# Most tone-deaf/out of touch commercials? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** commercials-ads\ **Created:** [July 30, 2026, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-tone-deaf-out-of-touch-commercials/1032017 "2026-07-30T11:04:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2026, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-tone-deaf-out-of-touch-commercials/1032017/141 "2026-08-03T15:37:25Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > My advice to any actors out there: make sure your character has a name, even if no one says it. You don’t want your IMDB listing to have a bunch of “second guy” or “first henchman” or “mailman” roles. On a recent SNL sketch, Jake Gyllenhaal defined a “character actor” as someone with 100 IMDB credits, but none of the roles has a last name. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2026, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-tone-deaf-out-of-touch-commercials/1032017/142 "2026-08-03T15:57:20Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > Another thing that those ads convey to me is the hint of societal neglect they throw in. “Nobody would insure these guys. So they decided to look after themselves. And so now we look after you and yours.” Maybe they’re trying to ride the last of the Vietnam vets’ feelings of betrayal by society. Eh. USAA was founded back in 1922 exactly because conventional car insurers refused to insure military officers. Later they branched out into life insurance that didn’t have exclusions for getting killed in a war or military accident. Which most life insurance did or still does. The other big thing they pioneered in the 1950s was dealing with a customer base that was largely overseas. In an era when almost all US-based insurers and banks had negligible customers outside the USA and no interest in dealing with them at odd hours or by snail-mail, the only kind there was. So for the whole 45+ years I’ve been one of their customers, one of their central pillars has been: we are built from day one around the unusual needs of the servicemember who moves frequently around the USA and around the world. And (nowadays) needs 24/7 support that works everywhere, not just in the lower 48. “We get it.” would be the attitude in a nutshell. A very large fraction of their ordinary employees and their top management are retired military, many of significant rank. And yes, it is an appeal to the clubby camaraderie that most active duty and retired servicemembers feel for their service in particular and DoD in general. The folks, like me, who served less than full careers typically have a more tenuous connection to the service of their comparative youth. But it’s not zero. They very deliberately sell into that feeling. And pretty much practice what they advertise. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2026, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-tone-deaf-out-of-touch-commercials/1032017/143 "2026-08-03T16:26:36Z")
The spouse is an Army brat so we are eligible for USAA, which has been enormously beneficial given that we primarily live overseas (not for military service, mind you - just abroad). Personally I’ve found them to be very good (although their phone app has issues). ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2026, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-tone-deaf-out-of-touch-commercials/1032017/144 "2026-08-03T16:43:00Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > I mean, when you’re an actor a job’s a job and the bills gotta be paid. But sometimes it IS about the art! [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/BnHqiipcw6g/hqdefault.jpg "Tootsie- Sydney Pollack and Dustin Hoffman- George's office") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnHqiipcw6g&t=180) ---
**Author:** ![BrickBat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@BrickBat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrickBat)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2026, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-tone-deaf-out-of-touch-commercials/1032017/145 "2026-08-03T17:41:45Z")
I remember that! They used some wild spooky halloween-ish graphics in the bags and cups, and I believe they referred to it as one word; “Fourthmeal…the meal between dinner and breakast”. I guess making gluttony seem cool. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2026, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-tone-deaf-out-of-touch-commercials/1032017/146 "2026-08-03T17:52:39Z")
No one is forcing you to eat “fourth meal”, any more than Tolkien makes you eat second breakfast. Face it: people out late sometimes want a bit to eat. I myself have gone to George Webbs, Real Chili or Denny’s after midnight. It’s what you do when you’re a late night college party animal. Woo! If someone is getting out of their couch at 11:30 and driving to TB just cause the TV told them to, OK you can laugh at them. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2026, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-tone-deaf-out-of-touch-commercials/1032017/147 "2026-08-03T18:00:58Z")
> [@BrickBat](#): > > and I believe they referred to it as one word; “Fourthmeal…the meal between dinner and breakast”. I guess making gluttony seem cool. Could be worse. They could have borrowed the US Navy’s term: “Midrats”, short for midnight rations. Which is a limited meal prepared for the folks either starting or ending their work shift on the ship at midnight. One of the casualties of COVID was the ready availability of some manner of tolerably edible hot food 24/7 in most big cities and suburbs. Which occasionally came in real handy in my odd-hours career. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@salinqmind1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind1)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2026, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-tone-deaf-out-of-touch-commercials/1032017/148 "2026-08-03T18:07:39Z")
…And featuring Donald Dump as ‘Donald the Diarrhea Guy’? ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2026, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-tone-deaf-out-of-touch-commercials/1032017/149 "2026-08-03T18:07:53Z")
> [@whitetho](#): > > Youtube keeps running commercials for Kroger and Food City supermarkets. Neither of which are in this area. I think youtube thinks I am in Alabama, as it also runs Blue Cross of Alabama commercials ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@salinqmind1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind1)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2026, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-tone-deaf-out-of-touch-commercials/1032017/150 "2026-08-03T18:10:48Z")
It’s not gluttony, it’s late night stoner meal, forever. I don’t recommend driving around high as balls, but Taco Bell is the gold standard. ---
**Author:** ![ricepad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@ricepad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricepad)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2026, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-tone-deaf-out-of-touch-commercials/1032017/151 "2026-08-03T18:14:05Z")
> [@salinqmind1](#): > > Taco Bell is the gold standard. If Taco Bell is the gold standard, then JitB tacos must surely be the brown standard! ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2026, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-tone-deaf-out-of-touch-commercials/1032017/152 "2026-08-03T18:14:36Z")
Denny’s at 2am after a night of partying was a college right of passage. Taco Bell too. There’s a huge demographic for that. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2026, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-tone-deaf-out-of-touch-commercials/1032017/153 "2026-08-03T18:30:07Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Face it: people out late sometimes want a bit to eat. I myself have gone to George Webbs, Real Chili or Denny’s after midnight. It’s what you do when you’re a late night college party animal. Woo! Or if you are working swing or midnight shift ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2026, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-tone-deaf-out-of-touch-commercials/1032017/154 "2026-08-03T18:35:24Z")
I remember being in college and getting hungry in the evenings, even after three meals at the dining hall. We could each eat half or more of a large pizza and once, at 10pm, two other guys and I ordered a hundred Buffalo chicken wings and finished them off. (This was late 1980s and wings were still cheap so that order only cost like ten bucks.) So yes, I can see that some will find the idea of late night Taco Bell appealing even without the benefit of being stoned. ---
**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:** [August 3, 2026, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-tone-deaf-out-of-touch-commercials/1032017/155 "2026-08-03T18:39:57Z")
> [@zimaane](#): > > Back in the 2000’s Taco Bell had a campaign that revolved around what they called the “Fourth Meal” - encouraging people to go to Taco Bell late in the evening, to order a substantial amount of unhealthy food after already eating three meals earlier in the day. I’m suddenly reminded of Mac Tonight. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/0c4_b5PHWg8/hqdefault.jpg "Mac Tonight Commercial") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0c4_b5PHWg8&t=000000) Who was used to advertise 24/7 McDonald’s (at least in Singapore). [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/j_han0M3Y7I/hqdefault.jpg "McDonald's 2007 "Mac Tonight" Singapore Commercial (widescreen)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_han0M3Y7I&t=000000) ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2026, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-tone-deaf-out-of-touch-commercials/1032017/156 "2026-08-03T18:40:23Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Or if you are working swing or midnight shift Oh yea! I used to work second shift for a while. I actually like to go shopping for groceries at 1am. Very empty, and the late night air is cool (except in July-August). Now all the grocery stores close. It’s like we’ve gone backwards in convenience. Last year, when I went to see Blue Oyster Cult in Milwaukee, I had to make a Real Chili stop (before I went back to my plush digs at the Pfabulous Pfister, because I don’t have to crash on my Pfriends’ pfloor anymore) well after 2am. It was just like…goin’ home! ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2026, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-tone-deaf-out-of-touch-commercials/1032017/157 "2026-08-03T18:52:27Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > It’s what you do when you’re a late night college party animal. I always liked White Castle in the US. Street vendors and schwarma stands in Europe. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2026, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-tone-deaf-out-of-touch-commercials/1032017/158 "2026-08-03T19:33:27Z")
That’s true, and back in the days, it was safer to drink than water. However, I’m sure there are plenty of alcoholics out there who saw that commercial and interpreted it the wrong way. ---
**Author:** ![We\_re\_wolves\_not\_werewolves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@We\_re\_wolves\_not\_werewolves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/We_re_wolves_not_werewolves)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2026, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-tone-deaf-out-of-touch-commercials/1032017/159 "2026-08-03T20:24:43Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > and _legal_ – for kids to be served a little beer by their parents, and even be allowed to drink beer at bars and restaurants, if they were with their parents. I think a number of other states allow that too ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2026, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-tone-deaf-out-of-touch-commercials/1032017/160 "2026-08-03T20:37:19Z")
Which reminds me of an epic out-of-touch commercial: A full-length theatrical movie to sell McDonald’s, ripping off ET. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-tone-deaf-out-of-touch-commercials/1032017.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-tone-deaf-out-of-touch-commercials/1032017.md?page=9)