Sunday, December 02, 2007

Sweden, here we come

I've been dogging commercials I hate, but there are a few now that I actually like.

I love the one where the genial, bearded adult son takes his genial, bearded dad to Norway, and after they've been there for a while, they discover they're really from Sweden. So they just pick up and go to Sweden. Seriously, somebody should give these two their own show: The Genial, Bearded, Slightly Dim Dad and Son Travel Show. Even though they never say anything, they're adorable, in their matching wool sweaters, hanging at Ibsen's favorite pub.

I also admit to enjoying the ad with the girl who gets a pony as a gift while all her pals get cool cell phones. The pony is obviously deranged, possibly rabid, and is seen eating her family's doghouse, and when one friend ventures to ask if he bites, the girl's YES response is so definite I laugh every time.

But I'm not going soft, it goes without saying that I hate hate HATE the Burger King Hit Moms. I mean, I'd like to murder the plastic-headed Burger King too, but those women are screechy and annoying. One whines about how BK is moving into mom territory by making some sandwich with "garlic sauce" on it, and all I have to say is gee, nice stereotype that mom's only role is to cook for her kids, and also, what mom ever made homemade GARLIC SAUCE to put on any mom-made food item? Not in my universe.

17 comments:

Rachel said...

I don't know what product it's for, but the dad is trying to leave carrots or something out for Santa and the kid is wigging out: "He'll leave he'll leave HE'LL LEAVE!!"

Soooo cute!

Anonymous said...

I adore the Genial, Bearded, Slightly Dim Dad and Son commercial. Probably because I'm 3/4 Scandahoovian myself. Still, it is sweet.

Ellie said...

The Genial, Bearded, Slightly Dim Dad and Son Travel Show
I would watch that without fail.

I do like the "You wouldn't make it in pro football" commercial with the player and his dislocated pinky. And the one for the Fox football commentators where they have a fake gardening show. "Emmett, you be a tree," cracks me up every time.

I think I might hate cell phone commercials almost as much as jewelry commercials. I hate the smarmy Verizon guy and the "Chad vs. four nerds" Alltell ads, and even the Cingular dropped call ads are getting stale. The one with the grandma texting is kind of cute, though. "IDK, my BFF Rose?"

Anonymous said...

Yes, that Burger King commercial is the second horrendously sexist Burger King commercial I can think of off the top of my head . . . the other being the one where the guys all sing about how manly the Double Whopper is. Thus implying that men who like quiche (like my SO) are not manly enough, and women who like burgers (like me) are not feminine enough.

My SO and I were totally freaked out the other day by the commercial for that new Elmo toy. Because it was all like, "We can't show you what Elmo does!" and then Elmo was all censored, as if he were doing something inappropriate for TV. We both felt kind of violated after that one.

Anonymous said...

In the same vein as the GBSDDAS, I like the Ocean Spray farmers standing in the cranberry bog, where one is the stolid old-timer and the other is enthusiastic about cranberries (the ninja fruit!) in a Labradorish way.

qtilla said...

I also am obsessed with the Genial, Bearded, Slightly Dim Dad and Son commercial. I love the extended version where they're standing out on the cliffy-hillside and he says he feels like yodeling.

I would like to feel like yodeling. And wear awesome sweaters and travel with my genial father to someplace awesome. That is the allure for me, a relationship I cannot have with a man who does not exist.

Unfortunately, in my case I would be with my dashiki-clad dad wandering aimlessly in Africa or Bosnia hitting on very young women and asking me if he could borrow money.

lizbethsa said...

The Genial, Bearded, Slightly Dim Dad and Son...

I'm expecting the next Citi commercial to be them in Stockholm, finding out that they're really from Denmark. LOL

Anonymous said...

I love the genial bearded son and dad commercial too. They look like they're having such a good time, it makes me laugh everytime. They are adorable.

*Nicki* said...

I love all of the Christmas themed Alltell ads with Chad, Santa, and the four nerds! Its hillarious when Santa says they are going to be on the naughty list and ties them up in the slay. I also think its cute that they look like claymation like all of the best old Christmas movies. I'm obsessed :)

Anonymous said...

I think the beared, slightly dim dad DOES speak, actually -- at some point I remember the two of them overlooking a lake and the Dad says "I feel like yodeling!"

I have a soft spot for the Ocean Spray cranberry farmers, especially with the dim younger guy calling cranberries "the ninja fruit" and the older guy just explaining, "He's been hitting the DVD's a little hard." ...But that may be because my family is a supplier for Ocean Spray and I thus got to meet them. (...The actor playing the younger cranberry farmer is really hot in person, FYI.)

Anonymous said...

Regarding holiday commercials, while I usually cringe at the Sonic couple they cracked me up last night. The wife has eaten her Sonic Holiday Peppermint blast and is blowing her breath at the husband. The looks on his face at her less than "minty fresh" breath are priceless!

Anonymous said...

I love the bearded father and son commercial, it's a really funny twist to the "trip of a lifetime."

I absolutely hate the Lowe's Home Improvement commercial with the lady that can't think of what she needs to decorate for Xmas, so she starts acting everything out the the Lowe's employee. I know the holiday season can be a little stressful for some, but seriously, you can't think of the word garland!

Anonymous said...

Yes! That Lowe's commercial is so annoying.

Ellie said...

Oh, mandie, I hate that one too! The worst part is when she's acting out the snow globe, and the Lowe's employee, who is STANDING RIGHT IN FRONT OF IT, says "Giant inflatable snow globe?" And the woman CONTINUES TO ACT IT OUT.

Argh.

Angela Matteson said...

I love the father and son Citi commercial so much I had to illustrate them. They bring on the warm fuzzies! I found your blog when trying to find out how to correctly spell "Ibsen's".

Copy Editor said...

I too, love the commercial with the kid who's upset that his dad ate the cookies. I think that kid was also on a commercial for some kid of high-speed Internet. He's a cutie-pie.

My roommate and I love the vacuum commercial where a big black dog comes into a white room, shakes, and explodes into a whole lot of little tiny black dogs who shed everywhere before being vacuumed up.

I do NOT like the stupid Lowe's commercial. The one where the idiot lady acts out what she wants is only marginally worse than the guy who asks the clerk to pretend to be his wife.

Anonymous said...

I agree that the Citi commercial is very cute, but I found this blog post and had some second thoughts:

http://lottasplace.blogspot.com/2007/12/favorite-pub.html