# Things you see in TV commercials that never happen in the real world **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** commercials-ads\ **Created:** [February 18, 2020, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-see-in-tv-commercials-that-never-happen-in-the-real-world/848112 "2020-02-18T15:22:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**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:** [February 18, 2020, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-see-in-tv-commercials-that-never-happen-in-the-real-world/848112/21 "2020-02-18T17:53:58Z")
People actually buying things for pennies a day. … And they cost **no more!** ---
**Author:** ![rsat3acr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@rsat3acr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsat3acr)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2020, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-see-in-tv-commercials-that-never-happen-in-the-real-world/848112/22 "2020-02-18T17:59:58Z")
light wipe with a sponge cleaning any bathtub scum ---
**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:** [February 18, 2020, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-see-in-tv-commercials-that-never-happen-in-the-real-world/848112/23 "2020-02-18T18:16:28Z")
Americans who learn a foreign language from an app being instantly understood by native speakers. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2020, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-see-in-tv-commercials-that-never-happen-in-the-real-world/848112/24 "2020-02-18T18:21:15Z")
Kid makes a huge mess and parents just laugh as they clean it up. ---
**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:** [February 18, 2020, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-see-in-tv-commercials-that-never-happen-in-the-real-world/848112/25 "2020-02-18T18:25:40Z")
Being told \*\*anyone \*\*between the ages of 18 and 80 can apply with the implication they’ll be automatically accepted. ---
**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 18, 2020, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-see-in-tv-commercials-that-never-happen-in-the-real-world/848112/26 "2020-02-18T18:32:18Z")
Texting people about your bowels. Taking a boner pill and then getting into a separate, but very close by, bathtub than your spouse. Dancing around the kitchen with your SO while cooking dinner and hand feeding them the ingredients as you do so. Sing about how much I’m loving my fast food. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2020, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-see-in-tv-commercials-that-never-happen-in-the-real-world/848112/27 "2020-02-18T18:34:34Z")
Pretty much the entire “has this ever happened to you” section of any given infomercial, featuring the most inept people to have ever lived. Y’know, the part where the lady is so totally incompetent she’s incapable of dumping a pot of pasta into a strainer and she _desperately_ needs a technological solution that they’re about to tell you all about and can be yours for only three easy payments of $9.95, but if you call RIGHT NOW they’ll knock off a payment and even send you a free gift _just for calling_? ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2020, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-see-in-tv-commercials-that-never-happen-in-the-real-world/848112/28 "2020-02-18T18:35:56Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Women at a cocktail party discussing feminine hygiene products and laughing about it. And those femine hygiene products being used to soak up blue liquids. (Though I don’t think I have seen one of those commercials for quite a few years.) ---
**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:** [February 18, 2020, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-see-in-tv-commercials-that-never-happen-in-the-real-world/848112/29 "2020-02-18T18:37:34Z")
People throwing obsolescent kitchen appliances out the nearest window. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2020, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-see-in-tv-commercials-that-never-happen-in-the-real-world/848112/30 "2020-02-18T18:46:31Z")
Someone surprising their spouse with a brand new luxury car with a giant bow on it. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2020, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-see-in-tv-commercials-that-never-happen-in-the-real-world/848112/31 "2020-02-18T19:12:23Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > Someone surprising their spouse with a brand new luxury car with a giant bow on it. Apparently Lexus dealerships actually sell those giant bows as accessories, which would seem to indicate that _someone_ must be doing that. Although I imagine some people who buy them just do so for the novelty of putting a giant bow on their car. ETA cite: [Lexus Brings Back Vehicles With Giant Red Bows 11/04/2019](https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/342876/lexus-brings-back-vehicles-with-giant-red-bows.html) ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2020, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-see-in-tv-commercials-that-never-happen-in-the-real-world/848112/32 "2020-02-18T19:14:02Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Pretty much the entire “has this ever happened to you” section of any given infomercial, featuring the most inept people to have ever lived. Y’know, the part where the lady is so totally incompetent she’s incapable of dumping a pot of pasta into a strainer and she _desperately_ needs a technological solution that they’re about to tell you all about and can be yours for only three easy payments of $9.95, but if you call RIGHT NOW they’ll knock off a payment and even send you a free gift _just for calling_? There’s an entire subreddit for those: [https://old.reddit.com/r/wheredidthesodago/](https://old.reddit.com/r/wheredidthesodago/) ---
**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:** [February 18, 2020, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-see-in-tv-commercials-that-never-happen-in-the-real-world/848112/33 "2020-02-18T19:27:46Z")
Boomers talking about how much they’re saving with cheap cellphone plans. The only discussions I hear Boomers having about their cellphones is whether they’re hearing aid-compatible. > [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > Someone surprising their spouse with a brand new luxury car with a giant bow on it. I know someone who actually did that. The bow is pretty damned impressive! ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2020, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-see-in-tv-commercials-that-never-happen-in-the-real-world/848112/34 "2020-02-18T20:00:22Z")
Women being super impressed that the guys had the right beer for the party. Most women I know aren’t that much into beer and would be a lot more impressed with mixed drinks being offered. Black folks gushing over Buicks. Anyone gushing over Buicks. People who have structured settlements and needing cash now and breaking into opera. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2020, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-see-in-tv-commercials-that-never-happen-in-the-real-world/848112/35 "2020-02-18T20:07:19Z")
Anthropomorphized bubbles emerging from a bottle of cleaning product and cleaning your bathroom for you. When I was maybe 5 or so I wanted my mom to buy the brand of cleaner being advertised (I think it was Dow Bathroom Cleaner) because I believed that was literally going to happen. ---
**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:** [February 18, 2020, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-see-in-tv-commercials-that-never-happen-in-the-real-world/848112/36 "2020-02-18T20:14:58Z")
Off-road vehicles being driven on dirt roads yet remaining virtually pristine. ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2020, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-see-in-tv-commercials-that-never-happen-in-the-real-world/848112/37 "2020-02-18T20:20:06Z")
People coming in and leaving houses with never locking the doors. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2020, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-see-in-tv-commercials-that-never-happen-in-the-real-world/848112/38 "2020-02-18T20:28:03Z")
People driving cars on the wrong side of the road. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2020, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-see-in-tv-commercials-that-never-happen-in-the-real-world/848112/39 "2020-02-18T20:35:16Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > Someone surprising their spouse with a brand new luxury car with a giant bow on it. Not a luxury car, but when I bought my wife a car from Carmax they put a big bow on it and took her picture with it when we came to pick it up. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2020, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-see-in-tv-commercials-that-never-happen-in-the-real-world/848112/40 "2020-02-18T20:44:12Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > Taking a boner pill and then getting into a separate, but very close by, bathtub than your spouse. A house with two side-by-side bathtubs, outside the house, overlooking a scenic view. > [@WildaBeast](#): > > Anthropomorphized bubbles emerging from a bottle of cleaning product and cleaning your bathroom for you. When I was maybe 5 or so I wanted my mom to buy the brand of cleaner being advertised (I think it was Dow Bathroom Cleaner) because I believed that was literally going to happen. Same here. My brother and I badgered my mom into buying a can. We were extremely disappointed. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-see-in-tv-commercials-that-never-happen-in-the-real-world/848112.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-see-in-tv-commercials-that-never-happen-in-the-real-world/848112.md?page=3)