# The "Talk To The Box" Ad As It Should Be **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 8, 2008, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-talk-to-the-box-ad-as-it-should-be/436815 "2008-02-08T16:54:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![zenith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@zenith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zenith)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2008, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-talk-to-the-box-ad-as-it-should-be/436815/1 "2008-02-08T16:54:00Z")
I really hate that H&R Block ad where the poor guy can’t figure out something on his income tax and his smug wife picks up the tax-prep software container and says, “Talk to the box.” Have you noticed that he’s sitting, and she’s standing? My version of talking to the box would be to get my face right in front of HER “box” and yell, “You smug little cunt! Get outta my face!” That’s how I’d “Talk to the box”. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2008, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-talk-to-the-box-ad-as-it-should-be/436815/2 "2008-02-08T17:00:17Z")
Single, I take it? ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2008, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-talk-to-the-box-ad-as-it-should-be/436815/3 "2008-02-08T17:02:58Z")
Funny, I had _exactly_ the opposite impression, **elucidator**. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2008, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-talk-to-the-box-ad-as-it-should-be/436815/4 "2008-02-08T17:04:31Z")
Nah, any married man would know that no woman wants to hear it referred to as her “box.” It’s my “purse.” 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2008, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-talk-to-the-box-ad-as-it-should-be/436815/5 "2008-02-08T17:06:32Z")
I hate this commercial because those computer tax preparer software boxes cost $20. Is it really necessary to be a shrill harpy because your husband spent $20 on a tax program that is not as easy as you’d hoped? Just take your tax papers to a tax preparer guy and you’ll be fine. And again, only out $20. On top of that, unless you have a seriously complicated tax situation, a blind monkey with a pencil in its teeth can follow the simple prompts the tax software gives and finish your taxes in an hour. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2008, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-talk-to-the-box-ad-as-it-should-be/436815/6 "2008-02-08T17:14:05Z")
After seeing that commercial, my wife turned to me and said, “You know I would never talk to you like that, don’t you?” She’s the greatest. Ed ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2008, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-talk-to-the-box-ad-as-it-should-be/436815/7 "2008-02-08T17:18:17Z")
Even more stupid because H&R Block’s logo is…A box! ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2008, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-talk-to-the-box-ad-as-it-should-be/436815/8 "2008-02-08T17:25:14Z")
[QUOTE=suranyi] After seeing that commercial, my wife turned to me and said, “You know I would never talk to you like that, don’t you?” [/QUOTE] To which you responded, “Shut up, woman. Where’s my san’wich?!” right? Or am I the only one who got that training? ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2008, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-talk-to-the-box-ad-as-it-should-be/436815/9 "2008-02-08T17:26:31Z")
[QUOTE=suranyi] After seeing that commercial, my wife turned to me and said, “You know I would never talk to you like that, don’t you?” She’s the greatest. Ed [/QUOTE] But afterwards, did she add, “Because you would never make me talk to you like that, right?” ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2008, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-talk-to-the-box-ad-as-it-should-be/436815/10 "2008-02-08T17:27:00Z")
[QUOTE=KneadToKnow] To which you responded, “Shut up, woman. Where’s my san’wich?!” right? Or am I the only one who got that training? [/QUOTE] And slap her ass, you forget to mention that. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2008, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-talk-to-the-box-ad-as-it-should-be/436815/11 "2008-02-08T17:31:16Z")
Despite my username, I can knock out my return in 10 minutes using TurboTax online. How hard could it be? ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2008, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-talk-to-the-box-ad-as-it-should-be/436815/12 "2008-02-08T17:40:49Z")
[QUOTE=Antinor01] And slap her ass, you forget to mention that. [/QUOTE] I knew I should’ve gone to the advanced seminar. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2008, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-talk-to-the-box-ad-as-it-should-be/436815/13 "2008-02-08T17:53:37Z")
You know, I’m the most sarcastic, smart-mouthed wife you could ever have nightmares about and I hate that damned commercial. O.K., I could see me being a sarcastic smart-mouth and saying the first ‘talk to the box’, but her continued belittling would have earned a “shut the fuck up or do it yourself.” Yeup, hate that commercial. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2008, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-talk-to-the-box-ad-as-it-should-be/436815/14 "2008-02-08T18:30:16Z")
Oh man I hate the commercial. ---
**Author:** ![catsix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@catsix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/catsix)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2008, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-talk-to-the-box-ad-as-it-should-be/436815/15 "2008-02-08T18:57:04Z")
It’s just another in a long line of commercials in which a woman and/or child shows up some bumbling idiot man. What else could we expect after the 5 \* 5 = 26 commercial where the idiot man can’t multiply and the smug children correct him and then the smug mother says ‘look at your father and remember to stay in school.’ Typical. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2008, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-talk-to-the-box-ad-as-it-should-be/436815/16 "2008-02-08T19:01:20Z")
[QUOTE=Really Not All That Bright] Despite my username, I can knock out my return in 10 minutes using TurboTax online. How hard could it be? [/QUOTE] Not necessarily hard, but when you get to multiple earners, multiple children, multiple 1099s and itemized deductions, it sure as hell isn’t a ten minute job anymore. Back when I was single and worked the same job for the entire year, it was ten minutes **tops**. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Omegaman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e480ec/32.png) [@Omegaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omegaman)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2008, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-talk-to-the-box-ad-as-it-should-be/436815/17 "2008-02-08T19:43:48Z")
[QUOTE=zenith] My version of talking to the box would be to get my face right in front of HER “box” and yell, “You smug little cunt! Get outta my face!” That’s how I’d “Talk to the box”. [/QUOTE] No wonder the chicks dig you. ---
**Author:** ![Genghis\_Bob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/45deac/32.png) [@Genghis\_Bob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Genghis_Bob)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2008, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-talk-to-the-box-ad-as-it-should-be/436815/18 "2008-02-08T19:54:37Z")
I guess I’m the only one who finds it funny . . . ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2008, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-talk-to-the-box-ad-as-it-should-be/436815/19 "2008-02-08T20:22:06Z")
Funny? Funny? An ad that so clearly objectifies men as bumbling, inept nincompoops, another in a long line of oppressive stereotypes? You need some conciousness raising, bub. There are any number of such gathering places for men to share thier experiences at the hands of female chuavinist piglettes. Take a hanky. They are usually called “bars” (for some obscure reason). Listen quietly at the door first, just to be sure. If you hear something that sounds like “…first and ten on their own twenty-five…”, you found one, go in and share in the healing. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2008, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-talk-to-the-box-ad-as-it-should-be/436815/20 "2008-02-08T20:33:08Z")
[QUOTE=elucidator] They are usually called “bars” (for some obscure reason). Listen quietly at the door first, just to be sure. [/QUOTE] It’s a typo of ‘Bras’. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-talk-to-the-box-ad-as-it-should-be/436815.md?page=2)