# That National Guard commercial at the movie theaters. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 20, 2010, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-national-guard-commercial-at-the-movie-theaters/529765 "2010-02-20T14:39:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-national-guard-commercial-at-the-movie-theaters/529765/21 "2010-02-21T13:40:41Z")
Well, it certainly offers something to those young people who feel that they themselves are just spinning their wheels while those who are really living life are the people they see in music videos. Compared to [the Russian army,](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdFWpW3yd4o&feature=related) whose slogan seems to be “get out of your mom’s crappy apartment and meet a young woman with good bone structure.” ---
**Author:** ![PetW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@PetW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PetW)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-national-guard-commercial-at-the-movie-theaters/529765/22 "2010-02-21T15:19:30Z")
I think all these military ads are brilliant. Seems to me like they’re trying to appeal to young men who love Call of Duty games. There’s a Marines commercial that makes it look like being a marine is the most bad-ass lifestyle possible. I’m sure they’re very effective at getting people to enlist. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-national-guard-commercial-at-the-movie-theaters/529765/23 "2010-02-21T17:24:09Z")
> [@PetW](#): > > I think all these military ads are brilliant. Seems to me like they’re trying to appeal to young men who love Call of Duty games. There’s a Marines commercial that makes it look like being a marine is the most bad-ass lifestyle possible. > I’m sure they’re very effective at getting people to enlist. I agree completely. There is an Air Force one out now where two guys jump out of an airplane to rescue a downed pilot than are picked up in a helicopter. I see that and think, “That is so cool!” Then I remember I did that for four years (the helicopter part) and I have to tell myself, “No, it sucked.” ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-national-guard-commercial-at-the-movie-theaters/529765/24 "2010-02-21T18:29:00Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > Why on earth do they got the music form “The Omen” playing in the background? Seriously, I feel like the spawn of Satan is going to pop out at any moment and bring down a reign of fire on the entire planet. That actually happened in a series of US Marines commercials-remember the recruit [fighting various demons and monsters](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mplEt-7HNR8)? “I can’t wait to join the Marines and be Gandalf!” indeed. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-national-guard-commercial-at-the-movie-theaters/529765/25 "2010-02-21T18:32:35Z")
I find it slighly less despicable than that Kid Rock song, or that Three Doors Down one. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-national-guard-commercial-at-the-movie-theaters/529765/26 "2010-02-21T18:35:14Z")
Oh, and who can forget the [Battlechess ad](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdpObuHd6RM&feature=related)? ---
**Author:** ![Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uosdwis_R.Dewoh)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-national-guard-commercial-at-the-movie-theaters/529765/27 "2010-02-21T19:26:17Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > That actually happened in a series of US Marines commercials-remember the recruit [fighting various demons and monsters](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mplEt-7HNR8)? “I can’t wait to join the Marines and be Gandalf!” indeed. The Marines sure got lucky that their phone number spells out _MARINES_. Anyways, our [ads](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Jvtv3jwjbc) seem tame by comparison. ---
**Author:** ![UncaStuart](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uncastuart/32/404_2.png) [@UncaStuart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncaStuart)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-national-guard-commercial-at-the-movie-theaters/529765/28 "2010-02-21T21:18:12Z")
> [@Winston\_Bongo](#): > > They played it right before _Avatar_, a movie where the military are the bad guys and you’re supposed to cheer for them being blowed up real good at the end. That was kind of funny. > > EDIT: Darn you, UncaStuart! Darn you all to heck! 😃 With only 500 posts in 11 years, I finally had to get lucky sometime! Returning to the commercial, it did strike me as departure from the Army Be All You Can Be-style ads, where being put in harm’s way was never mentioned, or the Marine ads mentioned above that put the jeopardy in a fantasy setting. It felt more honest in that regard. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2010, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-national-guard-commercial-at-the-movie-theaters/529765/29 "2010-02-22T00:18:21Z")
On the subject of recruiting commercials, here’s an Air Force one you might like: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LL\_VeHEbtNw](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LL_VeHEbtNw) ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2010, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-national-guard-commercial-at-the-movie-theaters/529765/30 "2010-02-22T02:59:06Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > That actually happened in a series of US Marines commercials-remember the recruit [fighting various demons and monsters](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mplEt-7HNR8)? “I can’t wait to join the Marines and be Gandalf!” indeed. I just watched that commercial for the first time. I think I hurt myself from laughing. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2010, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-national-guard-commercial-at-the-movie-theaters/529765/31 "2010-02-22T03:13:30Z")
> [@Raguleader](#): > > Minor nitpick, we’ve been at war for something like the last 9 years or so, if you only count the big stuff. Maybe someone should tell congress to declare war then. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2010, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-national-guard-commercial-at-the-movie-theaters/529765/32 "2010-02-22T18:53:34Z")
“We arrreee sinnnngggggiiinnnggg fake OP-PPPEERA!” I hate those commercials. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-national-guard-commercial-at-the-movie-theaters/529765.md?page=1)