# Real Men of Genius- Real genius in advertising? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 7, 2006, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-men-of-genius-real-genius-in-advertising/359786 "2006-06-07T18:42:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2006, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-men-of-genius-real-genius-in-advertising/359786/1 "2006-06-07T18:42:30Z")
For the last several years, Bud Light has been running a series of radio ads that began as “Real American heroes” but became known as “Real Men of Genius” post 9-11. I submit to you, dear Dopers, that this series is the greatest bit of advertising (radio or otherwise) utilized in a long, long time. I don’t drink beer (yay for being 20!), but these ads make me consider it. And to be honest, their advertising has worked on me: when I turn 21 in January, I’m probably more like to buy Bud (when buying beer is a necessity 😃 \_ since their name will be stuck in my head. So (to me at least) this advertising has been successful. Anywho, I can’t even begin to count the times I’ve almost crashed the car, due to laughing hysterically at these ads. My personal favorite is **Mr. Paranoid of the Ocean Guy** , which includes gems like: - > [@](#): > > Wind surfing, para-sailing, body boarding… Not you… you prefer activities like flailing, shivering, and whimpering > (Please don’t judge me) > Bravely you step into the water, one wrong move and you could be pinched to death by a hermit crab > (Tell my wife I love her) > Was that a piece of seaweed that brushed against your leg? Or a giant man eating eel? - My other favorite is what seems to be a newer one: **Mr. Boneless Buffalo Wing Inventor Guy**. I can’t find the exact lyrics, but it goes something like this: > [@](#): > > Is it leg? Is it Wing? Is it rear end? Now every chunk is as identical as it is undistinguishable. > (I hope I’m not eating rear end) Oh, and I can’t forget: **Mr. Really Big Pet Snake Owner** \* > [@](#): > > and best of all, it doesn’t hurt the social life to be known around town as the guy with the giant snake. > (96 inches) - Obviously, I love these commercials. Where do you guys stand on Real Men of Genius? ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2006, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-men-of-genius-real-genius-in-advertising/359786/2 "2006-06-07T18:45:12Z")
> [@DiosaBellissima](#): > > And to be honest, their advertising has worked on me: when I turn 21 in January, I’m probably more like to buy Bud (when buying beer is a necessity 😃 \_ since their name will be stuck in my head. While I dig these ads, I will also say that, in general the better the ads, the worse the beer. The only beer I like I’ve ever seen advertised in media are Newcastle and Sam Adams. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2006, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-men-of-genius-real-genius-in-advertising/359786/3 "2006-06-07T18:46:40Z")
Wow, have these really been running that long? I agree that they’re funny the first time you hear a new one (I did laugh pretty good the first time I heard the “Hope I’m not eating rear end” one last week). Overall radio ads are really hard to do, and most just go with shrill and annoying. That these are as memorable as they are and have lasted as long has they have gets a thumbs up from me. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2006, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-men-of-genius-real-genius-in-advertising/359786/4 "2006-06-07T18:46:52Z")
I think these ads were great a few years ago, but the newer ones have been lacking in quality and wit. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2006, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-men-of-genius-real-genius-in-advertising/359786/5 "2006-06-07T19:03:38Z")
> [@DiosaBellissima](#): > > Obviously, I love these commercials. Where do you guys stand on Real Men of Genius? I liked them so much, I started my own [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=129286) about them. ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2006, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-men-of-genius-real-genius-in-advertising/359786/6 "2006-06-07T19:12:04Z")
Dag-namit. I did a search, but nothing came up. My search fu is weak ☹ Oh well, it is four years later and about time to discuss them again, I reckon. ---
**Author:** ![Jenny\_Haniver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Jenny\_Haniver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenny_Haniver)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2006, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-men-of-genius-real-genius-in-advertising/359786/7 "2006-06-07T19:17:28Z")
I totally agree with the OP, except the bit about actually buying and drinking Bud. (Don’t do it, hon.) My favorite is > [@Mr. All-You-Can-Eat Buffet Inventor](#): > > If there’s beef, you’ll chip it. > If there’s chicken, you’ll fry it. > And if there’s gravy, well then everything’s going to be o.k. > (Thank GOD for the gravy!) ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2006, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-men-of-genius-real-genius-in-advertising/359786/8 "2006-06-07T19:22:09Z")
> [@DiosaBellissima](#): > > Dag-namit. I did a search, but nothing came up. My search fu is weak ☹ > > Oh well, it is four years later and about time to discuss them again, I reckon. And so is my coding fu. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2006, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-men-of-genius-real-genius-in-advertising/359786/9 "2006-06-07T19:23:18Z")
My favorite is the one for **Mr. Ceremonial First-Pitch Thrower Guy** : “As your ball crosses homeplate at a breath-taking 8 and a half miles per hour…” (That’s almost ten!) Awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2006, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-men-of-genius-real-genius-in-advertising/359786/10 "2006-06-07T19:55:02Z")
I think the commercials are cool, but until you mentioned it I didn’t remember what they were actually advertising. So, memorable commercial yes, good product advertising (at least for me), not so much. ---
**Author:** ![cbawlmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cbawlmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cbawlmer)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2006, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-men-of-genius-real-genius-in-advertising/359786/11 "2006-06-07T20:09:42Z")
I enjoy those commercials too, whenever I accidentally hear radio advertising. There’s no commercial funny enough to stop Bud from tasting like llama spit, but I feel good will towards advertisiers who don’t go out of their way to irritate me. The singer in those ads is David Bickler, a former member of the band Survivor, and the announcer is Pete Stacker, who is also the announcer for Comedy Central. [The Wikipedia entry](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_Men_of_Genius) has a complete listing of the heroes/men of genius “honored” over the years. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2006, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-men-of-genius-real-genius-in-advertising/359786/12 "2006-06-07T20:14:06Z")
Same with most other posters - I find the ads amusing, but they in no way will ever get me to buy Bud. As a guitarist, I did get a chuckle out of Mr. Wedding Band Guitar Player… ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2006, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-men-of-genius-real-genius-in-advertising/359786/13 "2006-06-07T21:13:59Z")
> [@Troy McClure SF](#): > > Sam Adams. You have never seen a Sam Adams ad? They are all over the place now. I do like the RMoG ads, but it still won’t get me to drink Bud. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2006, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-men-of-genius-real-genius-in-advertising/359786/14 "2006-06-07T21:52:10Z")
“Here’s to you, _Mr. Straight Dope Message Board Poster_…” ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2006, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-men-of-genius-real-genius-in-advertising/359786/15 "2006-06-07T22:03:51Z")
The ads are great, but they really lost something for me when they changed to “Real Men of Genius”. First, the old ones were the best. Second, the thought that having a commercial with a “Real American Heroes” tagline is somehow inappropriate because of terrorism is monumentally fucking stupid and knee-jerk reactionary. Third, the jingle isn’t nearly as catchy as it was. That said: > [@](#): > > Today we salute you Mr. Giant Taco Salad Inventor > (Mr. Giant Taco Salad Inventor) > A culinary invention that baffles the human mind, > a twelve thousand calorie salad. > (ai-carumba) Brilliant! And yes, do have a Bud or 6. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2006, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-men-of-genius-real-genius-in-advertising/359786/16 "2006-06-07T22:17:40Z")
> [@adam yax](#): > > You have never seen a Sam Adams ad? They are all over the place now. I _have_ seen Sam Adams & Newcastle ads, and out of all the beers I’ve seen advertised, those two are the only ones I like. My favorites consist of ones I’ve never seen advertised on TV/radio/bus stops. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2006, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-men-of-genius-real-genius-in-advertising/359786/17 "2006-06-07T23:15:58Z")
Daddy likes em. They’re interesting and funny, although the earlier ones were better. Every once in a while, they turn up a diamond, though. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2006, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-men-of-genius-real-genius-in-advertising/359786/18 "2006-06-07T23:21:13Z")
[http://www.contemporaryinsanity.org/content/view/173/2/](http://www.contemporaryinsanity.org/content/view/173/2/) Ah, I’ve never heard Mr. Silent Killer Gas Passer. Ah…pure gold. FYI, I can do the cheesy '80’s singer’s voice to a T. You may love me now. …yes…NOW! ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2006, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-men-of-genius-real-genius-in-advertising/359786/19 "2006-06-07T23:28:24Z")
> [@Troy McClure SF](#): > > I _have_ seen Sam Adams & Newcastle ads, and out of all the beers I’ve seen advertised, those two are the only ones I like. My favorites consist of ones I’ve never seen advertised on TV/radio/bus stops. Sure, yell at me because I’m an idiot who can’t read properly. 🙂 Now that I think about it, I think that I have now seen an ad for Bass Ale. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Rhosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sir\_Rhosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Rhosis)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2006, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-men-of-genius-real-genius-in-advertising/359786/20 "2006-06-08T00:21:53Z")
WLW here in Cincy does a pretty good knock off of these commercials–they had the singer (think he was the lead singer for Survivor–sure one of the links identifies him) who does the actual “Real Men of Genius” on and he said they were the best knock-offs he had heard. Like many of the above, I like the commercials, but prefer Corona as my beer of choice. Sir Rhosis [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-men-of-genius-real-genius-in-advertising/359786.md?page=2)