# Commercials that think you're an idiot **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 3, 2013, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-that-think-youre-an-idiot/662494 "2013-07-03T00:13:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-that-think-youre-an-idiot/662494/141 "2013-07-06T15:40:06Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > Actually it does not come as a shock. I’m not sure why you think it would, unless you’re implying that I’m stupid. > > What does everyone not having a trade in have to do with anything I said? The ad is very obviously a come on to sell new cars. The dealer is simply trying to meet his need for profit. There’s nothing wrong with that, but his claims about needing cars and especially his claim about his heartfelt belief that everyone should be driving a new car are disingenuous at best. > > In any case, I think the OP intended this to be a lighthearted thread about ads that treat you like you’re stupid, not an argument about the operation of car dealerships. You are the one who wrote > [@](#): > > You don’t need cars you dishonest so-and-so. You’re offering a transaction where a person drives in with one car and drives off with another, how would that help with a car shortage? I pointed out that this is a false statement as A) Not everyone trades in a Car when buying another car. Their last car might have been totaled, stolen, repoed, junked, or they might have given it away. Maybe this is an additional car, or maybe they sold the car themselves. And B) Not every car traded in is kept by the dealer. Bottom line is not every person drives in in one car and drives out in another. Car dealers do run short of used cars. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-that-think-youre-an-idiot/662494/142 "2013-07-06T17:24:53Z")
Anecdotes != evidence and all that, but to back up **Rick** ’s claim, I’m buying a car sometime in the next couple of weeks but am not trading in another. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-that-think-youre-an-idiot/662494/143 "2013-07-06T19:12:58Z")
> [@movingfinger](#): > > I think Western Sky Financial wants you to feel guilty about what your ancestors did to the noble red man: “Hey, look at all the terrible things you did to us, you genocidic racist. The least you can do to soothe your liberal guilt is to let us screw you around a bit. I’m Sitting Bull, and I approve this message” I think you’re right about that. Also, they are playing on the stereotypical image of American Indians/Native Americans/First Peoples\* that’s common (at least in American pop culture): spiritual people, close to the earth, who would never engage in any sort of underhanded dealing or exploitation of others. (That’s for the white man to do!) There’s a sort of “you can trust us; we’re mystical people, very unworldly; we wouldn’t even know how to take advantage of you” element to the pitch. Whoever is reaping the profits of that business is a very cynical group of sharks, perfectly willing to trash the reputations of _genuine_ indigenous peoples. \*different people prefer different terms. ---
**Author:** ![Tess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@Tess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tess)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-that-think-youre-an-idiot/662494/144 "2013-07-06T20:58:21Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > And those herbs and spices at $2.50 a bottle, that you will be using up at about a teaspoon or so at a time will last you through probably 8 or 10 recipes … that cute round carton of salt that you pay $2.00 for will last something like a year unless you take to brining stuff. > > Though inversely, you don’t tend to think of how much your home garbage and recycling costs, water and sewage costs, soaps for dishwashing, and electricity for cooling the fridge, possibly heating up a microwave and oven or possibly gas for an oven and preparation time may cost. Granted, everything but labor is probably under $1, and you can value your labor for shopping and preparing the food as you like. > > I think of going out as paying for someone to do all the work so I don’t have to. Works for me in the long run. If they just came out and said, “You know you’re too damn lazy to cook, then scrub a bunch of pots. Just shell out a few bucks and let us take care of it.” I’d likely respond, “You make a lot of sense, where are my keys?” The way they pose it in the commercials suggests I’m supposed to believe I eat an entire sack of flour at one meal. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2013, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-that-think-youre-an-idiot/662494/145 "2013-07-06T23:45:08Z")
Just saw a commercial for some swiveling wall power strip thing that said “Some power strips can cost you as much as $100!” Yeah, if you buy your power strips out of the Skymall catalog, I guess. Or special purpose strips that no casual home owner would want/use. ---
**Author:** ![typoink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2013, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-that-think-youre-an-idiot/662494/146 "2013-07-08T19:46:24Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Right here on these boards we have had posters claim they smoke because they want to, they are not addicted. Denial. > > And, they have done that at the point of a gun. Hardly a honest admission. Do they claim they smoke because they want to, or do they claim they smoke because they want to, smoke regularly, AND are not addicted? The latter is, well, silly. Of course they’re also addicted that point. The former sounds like you’re dismissing the idea that people might want to smoke. Smoking is pleasurable. It’s not just about “looking cool.” ---
**Author:** ![FrigidLizard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3bc359/32.png) [@FrigidLizard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrigidLizard)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2013, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-that-think-youre-an-idiot/662494/147 "2013-07-08T21:26:02Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > what I take away from that commercial is how they’ve taken the way people watched TV for _decades_ and presented it like some hot new secret thing. Yay, they’re hawking a directional UHF antenna. What kills me are the slicer/dicers they pretend are revolutionary, ignoring how the chef’s mandoline was invented centuries ago. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2013, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-that-think-youre-an-idiot/662494/148 "2013-07-09T00:15:00Z")
> [@typoink](#): > > Do they claim they smoke because they want to, or do they claim they smoke because they want to, smoke regularly, AND are not addicted? > > The latter is, well, silly. Of course they’re also addicted that point. The former sounds like you’re dismissing the idea that people might want to smoke. Smoking is pleasurable. It’s not just about “looking cool.” The second. But smoking is only pleasurable as a addict finds his next dose pleasurable. It is entirely the addiction that makes it so. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2013, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-that-think-youre-an-idiot/662494/149 "2013-07-09T02:04:03Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > So what commercial have you seen where you seriously thought that the advertiser though you had ODed on idiot pills? And as you can see from my example that it doesn’t have to be based on common knowledge or even anything that anyone else cares about so if you pissed at a commercial where they used the KX-483 heisenfram resonator when OBVIOUSLY they should have been using the KX-484 model on that particular motorhome then by all means have at it. As far as I can tell, the majority of commercials assume their viewers are idiots. Many also appear to be written either by junior-high age boys who think “body part/function reference automatically equals funny and women aren’t human beings, they’re decorations/lust objects” or targeted to viewers of such immaturity levels. I love having a DVR because I can skip commercials. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![typoink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2013, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-that-think-youre-an-idiot/662494/150 "2013-07-09T02:08:36Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > But smoking is only pleasurable as a addict finds his next dose pleasurable. It is entirely the addiction that makes it so. But…that’s not right. It really isn’t. I smoke very infrequently, maybe once every month or two. Never more frequently than once every week or two. I’ve gone years without smoking a bit. I’m absolutely not addicted. It can absolutely be pleasurable on its own. Not hugely so, but enough that I enjoy it every now and again. For many chain smokers who are smoking relatively light cigarettes, I’m sure you’re mostly correct. But I’ve known addicts who smoke pretty heavy-duty smokes less frequently, and I absolutely believe they’re still getting a buzz. You’re paintin’ with too big a brush. ---
**Author:** ![MikeF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MikeF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeF)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2013, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-that-think-youre-an-idiot/662494/151 "2013-07-09T19:08:15Z")
And get a second one for FREE! FREE! FREE! (Just pay separate shipping and handling). ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2013, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-that-think-youre-an-idiot/662494/152 "2013-07-09T21:16:00Z")
> [@MikeF](#): > > And get a second one for FREE! FREE! FREE! (Just pay separate shipping and handling). I always wonder if you can order just the one, or if you are forced to get the “free” one..meaning even if you only want one, you pay S&H twice. ---
**Author:** ![IgnoranceIsMyExcuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ea666f/32.png) [@IgnoranceIsMyExcuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IgnoranceIsMyExcuse)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-that-think-youre-an-idiot/662494/153 "2013-07-10T03:58:18Z")
I don’t care for all of these commercials featuring insurance agents who are at accident scenes. I didn’t know agents responded to accidents in real time - I thought adjusters showed up later. Weird. I guess I should call my insurance agent instead of dialing 911. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ecks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bcef8e/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ecks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ecks)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-that-think-youre-an-idiot/662494/154 "2013-07-10T13:05:36Z")
One of my favorite FREE FREE FREE ads was a commercial for the clicklight- mount it anywhere you need a light! Just click on and click off! We’ll send you two for the same price- but thats not all! Order today and get a FREE subscription to Deep Discount magazine! Took me about a minute to realize that they weren’t selling clicklights, they were selling subscriptions to a crappy magazine. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2013, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-that-think-youre-an-idiot/662494/155 "2013-07-10T15:29:06Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > The second. > > But smoking is only pleasurable as a addict finds his next dose pleasurable. It is entirely the addiction that makes it so. That’s not so. I smoke (cigars or cigarettes) maybe once every 3-4 years. I don’t smoke regularly because of 1)the cost, 2)the deleterious health effects and 3)the smell. But I DO enjoy it. I like the taste of cigarette smoke, which is odd because I can’t STAND the smell of second-hand smoke. I find the experience pleasurable. But I am obviously not addicted as I feel no need to repeat the experience on a regular basis. ---
**Author:** ![Mattie\_Blue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71c47a/32.png) [@Mattie\_Blue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mattie_Blue)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-that-think-youre-an-idiot/662494/156 "2013-07-12T13:31:23Z")
The diet supplement commercials. Everyone lost 40, 50, 60, or 100 pounds by eating cake and ice cream every day, but thanks to this little pill/powder/drink, the fat melted off. However, the small type at the bottom always mentions that these results are not typical and the person used the supplement along with following a sensible diet and exercising. This was not posted to hijack the thread into how to lose weight. I know losing weight is not easy as the hundreds of SDMB threads will attest. I, myself, am overweight and after two years am still working through my own mental and physical issues. This is just a slam on the advertisements that make it seem like the only thing standing between you and being a size 0 is this one little pill. ---
**Author:** ![MegaBee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f0a364/32.png) [@MegaBee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MegaBee)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-that-think-youre-an-idiot/662494/157 "2013-07-12T18:43:50Z")
> [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > Wait until the decide to label it “GLUTEN FREE!” Yeah… I just ate a bag of popcorn that proudly says “GLUTEN FREE” right on the front. ---
**Author:** ![IgnoranceIsMyExcuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ea666f/32.png) [@IgnoranceIsMyExcuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IgnoranceIsMyExcuse)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2013, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-that-think-youre-an-idiot/662494/158 "2013-07-12T18:53:41Z")
I also hate the weight-loss advertisements where the before photograph is clearly a well-built guy during a bulking phase and the after photograph is the same guy post-cutting. He didn’t magically gain muscle (and definition) by losing weight; instead, his underlying muscles became visible because he’s thinner. ---
**Author:** ![SecretaryofEvil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@SecretaryofEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SecretaryofEvil)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2013, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-that-think-youre-an-idiot/662494/159 "2013-07-13T19:35:46Z")
> [@Rex\_Goliath](#): > > [Lots of wonderful gifs of people being morons in infomerials.](http://www.reddit.com/r/wheredidthesodago) Some of the captions they give them are great. “Seriously gravity? I’m getting sick of your shit.” ---
**Author:** ![Phnord\_Prephect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/df705f/32.png) [@Phnord\_Prephect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phnord_Prephect)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2013, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-that-think-youre-an-idiot/662494/160 "2013-07-13T20:09:52Z")
> [@MegaBee](#): > > Yeah… I just ate a bag of popcorn that proudly says “GLUTEN FREE” right on the front. Yes, but was it WHOLE GRAIN? :smack: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-that-think-youre-an-idiot/662494.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commercials-that-think-youre-an-idiot/662494.md?page=9)