Tuesday, March 03, 2009

Thoughts on Commercials

It's been a long time since I commented on TV commercials that bug me, so here goes.

Other bloggers have mentioned the "High Fructose Corn Syrup" commercials. I still don't 'get' the whole anti-HFCS thing except that the darned stuff is everywhere. I actually saw the one where the couple is on a picnic quite a few times before reading another blogger's (sorry, can't remember who--maybe Kelly the Kitchen Kop) post mentioning the popsicle. Then it hit me: who the heck brings a popsicle on a picnic? And only one????

Commercial two, for KFC: they show that you can't make the same chicken at home. Okay, I'll buy that you don't know what's in the secret spice mixture. But they have the kids buying chicken (probably full price) and a whole bag of flour. Even if you didn't have the flour at home, you aren't using the whole thing in your recipe! Duh! So maybe I can't duplicate the exact meal, but I sure can come close for a lot less.

And finally, a commercial for Applebee's, I think. I hate Applebee's. Lousy service, lousy food. Anyhoo...the commercial says you can eat there for the price of a meal at home. Then they advertise a 2 for $20 special.

Uhhh...do you know what I could make for $20 if I was only feeding myself and my husband? Hey, throw in two of the kids and I could still do better. $10 a person would mean really good steak and all kinds of sides, possibly even shrimp. A real special-occasion dinner, not a weeknight meal.

Who do these people think they are kidding?

BTW, I do eat out. I like to eat out, although we haven't done 'fancy' in years. (Our favorite is a seafood restaurant that is part seafood store. Good prices, great food.) I used to like KFC but I think they've gone downhill.

It's just the commercials that take us for dummies that get to me.

8 comments:

BittersweetPunkin said...

I agree with you!...and did you notice in a LOT of commercials the woman always makes the man look like an idiot?

I don't like television very much....it's getting harder and harder to find anything intelligent to watch!

Hugs

Becky said...

The corn syrup ones just make me laugh... my mom is allergic to corn and corn products, and since I'm in charge of her Christmas stocking every year, I always had to read the labels on food-type items to find stuff that didn't have it! So I'm used to thinking of it as not the greatest thing.

And I guess the sad truth of it is, a lot of people ARE idiots. Or just don't take the time to figure out how to do things frugally.

Mom2fur said...

Oh, I like my TV, Punkin. I'm just very picky-choosy. But I agree, what's up with women making men look like idiots? There's one for a home improvement center (Lowe's? Home Depot?) where every time the poor guy thinks he's done with a project, his wife gives him a dirty look until he comes up with a new one. And his daughter does the same thing! Not a single, "thanks, honey," or "good job, dad.' Not funny, IMSUHO (that SU is for stuckup, lol!)
Becky, that must be really hard for your mom, especially in this day and age. Honestly, I wish I'd bought stock in corn years ago...it's in so much these days, I'd be rich!

Miranda said...

I get a kick out of the Walmart commercials. Something about eating out can cost your family so much a year, but if you buy these nice alternatives at Walmart you can save $400 a year. Hello, I wouldn't feed my family those alternatives, I would make something at home from scratch! Ha, Ha! You gotta love advertising.

Jane said...

There are a few adds that drive me crazy, mostly because they are so irratiting! LIke the same guy sings different songs for credit report dot com. Ugh..I can't stand those! LOL

I wanted to tell you thanks for the prayers for baby Caiden. I sure appreciate them!

DarcyLee said...

Great post! Well, they say that if you watch something often enough, you will start to believe it. That's why so many people are loyal to their brands and would never buy generic. Is that like, brain washing? lol

Anonymous said...

I'm not a big fan of commercials here either. And I definitely aim to keep them away from my little ones!

Thanks for visiting my blog as well!

Jamie

Sharinskishe said...

I just have to say, "I ditto that!"

We don't have TV connection in our home. First because it was not in our area, second we decided we did not need it when it finally came.

However when we vacation, we love to watch TV. But mostly Discovery and History channels. The kids like Disney too. I hate the commercials because they take control of you time and interrupt what you are doing or learning.

We often mute the commercial or change the channel until we guess they are done. Such a waste of time.

Like you said, we are not dummies, but they sure try to cater to us as though we are.

Thanks for a 'strike a nerve' post. Again, "ditto that!"

Sharinskishe