AT&T husband /abusive wife commercial

@OmSigDAVID,

OmSigDAVID wrote:

GracieGirl wrote:
Thanks!

What's the deal? I thought it was kinda funny. How's it abusive?

Oh! And who the heck is John Clark? I tried to look it up on Google but it's a common name.

Fido wrote:
He's the lucky SOB who got away...
YEAH, but I woud not call John 's mother a dog, Fido.Not every bitch is a dog, and not every dog is a bitch... What do you see of those people's lives??? OK, so they have a green house, but they are worried about money, they do not communicate well, he is shooting the **** with sales girls while she is busting nails keeping up appearences for appearences sake... He wants unlimited texting, and she has nothing nice to say to him in person... I think they are living beyond their means and cannot hide the fact... He is probably eating **** at work so he can practice for a steady diet at home... If they have any kids, they hate one or the other or both of them, and pity themselves the undercurrent of helpless misery and forebearance in their lives...

Who ever said most people live lives of quiet desparation must have been talking about Americans... The want of respect between people is deep enough to swim in and thick enough to walk on... If we had any self respect we would slap the faces of anyone who dared talk to us like that, like our kids do, and our bosses do, and our politicians do- like we are too stupid to know we are being disd, or too brain dead to care...

David

0 Replies

@maxdancona,

maxdancona wrote:

Boom Boom Room
Woody's

Not much subtlety in the names of these clubs is there.

What is the point of a fancy name for an upholstered sewer... There is a bar in the town of Gay, MI; called the Gay bar... Surprised??? An ironworker retired and opened a bar, (instead of closing one) called the sleaver bar, which is a sort of medium length pry bar we are inclined to use... An Ironworker said: I'd bet most people would have no idea what a sleaver bar is... Sure they do: It is a place to go and get drunk... It was like Lincoln's defense that he never ran a Grocery... You have to sell alcohol to run a grocery (grogery), which he never did... I don't care what you call this place... I just want a drink so I can bear my life, and then to get outta here in one piece... If you are calling your saloon by its front name you are drinking too much...

0 Replies

@RileyRampant,

RileyRampant wrote:

its interesting that this thread exists.

i also found the commercial strikingly hostile. and a bit novel, in that the woman was being crass. its usually the other way the last few decades.

have noticed that adverts are increasingly using subversive interactions to hawk their sundries.

there is an adam curtis doc about the first great PR man in the US, Edward Bernays, who was the nephew of S. Freund - his first great accomplishment - getting women smoking by making the habit a demonstration of chicness and freedom.

so this commerical continues that grand tradition of social nastiness in the way of making a buck.

There is nothing so dangerous as a lttile bit of knowledge... Either leave it alone, or go for the whole bannana... Half way learned is the whole way to injury and misery...

1 Reply

@OmSigDAVID,

Further evidence of the brilliance of the commercial.

You can watch it 10 different times and come away something new or different each time, and 10 different people could watch it and come away with 10 different interpretations.

The end is neatly ambiguous.

Has the crestfallen husband snapped back with an answer that brings his scornful wife up short? Or has he simply demonstrated what a lamebrain he really is?

I cannot believe that the folks who put this thing together believe they came up with a very funny commercial, that everyone would find amusing and relied solely on the "husbands are morons" bit.

I'm not sure what they think they came up with, but I'm sure it's deliberately nuanced.

Would it surprise anyone if this commercial was pitched to AT&T as an example of the new wave of advertising? Create something everyone will talk about and let your brand ride the buzz. What's interesting is that it's tough to make a connection between the negative feelings this commercial generates and the product. You can't blame AT&T that these two are living a miserable life.

I wouldn't be surprised if there is a facebook page for this commercial.

Whoever made this commercial took a big chance and I'm glad it’s paid off for them.

If you want to talk about obnoxious and even possibly offenseive commercials there's the Charmin "Does a Bear Sh*t In the Woods" series of saccarine tastelessness.

2 Replies

@hawkeye10,

hawkeye10 wrote:

Abusing men is in these days...I dont even watch TV for the most part, but the rest of the family does and I have noticed this commercial on a great many times. The fact that AT&T market research indicates that this commercial will help sell their product speaks volumes about where American is right now...abuse a woman and get put in jail, but abuse a man and you get a medal.

More self pity... Which begs the question... When most commercials work to make it seem as though smart people buy the product, why do they go to such lengths to make it seem as though a human mouse would... We are supposed to follow our leaders, right??? Who would follow that guy in the funny papers... You are supposed to feel stupid for not having the product, and they make their buyers seem stupid... I don't get it...

People stay as busy as they do trying to buy stuff they don't need and can't use trying to look like Joe Cool, and a part of that is the deep misery they actually live in because all their relationships suck, at least in part because maintaining them takes time and money they haven't got because they are working all the time for **** and buying stuff they do not actually need to look like some one they isn't...

0 Replies

@hawkeye10,

hawkeye10 wrote:

Quote:
But it was a joke. Why are you guys taking it soo seriously?
The "Joke" part of it was that for a change a guy had a snappy comeback to his wife's abuse...the reason this commercial works is because so many people know bitches like her, in fact maybe they are married to one, and most guys just suck it up and take it. AT&T being the reason that this guy was able to confront his wife makes AT&T look good, like it is smart to sign up with them. This was not an attempt at a joke, this was an attempt to mine the anti-male zeitgeist for profit.

Why do you call her a bitch... She may be a bitch, but he is the bitch's bitch... Do you think you could for a moment call such people happy??? They torment each other through out their lives and then they bury their significant other and complain they have no one to take their **** no more... These folks are no templates for the perfect relationship, and come to think of it, there are no perfect relationships... People work to the form, but they form themselves to each other, to the relationship, and saying shes the bitch and he is her victim can not begin to explain how pointless and tragic their lives are together, or apart in all liklihood... They are both loser... People who give abuse are no better or worse than those who take it... Like the bumper sticker says: Mean People Suck. Sucking ain't living... Living ain't sucking... No one loves a loser... No one loves a bitch... Treat people right, and demand right treatment...

0 Replies

@hawkeye10,

hawkeye10 wrote:

GracieGirl wrote:

Hahaha!!

I soo hope you're kidding! Either way, it made me Laugh Out Loud!! Haha!

Thanks for that.

The shock part, which the viewer is supposed to be in on, that the guy back talking and being right is so unusual. The usual is the the guy does what he is told by his woman and on those rare occasions when he tries to stand up for himself the woman easily puts him in his place.

This commercial is the equivalent of a 1957 commercial where a nigger dares to go toe to toe with a white guy, and has him. The power imbalance IS foundation that the commercial is built upon.

I don't see any foundation... Where is the foundation... You cannot make people feel better about their own miserable **** eating relationships without drawing attention to them and their own feelings... Here is some guy watching football ball cheering on his team because they win, or endure adversity while fighting back to the end, and on comes this wimpy guy and bitch of a wife to drag everyone back to the reality of their own existence... I have things pretty good, and even I have had my suitcase moments where it was either leave the bitch or kill her... There is a big difference between moments like that, and a life like that; and between job and wife and the kids and commute, The bank and the tax man, -I'll bet most men know way too much of about that guy, and want to know a great deal less... I don't think that commercial sells.. You can't paint a happy face on misery...

0 Replies

@hawkeye10,

hawkeye10 wrote:

GracieGirl wrote:

Okay. You're back on ignore.

And you are back to evading what you dont want to know, and it is critical that you keep your mind closed if you are to continue to spend your days devoted to entertainment. Realty is such a downer.

She is a kid and a girl... From a girl's perspective it can seem funny, but no woman could ever look at Mrs. Bitch married to Mr. Wimp and regretting every moment of it as being happy... And happy sells... You have to believe that the product advertized is the one missing piece from your life that will make you complete and happy.... These people need text messaging like cops need criminals, like most of us only need the opportunity for brutality...

0 Replies

@Finn dAbuzz,

He has shown some independence and backbone... Will the next step be manslaughter, a happy marriage, or divorce court??? I still believe that commercials should answer questions, and not ask them... They should not remind us of the wounds most of us call our lives, but should remind us that we are almost happy, and need only the product to become finished, fine and sublime...

0 Replies

@Finn dAbuzz,

Something that the ad failed to do
is something that many consumers care about, to wit:
IDENTIFY the monthly cost of the entire fone plan,
thereby to show whether it lies within those consumers' price range or not.

David

1 Reply

@OmSigDAVID,

The only ones that identify their prices are the one wherein the price is the sucker's draw:

Only 19.99! And for a short time only, we'll send you two Egg Cozies for the price of one!

Just pay separate shipping and handling fees.

0 Replies

@Fido,

the oracle speaks darkly.

as in: throwing animal entrails around and demanding the closest attention.

0 Replies

This just occurred to me as I watched the commercial again-- She is standing in her greenhouse.

I know it's hers because the husband can barely manage to set his foot inside her territory.

She says, while standing inside said greenhouse and spritzing what look to be $150.00 Orchids with a $25.00 pump sprayer, "And where's the money for that going to come from?"

~~~~
There are many ways of committing suicide. The slowest is to stay in a relationship with a hyper-critical and obviously disappointed (My mother was right.) partner.

I'm guessing that the house the two live in belonged to her parents, that's her dad's greenhouse she digging in (since she is now the head of the household).

He makes some money, but not as much as her father did.

The husband is not encouraged to make any decisions especially any that might result in sexual intercourse or changes in the household diet.

Joe(been there)Nation

3 Replies

@Joe Nation,

Yes; it is discernable that their marriage is in trouble
and that she is manifesting negative emotion, resentment,
from other sources than fone bills. He is trying to re-habilitate the relationship.

The wife is a bully.

0 Replies

@Joe Nation,

Ok, that did it, JoeNation, now I'll go watch the commercial.

Always with the stories.....
and I'll predict that one will make sense.

0 Replies

On women as bitches, even other bitchy women can be irritated by bitchy women, and the male equivalents, raging ranters, can irritate each other. (Question, do bitchy women and ranting ragers cause each other?) Then there are ranting woman and bitchy men. Put them all in a room with a nest of counselling controlling types - and see who comes out alive, eh?

I post this before watching the commercial, which is getting to sound more interesting.

Back anon.

0 Replies

Nuts, I need the text to get all of it (can't hear ad mumbles). But I've got the context.
Will watch it some more times.

I pick up the obvious icky vibe - schlemiel sweetly brings nougat to housematron, absorbs abuse, turns out to be right, classic passive aggression.

On the other hand, don't they discuss decisions that affect both of their putative lives? "I just signed us up...." - so, to me a constructed premise. Don't show up and tell me "I just signed us up". Alternately, if Guy has the techy/finances power, why is he approaching the garden of evil so timidly?

So, I'm agreeing it seems with Finn, this is a 'provocativo', my word.

Added thought - it is his mother, no buts about it.

0 Replies

@Joe Nation,

Quote:

Joe(been there)Nation

Me too Joe.
I married the daughter of a high-powered attorney and my in-laws never tried to hide the fact that they thought their sweet little offspring had married way below her station.

That ad brings back memories of a time when I was very insecure about my life and the money I was earning.

1 Reply

This ad sure seems to poke at a lot of sore spots for people.

My reaction to it is primarily "what?" and a squint at each character as they speak, and a feeling that they deserve each other in their obliviousness.

I think the reactions to the ad are more thought-provoking than the ad itself.

3 Replies

@ehBeth,

But the ad provokes the reactions, and I don't think that's a coincidence.

3 Replies

AT&T husband /abusive wife commercial

Related Topics

Quick Links

My Account

able2know