Epiduo: Know What this kid could use? Some parents!

I saw the last thirty seconds of this commercial about a dozen times before I saw the FIRST thirty seconds, and was ready to write it up before I ever saw the whole thing. When I finally saw the first thirty seconds, I realized that it was even more stupid than I had originally thought.

The commercial is for an acne medication called Epiduo, and it opens with this teenaged kid apparently living out of a tent in his neighborhood grocery store. We are told that this kid has been in this store for EIGHTEEN MONTHS "waiting" for the right acne medication to come around. He's wearing the ugliest ski cap I've ever seen- and never takes it off during the entire commercial, which rankles me for some reason.

Already, this commercial has serious issues. This kid is living in a store, waiting for medication to jump off the shelf into his lap? And this makes more sense than asking the pharmacist, does it?

Oh, but it just gets better. A disembodied voice urges the clueless, pimply little twerp to see his doctor about his acne- because, you see, "Acne is a medical condition." Ah, yes, of course! A Doctor! That's a GREAT idea! Why didn't this kid think of that before! All he has to do is call a doctor and make an appointment to discuss his complexion issues!

Now we get to the part I've seen a dozen times or more: the next thing we know, the kid's face has cleared up, and he's moved his tent to the sidewalk, where instead of waiting for medication to magically appear, he's on line to buy tickets to something or another (all we are shown is a sign which says "tickets on sale at 8 AM.") He's still wearing that stupid ugly skicap. But now, thanks to his doctor and Epiduo, he's chatting away with two cute girls who suddenly find him really, really interesting.

Except, darn it, check out the look on the faces of these girls as they gab with formerly pockmarked stupid skicap boy. I've never seen such phony smiles. It couldn't be more obvious that they are humoring this idiot to cut into the line. I mean, think about it. This kid spent a year and a half living out of that tent, in a store aisle, because he had acne and was too damned stupid to ask someone for help. Suddenly he's a facinating conversationalist? I really doubt it.

One last thing: It sure was great of that doctor to prescribe Epiduo for his acne. But it would have been even more helpful for the doctor to suggest that maybe, just maybe, wearing a tight-fitting, dirty skicap nonstop might be contributing to the clogged pores as much as anything else. That advice doesn't help sell medication though, does it?