# Visa conformity commercial **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 25, 2007, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-conformity-commercial/409310 "2007-06-25T12:03:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-conformity-commercial/409310/1 "2007-06-25T12:03:37Z")
I’m a little annoyed at the Visa commercials where one person pays with cash or check and thereby totally destroys the production line eatery or other commerce. But I found it very funny on this latest one. It’s the garden supply store and everyone is happily buying their flowers to the happy music. Until one person decides _to be different_. Then everything sucks until conformity is restored. What’s so funny to me is the music they used. It’s the opening music from the movie **Brazil**. A movie so anti-conformity in nature and intent that I find it hard to believe that the producer of the commercial isn’t having a little fun at his clients expense. Poking a little fun at the very message of the commercial, so to speak. Anyone know of any other commercials that “accidently” undercut their own message? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-conformity-commercial/409310/2 "2007-06-25T12:38:17Z")
I like Robin Curtis. I met her at a convention once and have a photograph of the two of us with me doing the “fingers behind the head” bit to her, with a Vulcan salute. But Robin Curtis once made an American Express commercial which included a scene of her going to an antique store just as the proprietor was closing up. She flashed her AmEx card at him through the window and he eagerly reopened. This has left me ever since with a deep distrust of AmEx and at times makes me question my otherwise devout love of capitalism. ---
**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:** [June 25, 2007, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-conformity-commercial/409310/3 "2007-06-25T13:49:15Z")
[QUOTE=Hypno-Toad] What’s so funny to me is the music they used. It’s the opening music from the movie **Brazil**. [/QUOTE] Maybe it was used in Brazil, but it’s actually Raymond Scott’s ubiquitous “Powerhouse,” which has been gracing films and cartoons since the 1940s. Indeed, the use of the song goes a long way to cover up any objections. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-conformity-commercial/409310/4 "2007-06-25T14:02:18Z")
[QUOTE=RealityChuck] Maybe it was used in Brazil, but it’s actually Raymond Scott’s ubiquitous “Powerhouse,” which has been gracing films and cartoons since the 1940s. Indeed, the use of the song goes a long way to cover up any objections. [/QUOTE] Yeah. Terry Gilliam said a lot of the inspiration for his movie came from the mood that song conjured up for him. But for a lot of us, that song is linked forever with that movie. In fact, I’l go as far to say that the movie is the dominant popular link for most people who recognize the song. ---
**Author:** ![Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f0a364/32.png) [@Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rube_E.Tewesday)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-conformity-commercial/409310/5 "2007-06-25T14:07:11Z")
[QUOTE=Hypno-Toad] Yeah. Terry Gilliam said a lot of the inspiration for his movie came from the mood that song conjured up for him. But for a lot of us, that song is linked forever with that movie. In fact, I’l go as far to say that the movie is the dominant popular link for most people who recognize the song. [/QUOTE] Hmmm…I’m thinking way more people associate it with Warner Brothers cartoons, but it’s not like I’ve done a survey. ---
**Author:** ![leafrog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cab0a1/32.png) [@leafrog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leafrog)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-conformity-commercial/409310/6 "2007-06-25T14:17:18Z")
[QUOTE=RealityChuck] Maybe it was used in Brazil, but it’s actually Raymond Scott’s ubiquitous “Powerhouse,” which has been gracing films and cartoons since the 1940s. Indeed, the use of the song goes a long way to cover up any objections. [/QUOTE] Actually, there are two different commercials. I think the one that shows a diner uses “Powerhouse” (which is almost always the answer) and the one showing a garden center uses “Brazil”. I’ve noticed Brazil being used quite a bit lately in different commercials! ---
**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:** [June 25, 2007, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-conformity-commercial/409310/7 "2007-06-25T14:22:47Z")
No, most people have heard it many more times in WB cartoons. It was used in over 40 of them. In addition, I can’t see any indication it was used in **Brazil** ; the Raymond Scott website, the IMDB, and the soundtrack have no mention of it. The only indication that is is from the movie are people who have misidentified it as “Brazil.” There is a song call “Power Station,” but it doesn’t seem to be credited to Scott. **Edited**. I haven’t seen the Flower Shop one, but the OP talks about the lunch line. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-conformity-commercial/409310/8 "2007-06-25T14:36:16Z")
[QUOTE=RealityChuck] No, most people have heard it many more times in WB cartoons. It was used in over 40 of them. In addition, I can’t see any indication it was used in **Brazil** ; the Raymond Scott website, the IMDB, and the soundtrack have no mention of it. The only indication that is is from the movie are people who have misidentified it as “Brazil.” There is a song call “Power Station,” but it doesn’t seem to be credited to Scott. **Edited**. I haven’t seen the Flower Shop one, but the OP talks about the lunch line. [/QUOTE] I do remember the “industrial” lunch line song. Yeah, that one’s been in a lot of cartoons. But it’s not in the \*Flower Shop \* Visa commercial. Sorry for the confusion. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-conformity-commercial/409310/9 "2007-06-25T14:50:38Z")
[QUOTE=Hypno-Toad] What’s so funny to me is the music they used. It’s the opening music from the movie **Brazil**. [/QUOTE] We’ve got the _Powerhouse_/_Brazil_ confusion cleared up. It’s also worth noting that the movie _Brazil_ takes after the song, and not the other way around. The song was originally written by Ary Barroso in 1939 (English lyrics by Bob Russell). I believe the version used in the commercial is from Geoff and Maria Muldaur’s album _Pottery Pie_, released in 1987, and included on the much delayed movie soundtrack. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-conformity-commercial/409310/10 "2007-06-25T15:18:40Z")
What annoys me most about the commercial is that it is not true. It is still a bit faster to pay with cash than a debit card. “Enter your PIN” “Oops sorry enter it again” “Press OK if the amount is right” “You want cash back?” Of course anyone paying with a check should be beaten. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-conformity-commercial/409310/11 "2007-06-25T15:20:41Z")
Calvin Klein (I think) used the CCR song “Fortunate Son” in a patriotic themed ad. I wondered if they ever listened to the lyrics. ---
**Author:** ![BaneSidhe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c5a1d2/32.png) [@BaneSidhe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaneSidhe)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-conformity-commercial/409310/12 "2007-06-25T16:16:20Z")
[QUOTE=Telemark] Calvin Klein (I think) used the CCR song “Fortunate Son” in a patriotic themed ad. I wondered if they ever listened to the lyrics. [/QUOTE] That was Wrangler. The first time I saw that commercial I got to thinking “Someone in that ad company is gonna lose their job once the older folks see this…” ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-conformity-commercial/409310/13 "2007-06-25T16:38:58Z")
The use of Devo’s “Beautiful World” in a Target commercial tops the list for me. An upbeat song about people enjoying their life but oblivious to the problems of the world around them. A good fit for Target, I suppose, since they seem to have a much better image than WalMart even though they’re only slightly less evil when it comes to exploiting the Third World. Side note- The song at the beginning of Brazil is actually titled “The Office” on the soundtrack. It’s the one which has a typewriter used for the underlying beat, and a Bolero-like crescendo with a repeating horn line from the song “Brazil”. (This was used in a recent trailer for a movie - anyone recall which one it was?) “Power Station” is bit of the score. I think it’s from the scene where Jill is picking up or delivering the package. ---
**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-conformity-commercial/409310/14 "2007-06-25T17:12:00Z")
[QUOTE=Hypno-Toad] Anyone know of any other commercials that “accidently” undercut their own message? [/QUOTE] When Carnival Cruise lines used “Lust for Life,” I thought it was one of those hilarious accidents. But lately, they’ve used [Ain’t we got fun?](http://lyricsplayground.com/alpha/songs/a/aintwegotfun.shtml), which has convinced me that they’re just fucking with us. _Landlords mad and getting madder Ain’t we got fun Times are so bad and getting badder Still we have fun There’s nothing surer The rich get rich and the poor get laid off In the meantime In between time Ain’t we got fun._ - to advertise luxury cruises that cost thousands of dollars per person. :rolleyes: ---
**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:** [June 25, 2007, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-conformity-commercial/409310/15 "2007-06-25T17:15:16Z")
[QUOTE=RealityChuck] **Edited**. I haven’t seen the Flower Shop one, but the OP talks about the lunch line. [/QUOTE] 😕 Where? Oh, right, the “production line eatery”. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-conformity-commercial/409310/16 "2007-06-25T17:17:05Z")
[QUOTE=Bryan Ekers] I like Robin Curtis. I met her at a convention once and have a photograph of the two of us with me doing the “fingers behind the head” bit to her, with a Vulcan salute. But Robin Curtis once made an American Express commercial which included a scene of her going to an antique store just as the proprietor was closing up. She flashed her AmEx card at him through the window and he eagerly reopened. This has left me ever since with a deep distrust of AmEx and at times makes me question my otherwise devout love of capitalism. [/QUOTE] I don’t get it. Why did that affect you that way? ---
**Author:** ![Morelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Morelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morelin)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-conformity-commercial/409310/17 "2007-06-25T21:04:49Z")
[QUOTE=Loach] What annoys me most about the commercial is that it is not true. It is still a bit faster to pay with cash than a debit card. “Enter your PIN” “Oops sorry enter it again” “Press OK if the amount is right” “You want cash back?” Of course anyone paying with a check should be beaten. [/QUOTE] I’ve seen people with cash in hand spend minutes searching desperately in their one ton purse for the credit card. ---
**Author:** ![Alistair\_McCello](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/58956e/32.png) [@Alistair\_McCello](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alistair_McCello)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-conformity-commercial/409310/18 "2007-06-25T21:31:28Z")
> [@](#): > > That was Wrangler. The first time I saw that commercial I got to thinking “Someone in that ad company is gonna lose their job once the older folks see this…” I’ve seen the song used in several patriotic commercials, which of course always makes me laugh since the lyrics always seem to cut off just before the line “Ooh, they point the cannon at you”. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-conformity-commercial/409310/19 "2007-06-25T21:36:12Z")
A few years ago there was a commercial for a television that used a cover of The Beatles’ “It’s Getting Better”. The song, and the commercial, ended just before, “it can’t get much worse.” I always helped them out by singing that line. ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-conformity-commercial/409310/20 "2007-06-25T21:53:16Z")
[QUOTE=Hypno-Toad] Yeah. Terry Gilliam said a lot of the inspiration for his movie came from the mood that song conjured up for him. But for a lot of us, that song is linked forever with that movie. In fact, I’l go as far to say that the movie is the dominant popular link for most people who recognize the song. [/QUOTE] I have to disagree. After so many years of watching Warner Bros. cartoons they’re the automatic link for me whenever I hear that music and I’d wager many more people than ever saw Brazil. Personally, I hate those Visa commercials precisely because of the conformity aspect. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-conformity-commercial/409310.md?page=2)