# Dumb advertisements on the Smithsonian Channel **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 9, 2013, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-advertisements-on-the-smithsonian-channel/655243 "2013-04-09T17:30:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-advertisements-on-the-smithsonian-channel/655243/1 "2013-04-09T17:30:40Z")
How did it come to be that the channel with some of the smartest programming has some of the dumbest advertising? All day long on the Smithsonian Channel, they run ads for dubious “As Seen On TV!” products like Wipe New, the Neat Scanner, Perfect Pancake pans, sticky pads to hold vases in place, etc. It’s like one of the best museums on the planet got married to a cruddy home shopping channel. Not that I’m expecting ads from Mensa or some other hypothetically “intelligent” products or services, and basic economics dictate that they run whatever brings in the dollars, but the contrast is stark. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-advertisements-on-the-smithsonian-channel/655243/2 "2013-04-09T17:36:18Z")
“Has this ever happened to _you?_ You’re watching TV and a dumb ad comes on. What to DO??? Try new _ **TV Commercial Skip** _, the DVR feature that allows you to skip annoying commercials like _that_!!” **{{Snaps fingers}}** StG ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-advertisements-on-the-smithsonian-channel/655243/3 "2013-04-09T17:45:11Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > basic economics dictate that they run whatever brings in the dollars Asked and answered, I think. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-advertisements-on-the-smithsonian-channel/655243/4 "2013-04-09T17:49:37Z")
It is surprising that they don’t get more high-end advertisers, considering who is likely to watch the channel. Or, maybe my idea of who is likely to watch is wrong…whenever I see ads for that type of product, I imagine that they’re aimed at older, people with little disposable income who think they’re getting something perfect and awesome for a great price. No really, order now and they get two. ---
**Author:** ![Mithras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mithras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mithras)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-advertisements-on-the-smithsonian-channel/655243/5 "2013-04-09T18:01:24Z")
On a barely related note, it’s depressing they’re doing that reality show about famous people buying clothing. I take it as a sign that it’s just a matter of time until Smithsonian’s as useless as the History Channel. Maybe the ads are just from the future. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-advertisements-on-the-smithsonian-channel/655243/6 "2013-04-09T18:22:36Z")
Seems the target intellectual level of commercials are less dependent on the channel and more dependent on the time of day. Dumb ads seem to target people who have the time to watch TV in the middle of the day on weekdays. ---
**Author:** ![xnylder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/bbce88/32.png) [@xnylder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xnylder)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-advertisements-on-the-smithsonian-channel/655243/7 "2013-04-09T18:25:20Z")
I think this is normal for new TV stations. It takes time for them to gain traction with advertisers, who don’t want to pay for advertising on unproven channels. I’ve watched in amusement as the commercials for Food Network Canada have improved from these crappy gadget ads to more mainstream productions. OutTV is going through a similar process right now as it increases in popularity and programming quality. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-advertisements-on-the-smithsonian-channel/655243/8 "2013-04-09T20:13:24Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > Seems the target intellectual level of commercials are less dependent on the channel and more dependent on the time of day. > Dumb ads seem to target people who have the time to watch TV in the middle of the day on weekdays. That’s why I’m so baffled why my local TV station runs _Jeopardy_ at 2:30 and _Wheel of Fortune_ at 6:30. I figure it should be the opposite: the smarter TV viewers (i.e., the potential _Jeopardy_ viewers) are more likely than the dumb viewers (i.e., _WOF_ viewers) to be at work in the daytime and not be around to watch TV at 2:30. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-advertisements-on-the-smithsonian-channel/655243/9 "2013-04-09T21:04:55Z")
[QUOTE=StGermain] “Has this ever happened to _you?_ You’re watching TV and a dumb ad comes on. What to DO??? Try new _ **TV Commercial Skip** _, the DVR feature that allows you to skip annoying commercials like _that_!!” **{{Snaps fingers}}** StG [/QUOTE] I never said I was watching the commercials. I just see enough snips of them when blipping past. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-advertisements-on-the-smithsonian-channel/655243/10 "2013-04-09T21:10:13Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > How did it come to be that the channel with some of the smartest programming has some of the dumbest advertising? > > All day long on the Smithsonian Channel, they run ads for dubious “As Seen On TV!” products like Wipe New, the Neat Scanner, Perfect Pancake pans, sticky pads to hold vases in place, etc. It’s like one of the best museums on the planet got married to a cruddy home shopping channel. > > Not that I’m expecting ads from Mensa or some other hypothetically “intelligent” products or services, and basic economics dictate that they run whatever brings in the dollars, but the contrast is stark. These types of ads are [best summed up by the title](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TooIncompetentToOperateABlanket) to this applicable TV Tropes page. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-advertisements-on-the-smithsonian-channel/655243/11 "2013-04-10T04:35:43Z")
> [@stgermain](#): > > “has this ever happened to _you?_ you’re watching tv and a dumb ad comes on. What to do??? Try new _ **tv commercial skip** _, the dvr feature that allows you to skip annoying commercials like _that_!!” **{{snaps fingers}}** > > stg BUT WAIT! That’s not all!