# Commercials that are truly annoying as Hell, or, "Orca, Orca!" **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 6, 2005, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-that-are-truly-annoying-as-hell-or-orca-orca/297998 "2005-04-06T04:46:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2005, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-that-are-truly-annoying-as-hell-or-orca-orca/297998/1 "2005-04-06T04:46:08Z")
“…oh, I _love_ orca…” On one hand, I appreciate the comedic flair of the vignette. I swear, though, that the lady sounds all-too disturbing when in rapture over killer whales—it gives me a feeling similar to that of when my English teacher-of-whom-I-thought-neutrally, when reading from a book upon Greek Mythology, sat on the desktop of one of the seating provisions when doing so, oblivious to the distracting fact that a good portion of the class (with thanks to her knee-length skirt) was able to see not only London and France, but very nearly the damned aircraft beacons on the Eiffel Tower. ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2005, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-that-are-truly-annoying-as-hell-or-orca-orca/297998/2 "2005-04-06T04:49:17Z")
I wanted to emphasize that I am cursed with this feeling repeatedly. I didn’t mention that. ---
**Author:** ![Long\_Time\_First\_Time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@Long\_Time\_First\_Time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Long_Time_First_Time)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2005, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-that-are-truly-annoying-as-hell-or-orca-orca/297998/3 "2005-04-06T05:38:15Z")
That commercial provides a valuable public service. Bet you hadn’t even thought about establishing which whale is your favorite before you saw it. My sweetie and I now have clearly established our whale preferences and eliminated the possiblilty of any messy cliff-side misunderstandings. Thanks Avis! ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2005, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-that-are-truly-annoying-as-hell-or-orca-orca/297998/4 "2005-04-07T00:35:29Z")
the one that annoys me is some really strange menopause drug. the list of side effects and people who shouldn’t take it is unbelievable!!! they should just list who can take it. ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2005, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-that-are-truly-annoying-as-hell-or-orca-orca/297998/5 "2005-04-07T00:51:03Z")
> [@rocking chair](#): > > the one that annoys me is some really strange menopause drug. the list of side effects and people who shouldn’t take it is unbelievable!!! > > they should just list who can take it. _Yes._ I saw that one. By the time the announcer finished with the list, she excluded the entire female population from use of this drug, it seems. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2005, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-that-are-truly-annoying-as-hell-or-orca-orca/297998/6 "2005-04-07T14:00:00Z")
I’m currently hating the one with the “woo-hoo” song. What is Vonage or something like that? The song is most annoying. ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2005, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-that-are-truly-annoying-as-hell-or-orca-orca/297998/7 "2005-04-07T14:56:35Z")
“Annoying” or “revolting”? Why, oh, why must they always run the pregancy-stretch marks commercial during my lunch? There should be a law. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2005, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-that-are-truly-annoying-as-hell-or-orca-orca/297998/8 "2005-04-07T15:48:27Z")
> [@slortar](#): > > “Annoying” or “revolting”? Why, oh, why must they always run the pregancy-stretch marks commercial during my lunch? There should be a law. There \*Is \* a law in some asian countries banning certain ads during dinner time. Things like tampons are not to be advertised while folks are eating. I can’t remember if it was in Vietnam or another SE Asian country. Apparrently, the Woo-hoo song is rather old. It was playing on the 50’s channel on my XM radio. Just as annoying then as now. An ad I’d like to see: the bank home-loan guy up in a bell tower with a sniper rifle maniacally picking off passers by. Every time he nails one he chants, “Lost another one to Ditech!” It would really make the Ditech commercials worth seeing again. ---
**Author:** ![SnakesCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@SnakesCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakesCatLady)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2005, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-that-are-truly-annoying-as-hell-or-orca-orca/297998/9 "2005-04-07T16:10:24Z")
I would just like to know why, when I am sitting around with a group of friends of both sexes, the minute there is a lag in the conversation: Voila! An ad for a feminine hygiene product! All of the guys sit around looking at each other, or the floor, or the ceiling - anywhere other that at the TV or the females. And we’re not teenagers! ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2005, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-that-are-truly-annoying-as-hell-or-orca-orca/297998/10 "2005-04-07T18:16:21Z")
In Canada, drug companies were long discouraged from advertising directly to patients although Canadians saw plenty of the US ads. This is changing, and I hate almost all of these ads. I hated the “little purple pill” ads for Nexium that didn’t mention the product name. But I especially dislike the ones that play really upbeat music in the background and show pictures of people dancing around while a calm voice reads all the drug’s horrible side effects. The bon vivants with genital herpes daily suppression therapy, with “Tiny Bubbles” blaring in the background, being told they need to inform their doctor if their immune system is not normal. Women being told that “overactive bladder is a medical condition, it is not a normal sign of aging”, while “Please Mr. Postman” blares in the background (surely “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)” would have been a better choice?) and pictures of closed bathrooms and long lineups are shown. ---
**Author:** ![Winnie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e480ec/32.png) [@Winnie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winnie)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2005, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-that-are-truly-annoying-as-hell-or-orca-orca/297998/11 "2005-04-07T19:35:54Z")
In the annoying category, there is an R.E.I. radio commercial that drives me up the wall. It’s hard to describe, but it’s a guy rattling off questions as to why you would need to shop at R.E.I, and in between each question is this annoying “DING!” sound. It’s really rapid-fire, so all I hear is “Do you blah blah blah blah…” “DING!” “Do you blah blah blah blah…” “DING!”“Do you blah blah blah blah…” “DING!” you get the picture. When I hear the commercial come on I turn down the volume until it’s over or switch to another station. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2005, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-that-are-truly-annoying-as-hell-or-orca-orca/297998/12 "2005-04-07T19:43:00Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > Apparrently, the Woo-hoo song is rather old. It was playing on the 50’s channel on my XM radio. Just as annoying then as now. I think the woo-hoo song is actually _Song 2_ by Blur. I read somewhee – no cite – that _Song 2_ has been used in more television commercials than any other song. In the late 1990s, you couldn’t escape it; it served as the background for many X-TREEEEM! products sold at the time such as SUVs and ski resort packages. Back to annoying … TOUCH STAR-ONE FOR THE SPINNING RIMS! TOUGH STAR-TWO FOR THE PIMP CUP! TOUCH STAR-THREE FOR THE GAT! OR TOUCH STAR-FOUR … ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2005, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-that-are-truly-annoying-as-hell-or-orca-orca/297998/13 "2005-04-07T19:43:06Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > Apparrently, the Woo-hoo song is rather old. It was playing on the 50’s channel on my XM radio. Just as annoying then as now. I think the woo-hoo song is actually _Song 2_ by Blur. I read somewhee – no cite – that _Song 2_ has been used in more television commercials than any other song. In the late 1990s, you couldn’t escape it; it served as the background for many X-TREEEEM! products sold at the time such as SUVs and ski resort packages. Back to annoying … TOUCH STAR-ONE FOR THE SPINNING RIMS! TOUCH STAR-TWO FOR THE PIMP CUP! TOUCH STAR-THREE FOR THE GAT! OR TOUCH STAR-FOUR … ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2005, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-that-are-truly-annoying-as-hell-or-orca-orca/297998/14 "2005-04-07T19:51:27Z")
If it’s what I’m thinking of, the song is “Woo-Hoo” by The 5.6.7.8’s. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2005, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-that-are-truly-annoying-as-hell-or-orca-orca/297998/15 "2005-04-07T19:57:42Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > I think the woo-hoo song is actually _Song 2_ by Blur. I read somewhee – no cite – that _Song 2_ has been used in more television commercials than any other song. In the late 1990s, you couldn’t escape it; it served as the background for many X-TREEEEM! products sold at the time such as SUVs and ski resort packages. Well, the song was definately the same one that you hear on the insurance commercial and the “cars playing ball” commercial. It was also definately being played on pre-electric instruments and the recording sounded old as well. Like old vinyl recordings. The radio listed the title as “Woo Hoo.” They named the group as well but I can’t remember that. And it was definately on the 50’s channel which doesn’t play commercial anyway. So the preponderance of evidence is that my original assertion is correct. Blur may have made a cover of it, but didn’t write it. ---
**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:** [April 8, 2005, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-that-are-truly-annoying-as-hell-or-orca-orca/297998/16 "2005-04-08T01:35:47Z")
That Blur Woo-hoo song and the other Woo-hoo song are two different songs that both happen to have a lot of woo-hoo-ing in them. The Blur song was inescapable a few years ago, but you don’t hear it much now. ---
**Author:** ![Millit\_the\_Frail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/51bf81/32.png) [@Millit\_the\_Frail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Millit_the_Frail)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-that-are-truly-annoying-as-hell-or-orca-orca/297998/17 "2005-04-08T03:57:00Z")
See, I’m wondering whether it might not be the Blur song, because one of my least favorite commercials is for Garnier Fructis products. It features women with angry frizzy hair and a piano riff that repeats over and over like a hyperactive hamster with a sledgehammer in my brain. Then again, the sound in that song is more of a “woo-woo” than a “woo-hoo.” ---
**Author:** ![BraheSilver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@BraheSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BraheSilver)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-that-are-truly-annoying-as-hell-or-orca-orca/297998/18 "2005-04-08T04:09:45Z")
> [@Millit the Frail](#): > > See, I’m wondering whether it might not be the Blur song, because one of my least favorite commercials is for Garnier Fructis products. It features women with angry frizzy hair and a piano riff that repeats over and over like a hyperactive hamster with a sledgehammer in my brain. > > Then again, the sound in that song is more of a “woo-woo” than a “woo-hoo.” Sadly, I recognize that tune; it’s by the Transplants. Can we please please ditch the record scratch that indicates that somebody’s suddenly confused? “Think you can’t afford your mortgage? Think again! _ **skkkkrrrrrtcccccchhhh** _” “Good news, kids! Your father and I are quitting our jobs and joining a hippie commune! _ **skkrrrrccccchh** _” You just ruined my record, man! I got an earache! ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-that-are-truly-annoying-as-hell-or-orca-orca/297998/19 "2005-04-08T08:21:19Z")
I absolutely _hate_ that smug bitch in the Levitra ads. I really don’t care that her “man takes Levitra.” There’s about 16 different boner drugs on the market, and I’m sorry that folks need to take them, but I really just don’t need to know how some cow’s life has been improved by her man taking Levitra just so he can cornhole her. He needs to swallow a handful of the pills and then use his raging hard on to stuff in her mouth so that she’ll shut up. It doesn’t help matters that I can hear her lips stick to her teeth when she talks. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2005, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-that-are-truly-annoying-as-hell-or-orca-orca/297998/20 "2005-04-08T08:26:22Z")
> [@Khadaji](#): > > I’m currently hating the one with the “woo-hoo” song. What is Vonage or something like that? The song is most annoying. Yes, it’s Vonage, and no, it’s not Blur’s _Song 2_. It’s more of a yodel-type woohooing, with some slightly distorted bass and a twelve-bar pattern. I remember all this because every time I hear the opening walkup I scramble like mad for the MUTE button. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-that-are-truly-annoying-as-hell-or-orca-orca/297998.md?page=2)