Yeah. Such that “It’s the Cadillac of [whatever]” now means it’s the clueless has-been that doesn’t realize it yet. Like the coyote, it’s off the cliff and once it looks down, a plummet is assured.
As a certified old person, I should probably be offended by the Progrssive insurance ads with “Dr. Rick” counseling young homeowners who are turning into their parents. However, my wife and I find them amusing enough to overcome the premise that we’re doddering old farts.
I too enjoy them. Even though I’d sorta like to kick Dr. Rick in the 'nads.
He’s just so earnest and harmless though. I sure hope I’m not him. But I fear that I am.
Welcome to Wisconsin, Problem Drinking Capital of America. 
And, yes, growing up in Wisconsin as I did, it was very common – 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 do like the first two scenes in this commercial. That word, by the way, is pronounced keen-wah.
I also remember a beer commercial where the people on screen referred to it as “food.” That didn’t last very long, thankfully.
Beer has been considered a food throughout history. It was liquid bread included in the pay given to laborers in places like Ancient Egypt, and was safer to drink than water. The food value in a stout like Guinness is enough to keep a modern hiker or cyclist going all day.
If you think the Pepto-Bismol commercials are clever (the people suffering gastric distress do a little dance culminating in grabbing their asses to convey diarrhea 
), we need to talk.
I’ve always wondered about the actors’ résumés. ‘I was the Diarrhea Guy in the Pepto Bismol commercial!’
“It was a shit role.”
Actually, I do do a little dance when I get the runs : The Green Apple Quickstep.
See also:
Wes Tolman, a.k.a. “The Prince” in the Squatty Potty commercial
Joe Ferrara a.k.a. “Juan Sheet” in the Plenty ads
I mean, when you’re an actor a job’s a job and the bills gotta be paid.
I’m reminded of the end of Goodbye Girl, where Dreyfuss gets a job based on “if you could make that role seem real, you can do this reasonable thing”.
Yep, that’s tone deaf, and it’s tempting to think of it as worse than tone deaf.
One Nation
One Race
(Shaking my effing head)
Shatner is in some commercial lately where he goes by Will Shat — something to do with excretion.
How can I forget Al Bundy on Married With Children, ‘The Gas Station Show’…Bud gets a ride with the Swedish Bikini Team and Al is offered a ride with the Womens Chicago Bowling Team. Resigned to his fate, he hops in, ‘Let’s boogie!’
“Red Wigglers, the Cadillac of worms.” - proud sponsor on WKRP in Cincinnati.
I just figured out why Dr. Rick creeps me out a bit.
I have a friend who’s mid-70s now. But he totally could have passed for Dr. Rick when he was about 55. The could be twins, or certainly similar brothers. And he has that same sort of calm no-judging “I’m just here to help” demeanor most of the time.
Gaah!
Aw, I LOVE Dr. Rick. I’m a senior myself and find the commercials particularly amusing since I know quite a few ‘young homeowners’ now, rapidly suffering the horrific fate of turning into their pathetic parents. (yes, you should line your kitchen shelves with contact paper, you should paint a deep forest green wall with a base white before you paint it ‘Shimmering Snowflake’, and so on. Ha-Ha!)
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.
I am not going to take life advice from a guy in a sweater vest!
And dammit, I read books about submarines. Fuck you Dr Rick.
Better than “I was the fourth diarrhea guy.”
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.
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.