commercials, lest I relieve you of the device. So I’m never quite sure who’s shouting or not.
Houston area residents still have the opportunity to turn down the sound when Mattress Mac comes on to remind everyone that GALLERY FURNITURE SAVES YOU MONEY!!!
Not, we just have non-pitchman associated TV commercials that are markedly louder than the shows that run them.
Never a problem with radio though.
In my area there’s a particularly obnoxious, loud tire company spokesman who has prompted us to automatically mute the TV for every commercial break just on the chance that he might appear. Seems like the stations should be catching on by now, but, no.
If the commercial had a ringing doorbell or phone, I think it’s coming from my house and get annoyed when I have to get up and check.
The ads for medicines and their side-effects nauseate me, so I yell obscenities at them if I can’t hit the remote fast enough.
Yeah, the doorbell effects annoy the hell out of me. That obnoxious attention getting loud whistle on the ‘Chili’s’ commercial is another so jarring, it takes all I can do not to quickly turn toward the source of the noise.
Most annoying ever though, to me, any commercial that had a trumpeted or bugled ‘Reveille’. Obnoxious!
We’ve got the Fucillo auto dealership chain around here. The tagline is a very Trumpian “Hyuuuuge-ah!” Annoying as hell.
I was surprised to see that the relatively quiet side man, Tom Park IIRC, in those ads does the same thing in Florida for a different dealership chain.
CRAZY EDDIE!!! His prices are IN-SANE!!!
He has been dead for a few years, so not really still a thing.
His prices were insane, all right, when he didn’t simply steal the money.
I occasionally wonder how successful these were/are. They are despised but they stick in your craw.
If I’m ever in front of a court demanding proof I’ve lived in Seattle, I’ll just shout: “Open Every Day – In Federal Way!”
Not only would the CRRRRAAAAZEE-EDDY! voice go through my head like a pole axe, but they also accompanied it with a loud fast tempo trumpeted version Lone Ranger / William Tell Overture song.
I would only go in that place to buy albums or cassettes since in my area they had the best selection. People I knew who went in there to buy electronics, mostly car stereos and speakers said there prices weren’t anywhere near “insane” low unless you bargained very hard with them. Show them proof of a price you got from another retailer, or several retailers. You could save some cash, but from what I gathered, it was a lot of work.
The few loud, passive-aggressive commercials left here are a chain of jewellery hock shops where the screamy owner (and his son) dress up as Superman, and a successful chain of furniture stores where the owners dress up as Beagle Boy bandits.
The owner of Ricart Ford in Columbus used to “star” in his dealership’s TV ads playing a guitar and singing.
The newer ads aren’t quite that bad but are still pretty annoying.
The new obnoxious commercials are not for retail, but for personal injury lawyers, with stupid nicknames, like:
The Strongarm
The Bull
The Heavy Hitter
These are all still better than that trend for commercials where they would loudly repeat the same things over and over.
HEAD ON! APPLY DIRECTLY TO YOUR FOREHEAD!
(repeat ad nauseum)