# Memorial Day ads that are crass and obtuse **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 25, 2011, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memorial-day-ads-that-are-crass-and-obtuse/583136 "2011-05-25T12:15:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memorial-day-ads-that-are-crass-and-obtuse/583136/1 "2011-05-25T12:15:25Z")
I thought we could list out the horrible ads that you run across for Memorial Day. A local grocery store ad: A salute to our fallen heroes. What is honoring the dead? Reduced prices on Pepsi of course and potato chips. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memorial-day-ads-that-are-crass-and-obtuse/583136/2 "2011-05-25T12:52:12Z")
Holiday has become commercialized. News at 11. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memorial-day-ads-that-are-crass-and-obtuse/583136/3 "2011-05-25T14:05:23Z")
I’ve always found the American approach to their memorial day extremely weird, almost off-putting. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memorial-day-ads-that-are-crass-and-obtuse/583136/4 "2011-05-25T14:22:34Z")
Philistines! You’re supposed to eat _popcorn_ while watching war deaths, not potato chips. People have no respect for tradition. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memorial-day-ads-that-are-crass-and-obtuse/583136/5 "2011-05-25T15:11:09Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > I’ve always found the American approach to their memorial day extremely weird, almost off-putting. In Israel they have a siren, right? Or is that Holocaust Memorial Day? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memorial-day-ads-that-are-crass-and-obtuse/583136/6 "2011-05-25T15:28:56Z")
> [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#): > > In Israel they have a siren, right? Or is that Holocaust Memorial Day? Both. They mark the moment of silence. Israeli memorial day is very similar to Remembrance Day in the Commonwealth, only slightly more mourn-y. And we wear a different flower. ---
**Author:** ![Zeriel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/58956e/32.png) [@Zeriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeriel)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memorial-day-ads-that-are-crass-and-obtuse/583136/7 "2011-05-25T15:36:11Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > I’ve always found the American approach to their memorial day extremely weird, almost off-putting. The worst bit is how schizophrenic it is. Take my dad: he gets up at 5:30AM, and takes the American Legion color guard for a memorial service at every cemetery within the township where veterans are buried, complete with chaplain and bugler and color guard. And when he’s done, around 11AM, he goes to his general store and has those kind of stupid Memorial Day Sale signs and sells the hell out of hot dogs and hamburgers until he closes. ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memorial-day-ads-that-are-crass-and-obtuse/583136/8 "2011-05-25T15:50:24Z")
In defense of Americans we do also have Veteran’s Day which is a much more solemn holiday (although I suppose many people do only think of it as a day off work/school)