# When celebrities' reputations jump the shark **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** commercials-ads\ **Created:** [March 30, 2026, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887 "2026-03-30T13:17:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/142 "2026-04-02T15:01:59Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Interesting. I know him only as a star of movies that were 10-20 years old when I was a kid seeing them on TV. I have no recollection of any commercials he ever appeared in. In the early 1970s, he appeared in a series of commercials for a local grocery chain in Pittsburgh. A pitchman in the foreground would read the ad copy while Mickey anonymously bagged groceries in the background, after which he would come forward and say to the pitchman, “Why don’t we give them a f’r’instance?” Years later I read in the Washington Post that he was so broke in that era of his life that he would (for a few hundred bucks) agree to attend a party and pretend to be an old friend of the host. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/143 "2026-04-02T15:10:28Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > > [@solost](#): > > > > But why does Jon Hamm, who seems to be having a very active career, and appears or does vioceovers in several other commercials, need to also hawk online gambling? > > “Active career” and lots of money don’t always go together. Dean Winters has been a regular in at least five series I remember ( _Rescue Me_, _Oz_, _Law and Order SVU_, and _30 Rock_) plus I don’t know how many one-offs and even a couple of movies - but I remeber reading he’s earned more from those Allstate Mayhem commercials than all the movie and TV roles put together. > [@Loach](#): > > That’s not hard to understand at all. Featured actors on TV shows make good money but not life-changing never have to work again money. Only a few big stars get to do that. On the other hand a multi year national commercial campaign can be very lucrative. I’ve read that Flo from progressive makes $1 to $2 million a year. Yeah, I get it. Milana Vayntrub is another actor who comes to mind. She’s done a lot of varied work, but has up to now kind of danced around major stardom (hopefully her role in _Project Hail Mary_ changes that). So it’s her recurring role in the AT&T commercials that I’m sure has paid the majority of her bills. Jon Hamm, on the other hand, has been a major character in some pretty big stuff, both TV and movies. I would hope he got a decent payout from all the non-commercial stuff he’s done-- otherwise maybe he should change agents! And it’s not as if I begrudge him doing _any_ commercials-- as has been mentioned, it’s pretty common for bigger stars to do commercials these days. It’s just the online gambling commercials that he (and others like Kevin Hart and Neil Patrick Harris) have done that I find kind of icky. But I’m sure those commercials have big gambling money payouts to the actors (not so much the poor sucker consumers who see the commercials and are convinced to gamble their money away). ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/144 "2026-04-02T15:31:18Z")
Mickey Rooney had a career comeback with a theater production of _Sugar Babies_. It was several old vaudeville, burlesque acts arranged into a hour and half stage performance. Singing, dancing, comedy skits Mickey toured the country. I saw _Sugar Babies_ at the Robinson theater in Little Rock in 1988 or 89? It opened with stage hands tossing Sugar Babies candy into the audience. I had a wonderful time. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/145 "2026-04-02T15:45:16Z")
Mickey Rooney was at his best as a pitch man for Rainier Beer, [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/VtbP2hOX9xA/hqdefault.jpg "Rainier Beer - Wild Rainiers - Mickey Rooney") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtbP2hOX9xA) ---
**Author:** ![matgat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@matgat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matgat)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/146 "2026-04-02T18:00:46Z")
Walter Neff from _Double Indemnity_, aka Fred MacMurray hawking Chisanbop (a Korean finger math counting system) for $12.99 in 1979. [https://youtu.be/vtARCOoQTT8?si=bEWxGvluU47Fcsmy](https://youtu.be/vtARCOoQTT8?si=bEWxGvluU47Fcsmy) ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/147 "2026-04-02T19:20:10Z")
I always felt bad for Colin Ferguson who was the lead actor in _Eureka_ on Syfy (urg) for several seasons, and then ended up pretending to be appliances for Maytag commercials ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/148 "2026-04-02T19:56:17Z")
> [@F.U.Shakespeare](#): > > Years later I read in the Washington Post that he was so broke in that era of his life that he would (for a few hundred bucks) agree to attend a party and pretend to be an old friend of the host. And I’ve always thought that playing the faux-Japanese neighbor of Holly Golightly in “Breakfast At Tiffany’s” had been his nadir… ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/149 "2026-04-02T20:08:55Z")
Well, there is this precedent: [![](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/party.png) ](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/party.png) from **[xkcd: Party](https://xkcd.com/524/)**. ---
**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:** [April 2, 2026, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/150 "2026-04-02T20:15:02Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > A long time ago I saw an infomercial where Erik Estrada was trying to sell undeveloped properties in Florida. Had a scammy feel to it. > [@Frodo](#): > > In Argentina Erik Estrada is known more for his late night commercials about weight-loss drugs than for CHIPS I fear. Lately, he’s been hawking a car warranty company. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/-ByTYvaOda0/maxresdefault.jpg "CAR SHIELD - Commercial ft. Erik Estrada") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ByTYvaOda0) While looking for that, I discovered he also did one for a psychic hotline. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/VDmDMLiflGo/hqdefault.jpg "1993 Kerbrina's Psychic Answer "Erik Estrada" TV Commercial") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDmDMLiflGo) ---
**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:** [April 2, 2026, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/151 "2026-04-02T20:31:03Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Not to be confused with “Mr. T And Tina” which, believe it or not, didn’t feature him at all. Or the film “Dr. T & the Women”, whose title likely belongs in the worst movie title thread. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/152 "2026-04-02T20:33:01Z")
Sounds like a decent title for a porno. Subtitle: The Doctor is _in!_ But not for a “legit” film. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/153 "2026-04-02T20:47:30Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Sounds like a decent title for a porno. Subtitle: The Doctor is _in!_ Even more so once you realize the plot revolves around the personal turmoil of a handsome Hollywood gynecologist (Richard Gere) whose clients all have the hots for him. It’s not the worst film, but it’s definitely not great, despite a semi-star-studded cast. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/154 "2026-04-02T20:57:41Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > It’s not the worst film, but it’s definitely not great, despite a semi-star-studded cast. It’s a Robert Altman movie, so if you’re familiar with his work, you already know whether you’ll like it or not. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/155 "2026-04-02T21:14:39Z")
So funny. I had no idea what the storyline was. Yeah. That story premise reminds me of the ultrasoft porn-lite crap on that one high-numbered scrambled channel on some cable systems back in the 1970s. All set-up, no delivery. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Johnny\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Q)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/156 "2026-04-02T21:17:06Z")
Don’t forget Henry Winkler’s reverse mortgage commercials. Said services are now and always known as a Fonzie Scheme. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/157 "2026-04-02T21:27:11Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > Or the film “Dr. T & the Women”, whose title likely belongs in the worst movie title thread. Which has nothing to do with “The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T.” ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/158 "2026-04-02T21:30:49Z")
> [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](#): > > Which has nothing to do with “The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T.” Though if we stick to the porno theme, one could easily be the sequel to the other. But mostly contrary to the Altman film, I did sorta enjoy The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. It’s genuinely a bit weird and surreal. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/159 "2026-04-02T22:20:14Z")
Never heard that before but I like it. ---
**Author:** ![squidfood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@squidfood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squidfood)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/160 "2026-04-02T22:27:34Z")
> [@MrAtoz](#): > > Shatner’s current regular gig is hosting a show called “The UnXplained” on The History Channel. It’s one of those “paranormal investigation” shows A shout-out to anyone old enough to remember Leonard Nimoy on _In Search Of_… ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2026, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887/161 "2026-04-02T22:52:13Z")
> [@squidfood](#): > > Leonard Nimoy on _In Search Of_… I have always thought that the creators of that show specifically hired Nimoy to host that show, under the supposition that “Mr. Spock” would lend an air of logic and credibility to the goofy pseudoscience topics and conspiracy theories that they covered. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-celebrities-reputations-jump-the-shark/1028887.md?page=9)