I Just Watched...

[txfilmfan]

THE THING ABOUT MODERN COMMERCIALS that gets me is THAT THEY ARE soooooooooooooo PUNISHINGLY DREADFUL- and there is NO NEED FOR THEM TO BE.

I was recently looking at commercials from the 70s 80s and 90s ON YOUTUBE and was taken aback by how INNOCUOUS AND INNOFFENSIVE AND TO-THE-POINT THEY ARE.

No stunt casting of polarizing celebs (every time I see SCHWARZENAGGER in one of those STATE FARM ADS I OUTRIGHT TURN OFF WHATEVER I AM WATCHING AND MOVE ON TO SOMETHING ELSE, SEE ALSO: rebel wilson FOR MATCH.COM AND PETE DAVIDSON, PERIOD)

There were no "wet teddy bears" or idiotic nonsense hypothetical scenarios about "LIBERTY BIBBERTY" or "my car named BRAD" in the CAR INSURANCE COMMERCIALS- they just TOLD YOU WHAT THEIR PLAN WAS AND THEN LET YOU GET ON WITH YOUR LIFE.

THERE WAS NO INTERACTIVE ADS THAT FROZE OR LOCKED YOUR SCREEN IF YOU CHOSE NOT TO INTERRACT WITH THEM.

THERE WAS NO DOUG AND NO LIMU EMO.

NO "I LIKE TO SMELL MY BEARD GUY"

AND NO FLO.

so help me, if I could put that woman on a rocket to the sun I WOULD.

AND "FEMININE DRYNESS" AND "BUTT STINK" AND THE ACTUAL FUNCTION OF TOILET PAPER WERE DISCUSSIONS LEFT FOR PRIVATE LOCKER ROOMS.

SO MANY ADS I SEE FROM 1970-1999 FEATURE PLEASANT-LOOKING, NON IRRITATING PEOPLE TELLING YOU DIRECTLY WHAT THE PRODUCT IS AND WHAT IT DOES AND HOW MUCH IT COST AND THEN THEY GOT THE **** OFF YOUR SCREEN AND LET YOU GET BACK TO "DAYS OF OUR LIVES."

BUT NO, WE CANT HAVE NICE THINGS ANYMORE, SO INSTEAD WE HAVE A "BOOKING.COM" COMMERCIAL WHERE ONE GUY SPOTTING A GUY ON A BENCH PRESS SPITS HIS GUM INTO THE MOUTH OF THE OTHER GUY BY ACCIDENT- AND IT HAPPENS IN THE FIRST FIVE SECONDS, YOU CAN'T MISS IT! I HAD TO GET OFF THE ELLIPTICAL MACHINE AT THE GYM BECAUSE I LITERALLY GAGGED WATCHING IT!!!!!

I mean, if you had gone to an AD AGENCY in 1967 and said "we want to sell our product by MAKING PEOPLE PHYSICALLY ILL THROUGH OUR ADS" then DON DRAPER would have shown your assss the door and he would have been write to do it.

sorry guys, I'm on one today. advertisements have become the new "FLAMES ON THE SIIIIIIIDE OF MY FAAAAAACE"

I agree. We used to have Mr. Whipple, the Maytag repairman, and various middle-aged actresses selling us coffee or Hostess snacks. But the 70s started having more delicate matters air in ads too (Summer's Eve and other hygiene products' ads were controversial back in the day), but nothing like today's ads. I'd much rather have Charmin tell me how soft it is by squeezing it, rather than have a bunch of animated bears tell me how clean their backsides are after using it.

One big difference is the types of products advertised. In primetime, it used to be a lot of cars, food and cleaning products. Now it's prescription drugs and insurance. The former weren't allowed to advertise in the 70s. Only OTC medicines were allowed. And the only insurance ads I remember were Prudential or Mutual of Omaha, and then only on their own show (WIld Kingdom) or on Sunday talk shows. All that advertising has to be impacting our insurance rates...

[kingrat]

By the way, speaking of your TV pet peeves, I recall your one post on the old boards saying how much you could not stand Linda Lavin. She played a murder victim on a CBS show last week, playing a former murderess who was killed herself when she was pushed from a high-rise balcony. I thought you might get a kick out of that.

Yes, Elsbeth has begun in a promising way. If you can imagine Lily Tomlin playing a combination of Columbo and Monk, that is Carrie Preston as Elsbeth. Linda Lavin might be ideal casting as an unpleasant New Yorker who torments the people who rent apartments in the building she owns. Jane Krakowski was excellent as the sleek upscale real estate agent involved in the story.

[jimimac71]

Back in the old days there was a job called “Traffic.”
Not automobile traffic but managing ads on TV and radio.
Two car commercials in the same cluster was a no-no.
Now there are two 15 second spots in the same cluster intentionally.
Two spots for the same company. Think AAA.
They edit them down from 30 to 15.
Now there’s an ad for “pits and privates.” (Lume)
The other ad for lady parts intends for you to imagine the other P word. (Secret)
Television clearly has hit an all-time new low.
The “Boob Tube” would be a compliment.
Indeed, I believe selling meds on TV should be outlawed.
Jardiance, the musical, is an insult.
A singing commercial for a diabetes drug is so very wrong.

[Fedya]

Jardiance, the musical, is an insult.
A singing commercial for a diabetes drug is so very wrong.

[Masha]

What's My Line (1950-1967) was sponsored by: 'Stopette' (Poof! There goes perspiration!) These commercials were usually a talking head but there was one which had a lady in a unitard doing an interpretive dance. It is ... interesting.

[txfilmfan]

What's My Line (1950-1967) was sponsored by: 'Stopette' (Poof! There goes perspiration!) These commercials were usually a talking head but there was one which had a lady in a unitard doing an interpretive dance. It is ... interesting.

Stopette is referenced in Sabrina, of all things. As I understand these things, it was the first anti-perspirant on the market that wasn't applied with the hands, thanks to the invention of the plastic squeeze bottle. In Sabrina, as I recall, one of David's loves is a TV spokesmodel, and his father (Walter Hampden) derides her occupation by imitating the "Poof Poof" demonstration of the product's application.

WML had a variety of sponsors after Stopette could no longer afford to be the sole sponsor. It was common to have alternating sponsors back then (one primary, one secondary, and then they'd usually reverse the next week). The set was adjusted so that the primary sponsor's trademarks/logos could be attached to the panelists' desk and switched out easily. Remington Rand was also a sponsor in the 1950s, and they would hawk everything from their electric razors to typewriters and other office equipment, including their latest top of the line computers.

I'd never heard of Stopette until I started watching WML reruns on the Game Show Network years ago. They would show the entire original show with period commercials (and then add their own modern ones too), so a 30 minute episode ran 40 minutes.

[Andree]

I suppose I've seen every episode of Seinfeld multiple times, though I've
taken a hiatus in recent years and it doesn't seem to be on in as many places as
it used to be. Still funny for the most part. I never thought it was necessary for
Jerry to be a good actor, he just had to be able to get the comedic situations
over, which he did. And how much charisma do you need for a "show about nothing?"
I especially give Elaine props for wearing an Orioles cap at a damn Yankees home
game. And you know, well yada yada.

I think the Lume lady has toned down her spiel lately. She doesn't talk about
under this, up that, but private areas. There's also another woman who does a
similar ad for another brand of deodorizer. Maybe this is the golden age of
eliminating the PU problem.

[kingrat]

Speaking of obnoxious commercials: how does anyone stand the obnoxious evil guy who appears in the commercials for one insurance company? Or the sweater guy in the extremely ageist and offensive "becoming their parents" commercials for another insurance company? I do not understand those commercials at all, except as utterly repulsive. Flo is welcome next to these guys, whom I instantly mute.

By the way, Seinfeld was never about nothing, despite what Larry David might have said. It is an expression of narcissistic navel-gazing New Yorkers believing that they are the center of the universe.

[Masha]

I'd never heard of Stopette until I started watching WML reruns on the Game Show Network years ago. They would show the entire original show with period commercials (and then add their own modern ones too), so a 30 minute episode ran 40 minutes.

It is currently shown on: Buzzr. It retains the original commercials and has flashscreen breaks and so fills forty minutes. It is at four-forty in the morning. That is a bad time for me because it is about when I go to bed. I do watch on occasion but it does screw up my next day. I have reason to believe that they are about to change their schedule again. I hope that it is on at a different time but I fear they will remove it because it is in a block of 1950s programmes and they do not present those regularly.

[HoldenIsHere]

(IN RE: THE ELAINE GIFS)

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAS!

I LIVE!!!!!!

PS- IS THERE A SINGLE PERSON WHO POSTS HERE WHO IS FAMILIAR WITH "THE ENGLISH PATIENT EPISODE" THAT HASN'T FELT THAT WAY ABOUT SOME MOVIE EVERYONE WAS LOSING IT OVER COMPLETELY AT SOME TIME IN THE PAST????

(although I thought THE ENGLISH PATIENT was fine, even if JULIET BINOCHE was THE UNQUESTIONABLE LEAD and SCOTT-THOMAS's was clearly the supporting part)

Let's see. I was too young to have seen it at the time, but I felt that way when I caught up with American Beauty.

I am totally with you on AMERICAN BEAUTY.
I didn't see it when it was in theaters, but when I did see it, I was like YUCK!
I gave the movie a half star on Letterboxd.

[Lorna]

THE GODFATHER (1972) Again. Are there cracks at the seams? I still love that kitty!

For anyone interested: THE GODFATHER seems to have gotten away from THE DARK CLUTCHES of AMC where it was desecrated to HELL every time they ran it: edited for content, truncated, and pumped full of ads to where one 3 hour film fills a six-hour slot.

AMC: HOW MOVIES SHOULD NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER BE SHOWN (TM)

it's recent airing has been on a CERTAIN CABLE NETWORK THAT SHOWS CLASSIC FILMS WITHOUT ADS (who knows for how long though)

** ALTHOUGH, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO FAST FORWARD THROUGH 5 MINUTES AND TEN SECONDS OF INANE PRATTLING FROM A CERTAIN SOMEONE AT THE START OF THE SHOW.

btw- I don't really love THE GODFATHER all that much, but you know what? I like LUCCA BRAZZI. honestly, he's the only character I feel anything for.

The fishes should be lucky for his company.

[Lorna]

sorry about my advertising meltdown yesterday.

to try and chill out, I rented PINOCCHIO (1940) on youtbe (FYI- youtube rentals are either the same price as or less than they are on amazon AND you get to keep the video for THREE DAYS and not TWO)



this is the most beautiful animated (feature-length) movie that has ever been made and is a serious contender for the title of the most beautiful film EVER.

I'm not sure I had seen this film since its 1984 theatrical re-release, but it's one of those rare movies that are like a dream you had one time where for some reason- you remember the details clear as crystal- ALTHOUGH two things had escaped my memory:

1. THE COLOR BLUE is SO PROMINENT IN THIS MOVIE (in a lovely way)
and
2. The animators and Walt really, really succeeded in making PINOCCHIO a really, really likeable main character- in spite of MANY ODDs-

and that SECOND FEAT is a REAL TRIUMPH, because those of you who have read the collected COLLODI stories on which the film is based know that PINOCCHIO (in the book) is a rotten, sadistic little s*** who endures any number of graphic and disturbing punishments. also he KILLS his CRICKET COMPANION with A MALLET.

Ah, the Italians, they have such a zest for life...

Really though, more than many other DISNEY PROTAGONISTS of the golden era that come to mind- I think more work went into making PINOCCHIO (the character) something real and relatable and genuine with an actual personality (although CINDERELLA comes close) he's not really cruelly thoughtless, he really was just "born yesterday" and every time he gets in trouble again, I know I personally wasn't mad about it- and if anyone is going to get annoyed by a character in a film, it;s me.

Also i love how he just SNAPS INTO FULL JOHN MACLAINE.MAGUYVER MODE when he and GEPPETTO are trapped inside the WHALE.

PLEASE HELP ME, I HAVE HAD THE SONG "I GOT NO STRINGS" STUCK IN MY HEAD FOR 24 HOURS NOW,.

[Hibi]

KILL THE LUME LADY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As much as I loathe those commmercials, that's going to far. But maybe, possibly we can offer her a variation on 1993's Indecent Proposal: have some multi-billionaire offer her $100 million dollars to stop advertising on TV for good.

LOL. I've read so many bad reviews for the product online, I don't know how she can keep selling it. I imagine there are a lot of returns. I wouldn't buy it anyway just because of her nauseating commercials. The same with Liberty insurance. No way would I buy insurance from them. GAG.

[Hibi]

KILL THE LUME LADY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As much as I loathe those commmercials, that's going to far. But maybe, possibly we can offer her a variation on 1993's Indecent Proposal: have some multi-billionaire offer her $100 million dollars to stop advertising on TV for good.

NO NO BLOODLUST IS THE ONLY ANSWER!!!!

(catches breath)
(counts to ten)
(calms down)

Okay, no, you're right.

I guess murder is a sin.

No cash offer though- just force her to live a life of UTTER ANONYMITY

God, look what modern ads have done to me!!!!!

I used to be much nicer.

Okay, that's a lie

LMREO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In a perfect world.........

[txfilmfan]

I'd never heard of Stopette until I started watching WML reruns on the Game Show Network years ago. They would show the entire original show with period commercials (and then add their own modern ones too), so a 30 minute episode ran 40 minutes.

It is currently shown on: Buzzr. It retains the original commercials and has flashscreen breaks and so fills forty minutes. It is at four-forty in the morning. That is a bad time for me because it is about when I go to bed. I do watch on occasion but it does screw up my next day. I have reason to believe that they are about to change their schedule again. I hope that it is on at a different time but I fear they will remove it because it is in a block of 1950s programmes and they do not present those regularly.

There's also a YouTube channel that has all of the available WML episodes from the CBS primetime era (to 1967).