Viva Libre, I guess?

 https://youtu.be/lJbfcML01Hg

Yeah, I know it must be a real pain to stick your finger to check your blood sugar.  When I'm at home on vacation I do this for my dad every day, and it hurts just to watch when I push that little button that sticks a tack into one of his fingers.  Plus, I have never even once managed to extract the little needle from the delivery system without getting stuck with it myself.  If my dad had an infectious illness I would have caught it years ago. 

But I'm not sure I'd think it much of an improvement to stick what looks like one of those anti-shoplifting devices on your arm and then wear short sleeves so everyone on the planet can see you've got blood glucose issues- not that the people in these ads are at all interested in being discreet anyway, always just pausing during activities to check their blood sugar (seriously, what the hell?  Did they used to pause during biking to stick their fingers?  What compelled this woman to just stop riding in circles for a moment and check her blood sugar?  Just because she could, without sticking her finger with a pin?  I mean, come on.)

"Natural Vitality" is Latin for "Keep her drugged and stupid"

 https://youtu.be/0tzoIb_5asA

1.  I think this woman's immediate reaction should be to get that blouse off and under running water before the stain sets instead of drugging herself, but that's just me.

2.  I don't blame this guy for immediately offering his life partner a cup of holistic woo the moment he sees that she might be upset about something.  I wonder what he thought she'd so if he didn't instantly medicate her with a cup of dissolved powder.  But I guess he knows, and that that's all that mattered.  Gotta protect that kid, after all.

3.  This woman looks like she's a professional on her way to an important job when she gets her blouse defaced by her spawn.  Her spouse looks like he's on his way to absolutely nothing but has all the time in the world to stir himself up another cup of warm Nothing that he bought from the local store's Not Actually Drugs aisle.  This guy has Stay at Home Dad written all over him.  Not that there's anything wrong with being a stay at home dad.  It just kind of rubs me the wrong way to think that he's spending money his spouse brings into the house on holistic BS.  Get your act together, you idiot.  Because 

4.  This woman could do better than this ugly dweeb living in the house she obviously paid for.  Rinse that blouse in cold water RIGHT NOW, change, and go to work.  And after work, don't go straight home to this.  Go out and have drinks with friends instead.  Talk to them about what happened this morning.  And get ready to watch them glance at each other, roll their eyes, reach across the table, gently take your hand in theirs, and let you know that they've been waiting for you to wake up for years and now it's time to have a very serious conversation about your next steps. 

Lily, AT&T, and Trump-level Contempt for all of us

 https://youtu.be/vXL93-2it-c

"Hi, I'm Lily, a spokeschoad whose job depends on pitching AT&T products to the slobbering masses.  What can I do for you?"

"Hi Lily, I'm an idiot consumer talking to you on a Zoom call because I guess that's how things get done these days.  Because I'm an idiot, I'm going to ask you, a person whose paycheck depends on my opening my wallet and let your company suck out its contents, if I should be getting excited about a product you want me to be excited about.  Should I be excited about 5G?"

"Hi idiot customer.  Here's my answer- are you a loser?"

"No, I'm not a loser.  I just act like one on AT&T commercials."

"Ok, idiot customer- then the answer is yes.  You should be getting VERY excited about 5G, because we want you to be excited about it, and give us your money.  What's your next stupid question, idiot?"

"Sorry- I had to blink for a minute, and wipe the drool from my mouth.  Should I run to AT&T right now and buy this thing you're selling?"

"Wow, you really are stupid.  Why are we even still on this call?  Why aren't you already on your way to the store?  Don't forget your wallet, stupid."

"Wait...that was mean.  You shouldn't be rude....what were we talking about again?"

"Sourdough bread.  Because 16 seconds into this 42-second commercial, we're all done talking about this 'service' we're selling.  Get moving, Drooling Sheep."  

What's with these Rodgers Rate ads??

 https://youtu.be/dt9rfHBmTuw

Seems to me that if Aaron Rodgers has his own personal State Farm agent who shadows him throughout his life, never leaving his side, watching his every move and answering any questions he might have about his insurance coverage- and is not paying one dime than anyone else who also owns all this property protected by State Farm insurance and does NOT have his very own personal State Farm agent standing by 24/7, well then he IS getting a Rodgers Rate.

Can anyone explain these stupid ads to me?  Why does State Farm assign a rotating cast of insurance agents to hang out with Aaron Rodgers?  Why would Aaron Rodgers want this?  And how could this NOT cost more than an insurance company that is just there at the other end of the phone if you actually need to file a claim or ask a question?  The implication here is that Rodgers expects his insurance company to provide a brown-nosing, grinning little bodyguard/toady as well as coverage.  I mean, what the hell?

Meet the Dimings, before they are dead

 https://youtu.be/3yKJE7uKurU

Sorry to be so dark, but seriously- if these people don't get a hold of their obvious weight issues, they are going to die.  They need to get off that couch and stay off it, and maybe spend more time in the fresh fruits and veggies section of their local Walmart and less in the frozen food and bags of salty fatty crap sections.  

I mean, you've got this nice house in the suburbs plus that son to look after.  That ought to be motivation enough to stop slouching in front of the tv and get back on those bikes.

Hyundai's stupid commercial featuring a stupid dog and it's even more stupid owners

 https://youtu.be/rYsd37JrXPM

1.  Why didn't you train your dog not to do stupid crap like this?  I'm sure your neighbors are just thrilled with the eyesore it creates all over your lawn.  This is "adorable" to exactly two people- you idiots.  Your neighbors are wishing you'd consider moving.  Or training your dog.

2.  Why are you talking to that dog like it can understand what you're saying?  That dog has a brain the size of a rotten apple and with the wattage of key ring light.  It knows that you make a sound sometimes that somehow refers to it and sometimes results in food appearing.  It doesn't know what "keys" are or why you are sending sound waves at it. 

3.  Why is your "answer" to this problem to simply leave your dog on the lawn?  You guys are morons.  Thank you for not living near me :>)

Walmart's "Helpful" Keep Moving Tips

 https://youtu.be/A763EUIz54E

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/A763EUIz54E" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

How to control your blood pressure:

1.  Get more exercise.  For example, you could mop that floor faster, so you can get back to stocking shelves.  You could step up your walking pace, perhaps by ambushing more customers and guiding them to the cheap junk on those freshly-stocked shelves.  

2.  Smile more.  Get that look off  your face that just screams "I want to die" as you ring up your customers.  When you greet customers, don't tell them with your expression that you had no idea how very small those Social Security payments actually would be and how you'd rather be anywhere else but at the front entrance of your local Walmart.

3.  Stop thinking about how much your blood pressure medication costs, because that's not your employer's problem.  You should be grateful he even Gave You A JobTM.  After all, Times are ToughTM.  And when you go to vote next month, remember that Raising the Minimum Wage Causes Unemployment to RiseTM.  

4.  No, scheduling you for regular, consistent hours would NOT help your blood pressure issues.  That's a myth.

5.  No, paying you a living wage would NOT help your blood pressure issues.  Again, myth. 

And best of all: you don't have to worry about being seen in a Walmart!

 <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/voLuHiIp5gY" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

https://youtu.be/voLuHiIp5gY

(But you'd better answer that doorbell quick, because every second that goes by with those Obvious Blue Bags sitting at your front door is just screaming to your neighbors that you buy your groceries from Walmart.)

If you get this excited at a delivery from Walmart, Social Distancing has really taken a damaging toll on your psyche.  And all you have to get all this unlimited free delivery of products which represent the death of small businesses in the United States is sign up for a membership.  Might as well- you were at your laptop anyway. 

And hey, you're giving a delivery guy a job, at least temporarily anyway.  Don't forget the 50lb bags of dog food and cases of soda.  He doesn't mind.  He's lucky to have a job, after all.  

Dixie's hysterical "Make it Right" ad

 https://youtu.be/1LEokOZzoxE

So this guy has a date over for dinner.  He cooks the dinner, I guess to show off his skills in the kitchen.  This is a smart move.  It's the only smart move he makes in the entire commercial.  Everything else he does is completely, totally, budding-relationship-ending WRONG.

1.  He infantilizes his date by putting the food on the plate himself and carrying it in from the kitchen instead of just putting the ingredients on the table and letting her help herself.  She's an adult- she can't decide how much she wants?  He has to decide her portion size for her?  He really should not be doing this, ESPECIALLY since

2.  He puts a RIDICULOUS amount of food on that plate.  I mean, seriously.  He wants her to enjoy the food.  Maybe he wants to show her that he dismisses retrograde notions of "lady portions."  But does he want her to eat until she's uncomfortable.  Because, again- that's a LOT of food on that plate.

3.  He does some stupid little dance on the way in from the kitchen.  I don't know what that is, but....we don't want to see it, and I find it hard to believe that she does, either.  I know you're trying to make a big deal out of all of this, buddy, but...come on.  That's spaghetti and meatballs you're serving up.  Maybe it's your specialty, or maybe it's an old family recipe.  It's still just spaghetti and meatballs.

4.  This is the big one.  I can't believe I, a person who has a date roughly every Leap Year, has to point this out, but....you have a woman over for dinner.  That's pretty intimate.  Nobody does this on a first date- this comes after several dates in public places.  This is getting serious.  But you've managed to reach this level in the relationship, and you....serve dinner on CHEAP PAPER PLATES???  

OH MY GOD MAN, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?  PAPER PLATES?  Why don't you just come out and TELL this woman "I like you, but not enough to wash a freaking dish for?"  You are in your OWN HOUSE, you aren't at a camp site or even on the freaking patio.  YOU ARE IN YOUR OWN HOUSE.  YOU ARE SERVING A FANCY DINNER to a woman who agreed to COME TO YOUR HOUSE.  YOU USE ACTUAL PLATES IN SITUATIONS LIKE THIS!

Seriously, is this guy related to that jackass in the Downy commercials who wears a ragged t-shirt to a first date?  I guess we should be grateful that guys like this are willing to reveal their unsuitability as life partners early on and are therefore less likely to successfully bequeath their DNA to another generation, but jeeeesh....this is just sad.  

And then he blames the cheap paper plates for ruining his date.  Um, no, buddy.  Sorry, but NO.  You use plates meant for kid's birthday parties and built to carry slices of cake or a hot dog to attempt the transportation of 2 pounds of hot spaghetti and meatballs?  That's on you.  And if you never see that nice woman again, it's your loss and very much her gain.  She can do much, much better. 

Congratulations, Apple

 https://youtu.be/65JrtwtTOdc

You managed to create a commercial that gives me a headache no matter how I experience it- if I turn the sound off and just watch= Headache.  If I just listen to it without watching= Headache.  Hell, I'm neither listening to it or watching it right now, and I'm getting a headache from the MEMORY of it. 

No wonder the Comments are turned off on this one.  Just another obnoxious BUY THIS THING ITS SLIGHTLY NEWER THAN THE ONE YOU JUST BOUGHT commercial by one of the most obnoxious companies on the planet (and, yet, maybe not even the most obnoxious company on the planet that starts with the letter "A."  How weird is that?)

Clickbait Garbage that hit home for a few seconds....

 https://www.lifestyle-a2z.com/an-original-copy-of-this-vhs-might-make-you-a-small-fortune/?utm_medium=outbrain&utm_source=296&utm_campaign=201013111527541x0xchrome_002df252195286ef9f57a925d829228b18&utm_term=CNN+%28Turner+U.S.%29_CNN_00e8ca988f7d01a748f9a28d57d69900d7&utm_content=%5BGallery%5D+If+You+Have+Any+Of+These+VHS+Tapes%2C+You+Can+Retire%21&dicbo=v1-ab3b2ce0a157ee27a94ae91df606ccd8-0075a2d8e3bf3f3bf885f890df5a8afbcf-g5sgczlegzrgiljsmfrggljuhbrdoljzge4tiljtmjtdgnlfmjstszbxgm

The title of this nonsense slideshow clickbait BS is "if you own Any of these VHS Tapes, you can Retire!"  But with the very first "slide," you realize that this is simply inaccurate (an inaccurate clickbaity title?  HERESY!)  In fact, the first three examples of "valuable" VHS tapes are reportedly going for $20 each.  I can retire on $20?

I managed a video rental store in the late 1980s, and I recognize probably 90 percent of the titles listed here.  I personally sold dozens of copies of E.T. when it was released on VHS and remember setting up the display stand and taking pre-orders.  When the store closed down in late-1990 we sold our entire inventory and one customer purchased every single item in our Disney collection- probably fifty tapes- for $5 each.  Judging from the title of this nonsensical "news story," he would be in position to make himself a multimillionaire now, right?  

I only looked at the first ten items here, and adding up their value comes to about $3000.  I don't know how long this list is, but unless it extends into the hundreds, or includes one So Rare It Probably Doesn't Actually Exist tape, there's no way it all adds up to money you can "retire" on.  But because the article referenced something that pressed a nostalgia button, it got me to click and give it a partial going-over, so mission accomplished, I guess?

(BTW, I'm sure that if I go through my parents' storage area I can find several of these items- I know, for example, that I got a copy of E.T. for myself when it was released.  But I'll wait until I retire before putting it on the market- after all, it's sure to be worth a lot more than Night at the Movies-level money by then, right?  Like, Actual Retirement-level money?

How to sell $2 for $17.95

 https://youtu.be/p9RGSu8JYn8

Just slap some cheap color "art" on to $2 bills and sell it to the same people who mount Trump flags to their pickups and stocked up on Trumpy Bears and love wearing their If This Shirt Offends You Learn Some History Confederate flag T-shirts and spending evenings looking at their Lock Her Up Commemorative Coins.  

Nobody ever went broke underestimating the gullibility of the American Public- Mark Twain, among others.   I'd add that plenty of the members of that gullible public are perfectly happy to go broke if they can Annoy the Libs along the way to the poor house.  You can bet that when they get there, they'll be leaning heavily on their Social Security, Affordable Health Care coverage, and all those other Socialist programs that continue to destroy America because the China Virus and the Post Office conspired to bring down the Bestest President Ever in November, 2020.

Hey Wendy's, I'm distracted....

 https://youtu.be/Ueqs_u0xT7A

1.  No gloves being used in the handling of the food.

2.  The food is unwrapped as it sails down the bar, past g-d knows how many people.

3.  It passes at least ONE person because that phone it "dodges" isn't sitting there drinking by itself.

4.  It stops at a pack of (also uncovered) French Fries and a soda which I guess was sent flying down the bar ahead of time.  Not sure why that happened.

This would be a stupid commercial WITHOUT taking into account the Illness that Shall Not Be Named.  It's downright criminal these days. 

Fidelity to your own Gain

 https://youtu.be/1qGOvQrSY8s

I'm sorry, but if you need to jump on some "Fidelity Investments Dashboard" when you get up every morning, then your life has become one endless obsession with money and you really need to reassess your priorities.

I remember reading somewhere that the people who have the happiest lives and comfortable retirements are the ones who use an established brokerage firm to put away money every month, ignore the dips and rises of the market, and don't inquire into the balance until it's time to draw from it.  These people don't spend their lives obsessing over money, don't experience sleepless nights during selloffs....they just go about the business of Living.  They remember the reason why they hired a broker in the first place- so that they wouldn't have to do all this fretting and juggling. 

Oh, and what about all those people who did panic and sell this spring?  Well, they didn't do it because they had this Dashboard or an App on their Smartphones which sent them into a desperate frenzy.  The people who freaked out and sold were the people who are already retired and using those investments to supplement their laughably small Social Security checks, or the small investors who never had any faith in the market and got spooked by bad advice and gave people who DO use things like this Dashboard and investment Apps.   And who bought those stocks at a bargain?  I just answered that question, didn't I?

No Evidence Google Knows What It's Doing

 https://youtu.be/jQWrmxsQIM0

At the only blog I visit daily which is not my own, I am confronted- constantly- by a visually disgusting ad for a product I've used before but do not want to be reminded that I had to use and don't need color photographs reminding me of why I used it. 

Every. Single. Time.  

So I click on the "Feedback" tab and let Google know "I Am Not Interested in this Ad."  Google couldn't care less.  I keep getting versions of the same ad.  Still gross.  Still not interested. 

So I take another tack and click "Have seen this ad multiple times."  Google couldn't care less.  I've seen it multiple times?  Well, I guess I should get ready to see it even more times.  Does Google think that "Have seen this ad multiple times" is a thumbs-up from me?  Well, that would certainly explain a few things now, wouldn't it?  "This ad is on hundreds of times a day" translates to "people love our ad" in Google World, apparently.

To add insult to injury, Google always responds to my clicking with "Thank You.  Your Feedback Improves Google Ads."  Oh, does it?  After several weeks of this, there's no indication that Google gives a flying damn about my response.  Unless, again, it thinks that because I responded it means I liked the ad, and never mind that my responses would be seen as Negative by any human being.  And the fact that I've responded multiple times would scream STOP SHOWING ME THIS CRAP to any human being.

Google...seriously.  Stop this.  I've even started to click other advertisements at other sites hoping to convince Google to try to sell me something else, ANYTHING else.  I'd like to think that Google was just trying to harass me into complaining about their Amazing Ad Tools here.  Well, mission accomplished, Google.  Can we move on now, please? Please?

Rocket Mortgage is Just Weird

 https://youtu.be/wsm6uQrfnmg

Apparently, a group of geniuses at some ad agency was hired by Rocket Mortgage and told to come up with a commercial featuring a young family deciding that they needed a bigger house.  This group of geniuses put their heads together, racking their brains in an attempt to pick the very best reason why any family would want or need a bigger house.  Because they don't live in Reality and have zero experience with the Real World, this is what they came up with:

When do you realize you need a bigger house?  When one of your children....um....uses a magic marker to decorate his own face.  Yeah, that's it.  That's a good enough reason.  Let's pretend it makes sense, because we're useless, it's getting late, and if we don't get back to Rocket Mortgage within the next few days they are going to dump us and hire another ad agency.

So here we go.  This family has a small house- so small that 75% of them have to sit around a table in the same room together as they Still Don't Actually Interact.  It's ALREADY cramped, you see.  Then the fourth member of this group shows up with marker on his face.  And that's it- time for a bigger house, so we....um, don't have to sit in the same room together?  Don't need to see this kid anymore?  Won't feel compelled to KILL OUR KIDS if one of them does something mildly annoying/completely innocent but has to be portrayed as annoying because we've got that deadline with Rocket Mortgage?

Anyway, you can just respond to this...um....red flag....by whipping out your phone and applying for a Rocket Mortgage inside of thirty seconds.  Life-altering decision made....based on....this.  

I just....seriously, what the hell is going on, Rocket Mortgage?

TRIVAC WORX VACUUM! BECAUSE F--- SOCIETY!!

 https://youtu.be/lzLXCVNJGq8

"Know how every time you eat or drink or socialize outside, you and all your guests are ridiculous slobs who just leave cups and forks and plates and bowl and cheez-its and napkins everywhere because nobody knows how to behave like a civilized human being and use a trash can anymore?  Well, now there's the Trivac Worx Vacuum Cleaner System to solve all your Completely Relatable Cleanup Problems!"

Here, let me just turn it on and show you how 

EASY IT IS TO DO A QUICK CLEAN-UP AT POOLSIDE, ALL AROUND YOUR LAWN, YOUR DRIVEWAY, ANYWHERE YOU ENTERTAIN!!  AND DON'T FORGET THE REC ROOM, HUBBY'S MAN CAVE, EVERYWHERE THERE'S A MESS!"

"WHERE'S LES?"

"NO NOT LES, MESS!  EVERYWHERE THERE'S A MESS!  SEE HOW MUCH EASIER IT IS TO CLEAN?"

"WHAT?  WHO'S BEING MEAN?"

"NOT MEAN, CLEAN!  I SAID CLEAN!  THIS MAKES IT SO MUCH EASIER TO CLEAN!  JUST ONE PUSH OF THE BUTTON AND YOU'RE JOB IS DONE!"

"WHAT?  WHO WON?"

And it takes up very little space; just store it next to your snowblower and leafblower.  For an extra $19.99 we'll include military-grade noise-cancellation headsets.  Buy a pair for everyone in your family. As for the people who live on your street...well, that's just another problem this amazing product solves: Too-friendly neighbors.  Trust me- a couple of weekends of using this baby, and they'll never talk to you again.  

Start your kids on their journey to morbid obesity and diabetes early!

 https://youtu.be/Yz_Sb7m2bYQ

I just....I just can't with this thing.  Maybe it's because I spent all day yesterday driving to Vermont for fall break and I'm really tired, maybe I'm sick of living under a proto-Fascist administration which is currently reminding me of Russia in the days after Stalin died or Spain in the final days of Franco.  Maybe being in a bad mood is just My Normal.

Or maybe I'm just done seeing commercials for products which make it quick and easy to produce fatty junk for the whole family.  French fries, stuffed hamburgers, and now this bizarre Marshmallows mixed with other non-foods Frankenstein's Monster Creator that's fun for everyone who lives in your house from Age 4 to 9 (I didn't get through the entire 2 minutes 15 seconds of this- do any adults show up to supervise,* or do they just exist to make sure that there's an adequate supply of marshmallows, chocolate chips, M&Ms, sprinkles, and every other nutrition-free product capable of being squished into a blob of sugary goo using this device?)

*this would actually be easier to take if we were told these are free-range children who simply don't have parents, because this product is exactly the kind of thing we could see unsupervised kids using but we'd be horrified to find as a regular go-to in a home with actual adult supervision.