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TV ad moms: Just like you and me! (Or not, really)
Categories: Just For Moms, Media, That's Entertainment
A couple of years back, there was an ad for a children's allergy medication that made every mom I know laugh hysterically. The ad featured a clearly well-rested and showered mother of three talking about allergy season. Her old children's allergy medication, she lamented, put her kids to sleep every single time! Cue shot of all three kids sound asleep in the middle of the day, while the dismayed mom looked on.
Fortunately, she found this NEW medication, which lets the kids keep going! And then we saw her playing ball with the boy and doing something with the littler kids; I can't remember exactly what because by then I was frantically trying to remember what the FIRST medication was, the one that knocked the kids out cold.
Seriously, I would give anything to have both of my kids nap at the same time during the day. But I digress.
When I read Louise Gallagher's Unrealistic Expectations: The Worst Mummy-Offending TV Ads at mamazine.com, I was reminded of the silliness of that particular ad. Gallagher argues that "You may be able to dodge the beatific images on parenting magazines by cultivating an obsessive interest in freshwater fishing when passing magazine stands. Avoiding television advertisements, however, can prove more difficult-springing up as they do, when you're affixed to a breastfeeding baby whose older brother has just run off with the remote." Sound familiar?
What ads get you laughing? And which ones make you mad?
Fortunately, she found this NEW medication, which lets the kids keep going! And then we saw her playing ball with the boy and doing something with the littler kids; I can't remember exactly what because by then I was frantically trying to remember what the FIRST medication was, the one that knocked the kids out cold.
Seriously, I would give anything to have both of my kids nap at the same time during the day. But I digress.
When I read Louise Gallagher's Unrealistic Expectations: The Worst Mummy-Offending TV Ads at mamazine.com, I was reminded of the silliness of that particular ad. Gallagher argues that "You may be able to dodge the beatific images on parenting magazines by cultivating an obsessive interest in freshwater fishing when passing magazine stands. Avoiding television advertisements, however, can prove more difficult-springing up as they do, when you're affixed to a breastfeeding baby whose older brother has just run off with the remote." Sound familiar?
What ads get you laughing? And which ones make you mad?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
LS 4-25-2007 @ 5:30PM
Oh, this is a subject that pushes my buttons (commercials in general, and stupid/demeaning ones in particular). I've thought of two TV ads that really get me: that Pizza Hut ad - the one with the stupid father celebrating because he "put one over" on the pizza guy again, by taking advantage of their 'great deal' - just drives me nuts. Then there are the new ads for some shampoo or other... these are the ones who pit blondes against brunettes. In a recent commercial, it's about controlling the frizz I think, there's a woman standing there, holding the leash of a guy wearing a straight jacket. If that were turned around, can you imagine the outcry? A man, holding the leash of a woman in a straight jacket? Wow.
There's also an ad on the radio for Ovaltine that grates on me. Teacher asks class to use "rich" in a sentence. Little girl pipes up with a proper sentence. Then Little Johnny (or whatever his name is) starts in with the "Rich, chocolate Ovaltine" garbage. Teacher gives him another try - he replies with more of the same. Teacher then GIVES IN to Little Johnny's product placement in the class, and Little Johnny corrects her AGAIN. If any of my students had treated me that way, they'd have found their little backsides sitting on chairs in detention...
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Ann Adams 4-25-2007 @ 9:10PM
It goes back more years than I can count but I boycotted two products. I don't notice that it made a lot of difference to the two brands but I felt better.
One was the peanut butter commercial which had a little kid saying "you're not a choosy mother".
The other was a husband extolling the virtues of their next door neighbor's coffee.
Notice I didn't name the brands. I do buy both of them now when they're on sale but it took me years.
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Dawn 4-25-2007 @ 9:42PM
We have a local chain of pawnshops that uses a little boy who shows, like an MC, his mother wrestling with a broken washing machine, or not having enough money to pay bills. He says some drivel about 'Mom's always getting in a pickle'. I HATE it beyond words. Uppity twerp bad-mouthing mom? I don't think so...
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Katheryn 4-25-2007 @ 11:37PM
There was one I saw about a year ago advertising for a gym membership. It showed a couple who had a new baby. Middle of the night, baby cries, dad gets up with the baby. For a visual: He's middle-aged, no shirt - just shorts, and of course a bit overweight. So he picks up the baby and takes him out to the living room, sits down on the couch, and when he reaches over to pick up the remote, the baby starts sucking his man boobs. Distrubing, but one of the funiest commercials I've seen.
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SKL 5-03-2007 @ 2:42AM
Every food commercial that has Mommy, Daddy, Johnny, and Jenny sitting around the perfectly-set table, looking at each other, smiling, and nodding to show how they all agree that the crap they are eating (e.g., microwave hamburgers) is the best experience they've had all year. And breakfast food commercials where all the kids are clean, dressed, and groomed, smiling excitedly as they hold a heaping spoonful of dry cereal in front of their closed mouths - they are happy because Mommy has gotten up extra early to pour the milk and orange juice into clear glass pitchers as well as into the glasses, and the cloth printed napkins match the sunny kitchen curtains. Reminds me of every morning while I was growing up . . . .
I mean seriously, has anyone ever poured the milk from the carton into a pitcher in preparation for breakfast?
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