# What commercials say to you **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 17, 2013, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-commercials-say-to-you/674135 "2013-11-17T18:39:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Chanteuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de053/32.png) [@Chanteuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chanteuse)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2013, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-commercials-say-to-you/674135/101 "2013-11-21T05:49:55Z")
> [@kenobi65](#): > > Dudley Moore made a movie, _Crazy People_, in which he played an ad exec who wound up being committed to a psychiatric hospital because he started writing ads which told the blatant truth. > [@Irishman](#): > > Not quite right. He was mentally blocked on his advertising and thought he was cracking up and had himself committed. At the psychiatric hospital, he got the mental patients to help him with his new strategy of telling the blatant truth. Nitpick–he was involuntarily committed by his employer (he begged his colleague not to leave him there). It was only after he connected with a female patient that he wanted to stay. By that time, his ads, accidentally printed, had become wildly popular and by getting his therapy group to help him, he was allowed to stay. (I love this movie! One of my favorite lines–“A free plant! For fat slobs! You are so fired it is un-be-LIEVable!”) ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-commercials-say-to-you/674135/102 "2013-11-23T02:24:51Z")
What [this commercial](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQXoK9Gx7iM) (for the new Cadillac XTS) says to me is that people who drive the new Cadillac XTS are total douchebags. I realize that it’s supposed to be saying “Our new car _blows the doors off_ the competition!” which is an established metaphorical saying and all. But I think it was a mistake to actually show the other drivers. They look so…hurt. I mean, they aren’t driving the All-New Cadillac XTS with umpty-jillion horsepower and heated leather dipstick and everything, but still, you shouldn’t go around just totally wrecking their cars, dude! (And that first model is pretty damned hot, and she looks so upset, and naturally I take her side and want to, um, comfort her, and stuff. Maybe if I punched the smug jerk driving the Cadillac she would be grateful and maybe go out with me?) ---
**Author:** ![Zago](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecccb3/32.png) [@Zago](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zago)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-commercials-say-to-you/674135/103 "2013-11-23T02:44:59Z")
Those Vonage commercials with the crazy homeless guy says to me - ‘want to hang with people who stink?’ I’m a little crazy myself (although not homeless) and I can see a bit of symbolism (breaking down walls Jose, as he busts through a ‘wall’ to an Hispanic’s office. But these commercials are creepy. ---
**Author:** ![Tess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@Tess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tess)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2013, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-commercials-say-to-you/674135/104 "2013-11-23T02:47:01Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > Arby’s “Slicing Up Freshness”. We slice our meats at the restaurant rather than at some factory. > > Translation: Who really cares what the hell is in the stuff we’re feeding you. It’s more important that we slice the processed pressed together food chunks here instead of there. When they started explaining sandwiches at other restaurants were made by robots all I could think was, “Sandwich-making robots! Where do I get one?” Besides the awesomeness, robots seem more hygienic than some teenager making minimum wage. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-commercials-say-to-you/674135/105 "2013-11-25T19:37:29Z")
Just saw a Met Life commercial where a pair of daughters are convincing their mother to buy insurance for herself and their father. ‘Come on, I’ll help you call.’ I’ve been watching too many of those murder investigation shows on ID, because it just looks suspicious to me. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-commercials-say-to-you/674135/106 "2013-11-25T20:21:43Z")
> [@Zago](#): > > Those Vonage commercials with the crazy homeless guy says to me - ‘want to hang with people who stink?’ I’m just glad the Geico caveman got a new job. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-commercials-say-to-you/674135/107 "2013-11-25T21:24:51Z")
> [@Death\_of\_Rats](#): > > Sadly, this is the _actual_ concept behind about 95% of all advertising. No…the sad part is that they’re lying. ---
**Author:** ![Death\_of\_Rats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-commercials-say-to-you/674135/108 "2013-11-25T22:31:09Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Just saw a Met Life commercial where a pair of daughters are convincing their mother to buy insurance for herself and their father. ‘Come on, I’ll help you call.’ > > I’ve been watching too many of those murder investigation shows on ID, because it just looks suspicious to me. Is that the one where the dad banged up his arm falling off a ladder and the sisters jump immediately to discussing increasing the parents death benefits? Way to show compassion, vultures. If I was mom and dad, I would start sleeping with one eye open. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-commercials-say-to-you/674135/109 "2013-11-25T22:51:04Z")
Yep, that’s the one. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2013, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-commercials-say-to-you/674135/110 "2013-11-26T00:05:18Z")
> [@Chanteuse](#): > > (I love this movie! One of my favorite lines–“A free plant! For fat slobs! You are so fired it is un-be-LIEVable!”) “Johnson! Say something true!” “I… I like small boys.” “About the _product_, you idiot!” ---
**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:** [November 30, 2013, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-commercials-say-to-you/674135/111 "2013-11-30T18:32:32Z")
“If you don’t drive here, you can’t save here!” Takeaway: those who walk or ride here won’t save shit. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2013, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-commercials-say-to-you/674135/112 "2013-12-07T00:52:25Z")
The new Sears commercial where the ladies are heading to a movie but decide to park in the Sears parking lot because it always has room, then they end up shopping there for hours. This commercial tells me that few people choose to go to Sears, hence the parking lot that always has lots of room! ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2013, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-commercials-say-to-you/674135/113 "2013-12-07T05:59:33Z")
> [@MEBuckner](#): > > What [this commercial](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQXoK9Gx7iM) (for the new Cadillac XTS) says to me is that people who drive the new Cadillac XTS are total douchebags. > > I realize that it’s supposed to be saying “Our new car _blows the doors off_ the competition!” which is an established metaphorical saying and all. But I think it was a mistake to actually show the other drivers. They look so…hurt. I mean, they aren’t driving the All-New Cadillac XTS with umpty-jillion horsepower and heated leather dipstick and everything, but still, you shouldn’t go around just totally wrecking their cars, dude! (And that first model is pretty damned hot, and she looks so upset, and naturally I take her side and want to, um, comfort her, and stuff. Maybe if I punched the smug jerk driving the Cadillac she would be grateful and maybe go out with me?) What it says to me is, “Our car goes _much_ faster than parked cars!” ---
**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:** [December 7, 2013, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-commercials-say-to-you/674135/114 "2013-12-07T12:07:40Z")
> [@Zago](#): > > Those Vonage commercials with the crazy homeless guy says to me - ‘want to hang with people who stink?’ > I’m a little crazy myself (although not homeless) and I can see a bit of symbolism (breaking down walls Jose, as he busts through a ‘wall’ to an Hispanic’s office. But these commercials are creepy. I don’t think he’s supposed to be homeless, just as eccentric hipster. ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2013, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-commercials-say-to-you/674135/115 "2013-12-07T13:43:22Z")
Folks, the Geico gecko has a Cockney/East End accent. Not Aussie or Kiwi. Signed, the Accent Police ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2013, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-commercials-say-to-you/674135/116 "2013-12-07T15:12:48Z")
He moved to New South Wales at the age of five, having been born in Liverpool. After college, he moved to somewhere in the Mid Atlantic USA. And he watches a lot of anime. ---
**Author:** ![11811](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/9d8465/32.png) [@11811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/11811)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2013, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-commercials-say-to-you/674135/117 "2013-12-08T00:36:51Z")
In general, they say: You need this to be cool All your friends are doing it You need people to love or envy you, so buy this You’re too stupid to be swayed by spec that you don’t understand, so we’re making an emotional appeal ---
**Author:** ![Zago](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecccb3/32.png) [@Zago](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zago)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2013, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-commercials-say-to-you/674135/118 "2013-12-08T01:03:56Z")
The Raisin Bran commercial where the daughter says to the dad, “did Mom make you eat that?”: it says most people have to be forced to eat Raisin Bran. I, actually like Raisin Bran but apparently it’s mostly loathed if someone has to force you to eat it. I still don’t get the crazy/homeless Vonage guy - I believe he’s styled specifically to look homeless, not just eccentric. Why anyone would take advice from him is baffling. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2013, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-commercials-say-to-you/674135/119 "2013-12-08T03:05:46Z")
> [@InternetLegend](#): > > What it says to me is, “Our car goes _much_ faster than parked cars!” Heh. Meanwhile, for just about any prescription medication sold these days: “If you take this drug, you will live your life in slow motion and spend all your time in really pretty outdoor locations.” Kind of like taking acid, really. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2013, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-commercials-say-to-you/674135/120 "2013-12-08T12:42:22Z")
Those KIA? ads: our cars are driven by hamsters who like hip hop-you can too. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-commercials-say-to-you/674135.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-commercials-say-to-you/674135.md?page=7)