# I can even tolerate the now-constant "TV popup ads", but DAMN.... **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 11, 2004, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-even-tolerate-the-now-constant-tv-popup-ads-but-damn/268602 "2004-10-11T09:14:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Freejooky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ba8739/32.png) [@Freejooky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freejooky)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-even-tolerate-the-now-constant-tv-popup-ads-but-damn/268602/1 "2004-10-11T09:14:59Z")
…one of these cable networks has gone too far. I think it was either TBS or TNT. I was watching a program last night, when suddenly this HUGE, FLAMING ad appears in the bottom-right corner of the screen. It was for some sort of firefighter movie or TV show that’s going to be airing soon. It was fucking HUGE -it covered almost 1/4 of the entire picture. But wait, there’s more - this one had SOUNDS. That’s right, covering up 1/4 of the screen with the program’s huge, flaming title wasn’t enough - it DROWNED OUT the audio of the program I was attempting to watch with loid sirens and crackling, burning sounds. What in God’s name provoked this!? Even more ridiculous, the thing remained there - covering 1/4 of the screen and drowning out the audio - for at least 30 seconds, but I’m thinking more like 45. This shit is getting out of hand! ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-even-tolerate-the-now-constant-tv-popup-ads-but-damn/268602/2 "2004-10-11T09:29:33Z")
They do this on TNT, especially for ads for NASCAR. You can just imagine the visual and audio, can’t you? It backfires. I usally turn off the show that’s on when I see this. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-even-tolerate-the-now-constant-tv-popup-ads-but-damn/268602/3 "2004-10-11T10:33:12Z")
Yeah, the “vroom! vroom!” of the Nascar popups has more than once made me miss a line of dialogue. Totally unacceptable. Watched the season finale of “Nip Tuck,” presented “commercial free.” Yeah. Right. What the fuck are those obnoxious palimpsests if they’re not commercials? ---
**Author:** ![MaddyStrut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dbc845/32.png) [@MaddyStrut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaddyStrut)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-even-tolerate-the-now-constant-tv-popup-ads-but-damn/268602/4 "2004-10-11T11:40:35Z")
Damn I hate that NASCAR pit stop thing. It makes me throw objects at the TV screen. I haven’t seen the firefire thing–yet. I know the networks are trying to come up with new ways of making us watch commercials in the era of Tivo, but making me miss dialogue is just unacceptable. ---
**Author:** ![MaddyStrut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dbc845/32.png) [@MaddyStrut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaddyStrut)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-even-tolerate-the-now-constant-tv-popup-ads-but-damn/268602/5 "2004-10-11T11:42:10Z")
Double damn. I meant “firefighter thing.” I have no clue what a “firefire thing” is. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-even-tolerate-the-now-constant-tv-popup-ads-but-damn/268602/6 "2004-10-11T12:03:17Z")
> [@MaddyStrut](#): > > Double damn. I meant “firefighter thing.” I have no clue what a “firefire thing” is. Beavis and Butthead come to mind. And on a completely unrelated topic: I hear Beavis and Butthead scored themselves a job in advertising for TNT… Imagine that… ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-even-tolerate-the-now-constant-tv-popup-ads-but-damn/268602/7 "2004-10-11T12:18:17Z")
I haven’t seen any with sound yet, but DAMN, do I hate those fucking annoying fucking things! There aren’t enough fucks in the world to describe how fucking moronic they are. The last one I saw was for this program called _Izabella’s Wedding_ (which is a Pit thread unto itself), where a girl in a bridal dress walks into the picture from top left, spins around while holding a magic wand that creates letters forming the words Izabella’s Wedding. Then she does a silly little dance and stands there for like a minute before slowly exiting. The first time I saw that one, I couldn’t believe my own eyes, and was _this_ close to throwing the remote through the screen. Hey, I have anger management issues. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-even-tolerate-the-now-constant-tv-popup-ads-but-damn/268602/8 "2004-10-11T14:26:03Z")
TNT ran one on _Angel_ the other day that not only blocked a huge chunk of screen and obliterated dialog, it covered captioning of foreign language dialog. A triple threat! At least TNT has, for its NASCAR bugs (they’re called “bugs,” those enormous little ads, how charming) killed the audio so that they don’t bombard the viewer with the pneumatic tire changing noises any longer. FX is the worst. Their bugs for _Rescue Me_ have convinced me never to watch the show. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-even-tolerate-the-now-constant-tv-popup-ads-but-damn/268602/9 "2004-10-11T17:29:17Z")
You know, I would almost _expect_ this kind of crap from TBS or TNT – But A&E – _A and freaking E_ has taken to vandalizing the programs they carry with this stuff. There’s nothing like watching _Poirot_ and being pulled out of a Georgian reverie by a superimposed animation of a jetliner flying across the middle of the screen, accompanied by the _sound_ of a Dopplerized jetliner flying by, advertizing some crap new “reality” show. Hello! I’m watching _Poirot_, here. I’m not going to think “Great! One of those _enormously_ entertaining ‘reality’ programs! I’ll mark my calendar.” No, I’m going to start meditating on how to introduce a sufficient quantity of _digitalis_ into the diet of the cretin who thought this was a good idea. Duh. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-even-tolerate-the-now-constant-tv-popup-ads-but-damn/268602/10 "2004-10-11T17:32:31Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > At least TNT has, for its NASCAR bugs (they’re called “bugs,” those enormous little ads, how charming) killed the audio so that they don’t bombard the viewer with the pneumatic tire changing noises any longer. Bugs? How appropriate - they “bug” the hell out of me! I’d read previously (perhaps here) someone’s complaint of a History Channel show about the “brownshirts” of Nazi Germany, and the “bug” during the show from UPS, with their latest ad tagline: “What can Brown do for you?” :eek: ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-even-tolerate-the-now-constant-tv-popup-ads-but-damn/268602/11 "2004-10-11T19:01:02Z")
> [@MaddyStrut](#): > > It makes me throw objects at the TV screen. OK, so I’m going to start selling things to throw at the TV screen on TV. “But wait. there’s more! Buy the nerf football NOW, and we’ll include three colorfull nerf darts…” So, would you throw nerf footballs and darts, or do I have to go to the extra expense of special nerf remotes? Anf does it have to look like _your_ remote, or can it be a generic? ---
**Author:** ![PussyCow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/22d042/32.png) [@PussyCow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PussyCow)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-even-tolerate-the-now-constant-tv-popup-ads-but-damn/268602/12 "2004-10-11T19:11:51Z")
If we would all write to the networks and complain, threaten to stop watching the channel, tell them how much more we would appreciate the network if they didn’t do that. If we asked our friends and coworkers to do the same… If only there were some sort of very cheap, quick, mail-like medium so we could communicate with these television stations… ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-even-tolerate-the-now-constant-tv-popup-ads-but-damn/268602/13 "2004-10-11T19:15:17Z")
> [@PussyCow](#): > > If we would all write to the networks and complain, threaten to stop watching the channel, tell them how much more we would appreciate the network if they didn’t do that. If we asked our friends and coworkers to do the same… > > If only there were some sort of very cheap, quick, mail-like medium so we could communicate with these television stations… A brick with a note tied to it thrown through the window? ---
**Author:** ![PussyCow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/22d042/32.png) [@PussyCow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PussyCow)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-even-tolerate-the-now-constant-tv-popup-ads-but-damn/268602/14 "2004-10-11T19:27:32Z")
> [@This Year's Model](#): > > A brick with a note tied to it thrown through the window? Oh, yah. That would be a lot easier than all of us learning how to develop telepathic powers. ---
**Author:** ![fluiddruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-even-tolerate-the-now-constant-tv-popup-ads-but-damn/268602/15 "2004-10-11T20:31:44Z")
This is one of the major reasons I will not buy cable. I watch precious few TV shows as it is, and when I watch them I do not want advertising interrupting it. Pretty much anything I want to see is coming out on DVD now, so I’m putting my cable “dollars” towards DVD purchases each month. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-even-tolerate-the-now-constant-tv-popup-ads-but-damn/268602/16 "2004-10-11T20:45:35Z")
I’ve strongly considered doing that myself. I will also point out how many cable stations are devoting more and more hours to paid programming. I was up early on Sunday Morning and i’d say 80% of all my basic and digital cable channels had infomercials on until 10 in the AM. I know those are lower viewing hours, but really? I’m the one paying tons of money for this. I’m going to try to log how much time I spend watching cable channels in the next month or so and make up my mind. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Means\_Go](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cc9497/32.png) [@Green\_Means\_Go](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Means_Go)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-even-tolerate-the-now-constant-tv-popup-ads-but-damn/268602/17 "2004-10-11T20:55:19Z")
Just wanna chime in with my agreement on this, in fact I think I’ve even pitted it before somwhere around here. FREAKING DRIVES ME NUTS!! It’s literally enough for me to avoid some of those channels. ---
**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:** [October 11, 2004, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-even-tolerate-the-now-constant-tv-popup-ads-but-damn/268602/18 "2004-10-11T21:37:56Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > FX is the worst. Their bugs for _Rescue Me_ have convinced me never to watch the show. You probably should avoid the channel entirely. During _Rescue Me_, they have _Nip/Tuck_ bugs. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2004, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-even-tolerate-the-now-constant-tv-popup-ads-but-damn/268602/19 "2004-10-11T23:14:33Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > You probably should avoid the channel entirely. During _Rescue Me_, they have _Nip/Tuck_ bugs. As soon as all seven seasons of Buffy are in my possession on DVD, I’m a vapor. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-even-tolerate-the-now-constant-tv-popup-ads-but-damn/268602/20 "2004-10-12T19:17:05Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > TNT ran one on _Angel_ the other day that not only blocked a huge chunk of screen and obliterated dialog, it covered captioning of foreign language dialog. A triple threat! Yeah, that’s obnoxious. As well, often on Good Eats, while AB is making a recipe, the ingredients will appear in a box in the upper right hand corner. This is where bugs often appear. So let’s see, that was: 2 tbs sugar zest of 1 lemon 1 cup milk Catch Emeril Live seven nights a week only on Food Network pinch of salt [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-even-tolerate-the-now-constant-tv-popup-ads-but-damn/268602.md?page=2)