Does anyone find advertising to be really stupid?

[Judge]

Arrrrgh!! I feel your pain! This seems to be a fairly new crime against language too, where has it come from? I'm guessing some ****** American TV series.

Which brings me to another bugbear: 'Breaking Bad'. Not the show itself, I've never watched it, but the name. What the hell does it mean, it doesn't make grammatical sense! I CANNOT STAND ANYTHING THAT MAKES NO GRAMMATICAL SENSE! It always makes me feel that those who like it aren't intelligent enough to shun something with such blatantly poor English.

"Breaking Bad?"

It's a Southern term. A regional colloquialism.

Basically implies someone who has morally strayed in the wrong direction.

 

[xudo]

Which brings me to another bugbear: 'Breaking Bad'. Not the show itself, I've never watched it, but the name. What the hell does it mean, it doesn't make grammatical sense! I CANNOT STAND ANYTHING THAT MAKES NO GRAMMATICAL SENSE! It always makes me feel that those who like it aren't intelligent enough to shun something with such blatantly poor English.

I completely agree. The name irritates me every time I hear or see it. As for the show, don't bother! We attempted to watch it and I don't think we even made it through half of the first series. My sister actually said to me "oh it starts to get good after the first two seasons.." Well, I'm sorry but I shouldn't have to watch 2 series of something before it's any good!

 

[xudo]

Just seen another advert on TV that always annoys me:

Why does this need a whole website, when every single tip is exactly the same: Use Vanish!

I just don't get it.

 

[Judge]

Just seen another advert on TV that always annoys me:

Why does this need a whole website, when every single tip is exactly the same: Use Vanish!

I just don't get it.

Competition and exposure. They're all saying the same thing yet require every conceivable form of media to say it. Makes no sense on the surface.

But IMO the one who doesn't speak up using the most avenues of approach is the one who loses the most revenue in a crowded field where everyone is hawking the same product with the same results.

From their perspective it's all about "getting in your face". Any and every way they can.

I understand it, but like most of us I don't appreciate it either.

 

[Jerry]

There was a weight loss one once (always the worst)... a late night infomercial or something. (Infomercial... there's an oxymoron for ya) Anywho, you could call for a free sample. Right after they announced "free sample," a woman with a southern accent comes on and says, "Thar givvin it awaay fer freeee, it muust bee goood!" ..... Let that sink in... Oh my God, I rolled around on the floor, laughing about that one!

 

[MrSpock]

Hate advertising. For so many reasons.

When I was in school and subject to pro-capitalist propaganda I was told about how wonderful it is to have competition, how the better products would be the 'survivors' and the poorer products discontinued because people wouldn't buy them. Advertising a poorer product counters this, advertising a better product makes it more expensive because part of the profit from it's sale must go toward advertising.

It interrupts programming, adds weight and dead trees to newspapers and magazines. "But advertising pays for the programming and periodicals." No, the people who pay for advertising pay for the programming and periodicals. If advertising were stopped the applicable monies could be split (approximately) in half, the companies presently advertising could save 50% and continue to support the programming without the ads and keep the rest for financial gain or cut the prices of their products. If they were making a product that has real value then they would continue to sell it, and their competitors wouldn't get to advertise against them. In the case of, for example, Coca Cola they might lose a lot of business, but it's hard to see what negative effect this would have on society as a whole.

For those who accept it, it teaches that being told what to do is good, it teaches that someone else should tell you what it is to be 'cool', it teaches that we need a lot of useless crap for life to be worth living. If we all had self-respect advertising would be an insult to society as a whole, the fact that it isn't seen that way is a symptom of how sick we are.

It inures us to BS. We accept too many poor arguments from politicians, religious leaders, teachers, and we tend to generally lack critical thinking skills. Advertising simply lowers the bar and makes that seem acceptable to some. It encourages people (marketers) to come up with BS, rewards them for it, makes it seem respectable.

Much of it targets people too young to think for themselves. McDonald's for example. Nice dietary education that is. (<--- sarcasm)

It gives huge corporations a further, unnecessary advantage over small businesses.

 

[invisible]

I find advertising very stupid. Not just TV advertising, but any kind of advertising.

Firstly, I doubt it actually achieves much. Nobody that I know has ever intentionally clicked on an online advert, in fact most have ad blockers, and most online adverts are spam anyway. Most people mute TV adverts and often do something else during them (go to the toilet, check their phone, etc.). I never even look twice at the billboard adverts on bus stops, outside supermarkets, etc. except to figure out what they're trying to say. So to begin with, the only form of advertising that pretty much cannot be avoided at all these days is radio adverts, because muting them makes it difficult to know when they're finished.

Secondly, the content of adverts is stupid. It's usually completely unrelated to the product itself, and maybe this is just me but I almost never remember what it's even an advert for (and often I don't even know what it's an advert for while I'm watching/looking at/listening to it). Adverts with audio content always feature silly voices, sounds effects, and so on which I find incredibly irritating. Adverts with graphical content always feature silly pictures or animations which I find incredibly irritating.

Thirdly, most people these days are too savvy to fall for advertising. When they want to buy something, they'll find out what's available and then decide on the best product/service based on price, features, and availability. (People obviously aren't that savvy though, because for some reason they fall for gimmicky features in products that don't actually give them much, but that's another matter.)

In short, I find advertising stupid and even irritating, both for myself and for people in general.

 

[invisible]

I should also add that anyone who *does* fall for advertising is really stupid themselves.

 

[Jerry]

Hate advertising. For so many reasons.

When I was in school and subject to pro-capitalist propaganda I was told about how wonderful it is to have competition, how the better products would be the 'survivors' and the poorer products discontinued because people wouldn't buy them. Advertising a poorer product counters this, advertising a better product makes it more expensive because part of the profit from it's sale must go toward advertising.

It interrupts programming, adds weight and dead trees to newspapers and magazines. "But advertising pays for the programming and periodicals." No, the people who pay for advertising pay for the programming and periodicals. If advertising were stopped the applicable monies could be split (approximately) in half, the companies presently advertising could save 50% and continue to support the programming without the ads and keep the rest for financial gain or cut the prices of their products. If they were making a product that has real value then they would continue to sell it, and their competitors wouldn't get to advertise against them. In the case of, for example, Coca Cola they might lose a lot of business, but it's hard to see what negative effect this would have on society as a whole.

For those who accept it, it teaches that being told what to do is good, it teaches that someone else should tell you what it is to be 'cool', it teaches that we need a lot of useless crap for life to be worth living. If we all had self-respect advertising would be an insult to society as a whole, the fact that it isn't seen that way is a symptom of how sick we are.

It inures us to BS. We accept too many poor arguments from politicians, religious leaders, teachers, and we tend to generally lack critical thinking skills. Advertising simply lowers the bar and makes that seem acceptable to some. It encourages people (marketers) to come up with BS, rewards them for it, makes it seem respectable.

Much of it targets people too young to think for themselves. McDonald's for example. Nice dietary education that is. (<--- sarcasm)

It gives huge corporations a further, unnecessary advantage over small businesses.

......Powerful!

 

[Jerry]

I find advertising very stupid. Not just TV advertising, but any kind of advertising.

Firstly, I doubt it actually achieves much. Nobody that I know has ever intentionally clicked on an online advert, in fact most have ad blockers, and most online adverts are spam anyway. Most people mute TV adverts and often do something else during them (go to the toilet, check their phone, etc.). I never even look twice at the billboard adverts on bus stops, outside supermarkets, etc. except to figure out what they're trying to say. So to begin with, the only form of advertising that pretty much cannot be avoided at all these days is radio adverts, because muting them makes it difficult to know when they're finished.

Secondly, the content of adverts is stupid. It's usually completely unrelated to the product itself, and maybe this is just me but I almost never remember what it's even an advert for (and often I don't even know what it's an advert for while I'm watching/looking at/listening to it). Adverts with audio content always feature silly voices, sounds effects, and so on which I find incredibly irritating. Adverts with graphical content always feature silly pictures or animations which I find incredibly irritating.

Thirdly, most people these days are too savvy to fall for advertising. When they want to buy something, they'll find out what's available and then decide on the best product/service based on price, features, and availability. (People obviously aren't that savvy though, because for some reason they fall for gimmicky features in products that don't actually give them much, but that's another matter.)

In short, I find advertising stupid and even irritating, both for myself and for people in general.

Unfortunately, most of our decisions seem to be subliminal... mentioned earlier the "target" for the stupid ads... I do find myself wondering what the ad is for, sometimes.... but the jingles, images, etc stick in my head. I like to think I make rational choices, but have to wonder how much I've been influenced. ... all of our choices have some emotional component.. its in our nature... pure rational thought simply takes too long... we couldn't function without the emotion in our choices..
A fun game I have is to literally interpret the message... ie, buy the truck, get the girl, ... buy the thing and show you love your kids.... buy this razor and ... well..... I guess you'll have robots racing on your bathroom vanity.... LOL! It does seem to piss people off when I point out manipulations, tho... I think mostly those folks who are emotionally attached to the product whose ads I happen to be poking fun at. .... oh, and buy a Subaru if you love Earth! Show your friends how much you care.

 

[gregmcph]

I should also add that anyone who *does* fall for advertising is really stupid themselves.

Nah. Not stupid. We soak in it all day. And as the past years politics has shown, if you repeat something enough, it eventually becomes true. We can all be victims of repetition.

 

[GrownupGirl]

I cannot STAND the commercials on TV so badly that I hardy watch TV anymore. Of course, it doesn't help that most shows on TV now are unwatchable, too. The worst are those "ask your doctor" ads for some drug and then they list about a million side effects, many of them worse than whatever illness they think you have. I also hate ads where the children are evil, manipulative brats while the parents are clueless, and it's supposed to be cute and funny, but it's neither. It just makes want to give the brat a good ol' fashioned heiny-whuppin' and the parents a crash course in de-wimpification. The weird thing is if I go see the ad on YouTube the comments are "Like OMG that is so funny and adorable OMG if you don't love this commercial you're like an idiot OMG". Must be people who helped make the ad-bomination or got paid to say that.

 

[tlc]

Advertising doesn't make me fall for anything. I get what I like regardless of what anyone says. I do think many commercials are funny, at least the first time I see it. And a small handful are actually useful to me.

And commercials on TV don't bother me. If anything, they give me an excuse for a break, get up, go potty, get some food or drink, check the stove, stuff like that. I keep an ear out and when my show comes back I come back. What does irritate me to no end is channel flippers who try to avoid commercials. Just leave it alone please.

 

[FreeDiver]

I cannot STAND the commercials on TV so badly that I hardy watch TV anymore. Of course, it doesn't help that most shows on TV now are unwatchable, too.

Haven't watch TV in over 25 years for the same reason. Today's TV is just too mentally noisy for me.

The worst are those "ask your doctor" ads for some drug and then they list about a million side effects, many of them worse than whatever illness they think you have.

Gotta love the pharmaceutical industry.

I also hate ads where the children are evil, manipulative brats while the parents are clueless, and it's supposed to be cute and funny, but it's neither. It just makes want to give the brat a good ol' fashioned heiny-whuppin' and the parents a crash course in de-wimpification.

Although I can agree with this. Let's just say that I've been wrongfully spanked more time then rightly so. And not because of abusive parents/teachers, but because of behavioral issues cause by spectrum related issues.

 

[Mia]

Dislike so many of the ad's aimed at women. As if somehow we can be fooled into thinking that a cream will make us look younger, a toothpaste will strengthen our teeth, a special type of hair dye won't damage hair. And the chanel perfume ad's? With twelve year old girls in tutu's bowling?

And what about the advertisements for men for razors? With things like mach 2 written on them, robotic arms shaving? One with an orange track ball that seems to look like a soccer ball on the razor? Men's replacement razors and plastic throw away razors are locked away in stores, so that people don't steal them! You actually have to ask for them.

 

[Progster]

I can't stand them either. To me they are just highly irritaing spam. I'm sick of companies/people trying to get me to buy stuff and constantly pushing adverts for products I don't care about in my face. It's getting ridiculous and I do whatever I can in my power to eliminate them from my life - I use adblockers online, and have given up on watching TV, I watch shows online without advertising. I'm certainly not going to buy a product just because I saw it advertised and trying to manipulate my emotions just won't work. Obviously I need to buy some products for daily living if I need the product and like it or find it useful, I will buy, but that has nothing to do with any advert or other marketing ploy they might have used. I have my own criteria for choosing a product.

I think that many adverts are actually aimed at kids or teenagers, because that is the age where people are most susceptible to the influences of advertising. They want their product to become a household name. They want kids to become familiar with the product at an early age - even products for adults - so that they become familiar with it and prefer it as adults. I don't think that adults really pay any attention to advertising because they are so saturated or over-exposed to it.

 

[Kirsty]

And what about the advertisements for men for razors? With things like mach 2 written on them, robotic arms shaving? One with an orange track ball that seems to look like a soccer ball on the razor? Men's replacement razors and plastic throw away razors are locked away in stores, so that people don't steal them! You actually have to ask for them.

I see. Now I know. “Men’s” razors. I buy them for myself all the time. Blades shouldn’t have to be genderised.

 

[Isadoorian]

I don't mind them most of the time, the ones that shouldn't be used are the ones that have sirens in them (radio ads), or online ones that play videos by themselves or are pop-up style ads, along with unskippable Ads (like Youtube)

uBlock Origin for Firefox and Chrome thankfully gets rid of all that crapolla so I don't have to deal with it

 

[Mr Allen]

Way back in the 70s and 80s, the ads on TV were almost as good as the shows themselves IMO, remember stuff like those road safety ads starring that bloke who played Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy, David Prowse.

Also the Smash ads starring those robots, I used to find those a bit scary to be honest, them and the Monster Munch ads.

 

[tlc]

I see. Now I know. “Men’s” razors. I buy them for myself all the time. Blades shouldn’t have to be genderised.

Yes, my daughter asked me to buy her men's razors because she said they work better and last longer. Who cares what they look like. Smart kid.