# I Hate the Audrey Hepburn Commercial **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 21, 2006, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-audrey-hepburn-commercial/373548 "2006-09-21T12:59:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2006, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-audrey-hepburn-commercial/373548/1 "2006-09-21T12:59:04Z")
…where she;s wearing the “skinny-leg black pants” and breaking into free-form jazz dance. (What movie is this from, anyway?) I hate it for lots of reasons, but mostly because, even though she’;s not wearing the “free spirit” beatnik beret, she makes me think of the unnamed Coffee Chick from **an Extremely Goofy Movie** : > **[An Extremely Goofy Movie](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_Extremely_Goofy_Movie)** > > An Extremely Goofy Movie is a 2000 animated comedy film distributed by Walt Disney Home Video, produced by Walt Disney Television Animation, and directed by Douglas McCarthy. It is a standalone sequel to the 1995 film A Goofy Movie and the finale to the television series Goof Troop, in which Max Goof goes to college and believes he will not have to deal with his father, Goofy, until he loses his job and enrolls there to receive the degree he never received years ago in order to have another go. M... ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2006, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-audrey-hepburn-commercial/373548/2 "2006-09-21T13:01:42Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] …where she;s wearing the “skinny-leg black pants” and breaking into free-form jazz dance. (What movie is this from, anyway?) [/QUOTE] _Funny Face_. ---
**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:** [September 21, 2006, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-audrey-hepburn-commercial/373548/3 "2006-09-21T13:53:20Z")
Yep - in _Funny Face_ she played a philosophy devotee of a coffee-house beatnik type, and did that dance when she went to the coffee house where he held court in an upstairs room. It’s like, wow, baby. It’s the happening. Fred Astaire also did a dance in the same locale, only his was mocking the beatnik types. StG ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2006, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-audrey-hepburn-commercial/373548/4 "2006-09-21T14:15:20Z")
I hate it also. I really don’t know much about Audrey Hepburn, but out of context, the dance looks… er, goofy. I cringe when I see it come on… but I have to watch it! Maybe it fits in the context of the movie. I hate the mumbled words over “Back in Black,” mainly because I can’t understand what the hell she is saying. Clever idea, but thumbs down on the choice of the dance and the voiceover. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2006, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-audrey-hepburn-commercial/373548/5 "2006-09-21T14:18:15Z")
Funny you should mention Fred Astaire – haplessly and involuntarily reincarnated nine years ago as a [postmortem Dirt Devil pitchman](http://www.salon.com/july97/media/media970708.html). It’s a ghastly trend-let. I hope all fans of the oh-so graceful and dignified Audrey Hepburn boycott The Crap. ---
**Author:** ![ColonelDax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@ColonelDax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ColonelDax)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2006, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-audrey-hepburn-commercial/373548/6 "2006-09-21T15:35:38Z")
There’s also [this](http://www.visit4info.com/details.cfm?adid=20205) hideous piece of crap that desecrates the best-known scene in _Singin’ in the Rain_. (Click on “play ad” if you really want to watch it, but it’s 60 seconds or so out of your life that you’ll never get back.) ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2006, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-audrey-hepburn-commercial/373548/7 "2006-09-21T16:10:53Z")
Great. How am I going to get them over my Fat White Ass? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2006, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-audrey-hepburn-commercial/373548/8 "2006-09-21T16:15:34Z")
[QUOTE=ColonelDax] There’s also [this](http://www.visit4info.com/details.cfm?adid=20205) hideous piece of crap that desecrates the best-known scene in _Singin’ in the Rain_. [/QUOTE] OTOH, I love the ad with the elephant tap-dancing to the same song. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_chao_goes_mu/32/3191_2.png) [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Chao_Goes_Mu)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2006, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-audrey-hepburn-commercial/373548/9 "2006-09-21T16:48:59Z")
The Google ads are for adult diapers. Aaaaand cut! I’m going to lunch. ---
**Author:** ![susan\_foster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@susan\_foster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan_foster)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2006, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-audrey-hepburn-commercial/373548/10 "2006-09-21T16:49:07Z")
[QUOTE=Hippy Hollow] I hate it also. I really don’t know much about Audrey Hepburn, but out of context, the dance looks… er, goofy. I cringe when I see it come on… but I have to watch it! Maybe it fits in the context of the movie. [/QUOTE] Even in context in the movie, it’s goofy. Very fun dance, though. Susan ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2006, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-audrey-hepburn-commercial/373548/11 "2006-09-21T16:55:43Z")
I hate this, too – it makes me cringe in embarrassment, for some reason. Well, one reason is that it goes on for far too long, and another is that the song and the images are just too discordant. That’s a great song, but that song and Audrey Hepburn do not mix well, not even “ironically.” ---
**Author:** ![Velma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/85e7bf/32.png) [@Velma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velma)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2006, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-audrey-hepburn-commercial/373548/12 "2006-09-21T17:00:00Z")
[QUOTE=Hippy Hollow] I hate it also. I really don’t know much about Audrey Hepburn, but out of context, the dance looks… er, goofy. I cringe when I see it come on… but I have to watch it! Maybe it fits in the context of the movie. I hate the mumbled words over “Back in Black,” mainly because I can’t understand what the hell she is saying. Clever idea, but thumbs down on the choice of the dance and the voiceover. [/QUOTE] She says something like “A girl’s gotta dance” or something over and over. I forget exactly what it is but I know it’s something like that. I don’t like the trend of the tapered skinny pants in general. We stopped wearing those because no one looked good in them, people! The worst part is that now people who never stopped wearing tapered leg pants are going to think they are in style again. It will be a Mom Jean Revival! What is with the 80’s stuff coming back already - it’s not even redone this time, I swear I saw the exact grey striped long sweater at the mall that I owned in 1988. Then I saw the jeans with the zippers on the ankle…noooooooo! And leggings under big shirts, come on now. If I am still in my 20’s I should not be seeing teenagers wearing stuff that I wore. There should be a mandatory 30 year grace period, so stuff that was cool in 1976 should just be coming back now. ---
**Author:** ![B.Serum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/b.serum/32/14266_2.png) [@B.Serum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Serum)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2006, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-audrey-hepburn-commercial/373548/13 "2006-09-21T17:07:10Z")
Not me. I love it. Love it! ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2006, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-audrey-hepburn-commercial/373548/14 "2006-09-21T17:09:39Z")
[QUOTE=twickster] OTOH, I love the ad with the elephant tap-dancing to the same song. [/QUOTE] That ad is nice but then again the elephant wasn’t a much loved and now dead celebrity. I agree that using dead actors to pitch products is vile. I liked Audrey Hepburn but lets face it some of the dialogue from those old movies was hokey and it gets much hokier then more you are forced to watch it over and over again. They need to go back to having currently living celebrities sing or dance for them, it’s less morbid and more mockable. They could have Nicole Ritchie pitch their skinny black pant! ---
**Author:** ![Velma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/85e7bf/32.png) [@Velma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velma)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2006, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-audrey-hepburn-commercial/373548/15 "2006-09-21T18:53:24Z")
[QUOTE=Wile E] That ad is nice but then again the elephant wasn’t a much loved and now dead celebrity. I agree that using dead actors to pitch products is vile. I liked Audrey Hepburn but lets face it some of the dialogue from those old movies was hokey and it gets much hokier then more you are forced to watch it over and over again. They need to go back to having currently living celebrities sing or dance for them, it’s less morbid and more mockable. They could have Nicole Ritchie pitch their skinny black pant! [/QUOTE] The line of clothes is pretty much modeled after Audrey Hepburn though. The skinny black pant is what she wore. Plus Audrey is more of an iconic figure, if they are trying to portray in image of “classy, simple pants” they are better off with Audrey than Nicole. It’s supposed to be retro because the pants are retro. ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2006, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-audrey-hepburn-commercial/373548/16 "2006-09-21T18:58:33Z")
My husband loves the Audrey Hepburn commercial, but he is so out of touch with pop culture that he didn’t recognize the dancer as Audrey Hepburn! He just thought it was a cute, charming girl. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2006, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-audrey-hepburn-commercial/373548/17 "2006-09-21T19:43:04Z")
It’s a weird scene even the movie. And the pants were supposed to be out of fashion (she wears those before she becomes a fashion forward model) But I’m not sure what Gap is trying to say - “if you have an Audrey Hepburn-like body, these pants will make you look merely slightly ridiculous. If you don’t have an Audrey Hepburn like body, don’t even bother.” ---
**Author:** ![SkeptiJess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@SkeptiJess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkeptiJess)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2006, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-audrey-hepburn-commercial/373548/18 "2006-09-21T19:44:14Z")
I think we are married to the same man, **pinkfreud**. When my husband saw this commercial, he said, “She looks kind of familiar. What’s she in?” Me: “She’s in the dirt, honey. That’s Audrey Hepburn.” Him: “Who?” ---
**Author:** ![ASAKMOTSD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/919ad9/32.png) [@ASAKMOTSD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASAKMOTSD)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2006, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-audrey-hepburn-commercial/373548/19 "2006-09-21T19:51:36Z")
Cue Laura Petrey for the next commercial… ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2006, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-audrey-hepburn-commercial/373548/20 "2006-09-21T20:09:40Z")
[QUOTE=ASAKMOTSD] Cue Laura Petrey for the next commercial… [/QUOTE] Well, they’ll have to kill off Mary Tyler Moore first. But I agree, when I hear skinny pants I think of Laura Petrie, not Audrey Hepburn. When I think of Audrey Hepburn type fashion I think of a simple but classy dress. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hate-the-audrey-hepburn-commercial/373548.md?page=2)