TV ads that insult your intelligence

We do watch some American TV programs here at home. While doing so we subjected to an ad that was an insult to our intelligence, then again what is new about that. It was a political ad featuring a Canadian, Shona Holmes, whining about her alleged mistreatment by the medical care she received at home and had to go to the US to be saved.

My wife and I did a little checking and found that the story and ad were just a little bit twisted. Here are a couple of links Ian Welsh: Americans Lives vs. Insurance Company Profits: The Real Battle in Health Care Reform and Kevin Grandia: Koch's AFP Recycles Debunked Anti-Public Health Care Attack Ad . As we suspected the ad is a little more than misleading.

Bob

I find television, and everything on it in general, to be an insult to my intelligence. That's why I rarely watch TV.

That is generally true but to some extent it depends on the content of what you watch and the reasons for watching it. I sometimes might want to learn something or be just entertained, in the latter case it can be as insulting as it wants because it is just for laughs. There is no getting around ads with commercial TV and for me if they can at least make me laugh all is not wasted.

But then that was not the point of my post. It was the mind numbing stance on the medical system of a foreign country portrayed to an audience of whom the vast majority have had no experience with that other county's medical system. Nothing like aggravating your neighbours with utter twaddle.

Bob

The aim of politics, and especially political ads, is to insult the intelligent and enflame the passions of the ignorant. No political candidate wants a smart, well informed populace. Just my opinion of course.

Yea, I know and agree. Just sick and tired of the American right wing BS portrayal of our medical system. Unfortunately there never seems to be a lack of the type populace politicians want in any country much less the USA.

Bob

True that television adds (and most adds in general) are an excellent study in false logic, misleading statements and misinformation.

For instance everyone knows that Ivory Soap is "99 and 44/100 % pure." Wow! Pure must be really good ya? Pure what? Soap, just like all the other soaps. Ivory is so "pure" it floats doesn't it? Yeah, because of whipped in air. That's why it floats. Maybe that accounts for the remaining 56/100 %.

Political adds... everyone knows those are just a mud slinging contest. Either side spouting anything to defame or tarnish the other.

As far as adds concerning pros or cons of another countries health care system, I don't care. Doesn't matter to me what either side proclaims, it's the principle of the thing that matters to me, and my mind is already made up on that issue.

I actually don't care what system of health care the good ole USA has or will have, I don't live there. I do care that our Canadian health care system gets dragged into it constantly and generally in a very misleading way by the American right wingers. I find it hugely annoying to be dragged into a neighbour's internal family squabbles, albeit indirectly, when the facts are misrepresented.

Bob

I don't think some of our politicians have forgiven you for the burning of the White House. Wait until they figure out that you have the bigger part of Niagara Falls!!!

I have been wondering for quite a while now if politicians, yours or ours, can figure out anything useful to their constituents in general. Don't blame us for giving you a head start on urban renewal.

Bob

Every Obama ad I ever saw...

Every Romney ad I ever saw...

They don't do the ads to waste money. They have focus groups and hire psychologists and know how to pander to a certain population. The fact is a certain population of folks aren't the brightest bulbs in the pack and will respond to these things. Besides, it's that old saying tell a small lie and people won't believe it, tell a big one and they will. I think it was Mr Hitler who said it.

In modern times if you lie and it's backed by big money and repeated enough it becomes the truth and then people are invested in it and even when shown the truth folks will balk and still accept the lie.

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Originally Posted by thebigspendur

They don't do the ads to waste money. They have focus groups and hire psychologists and know how to pander to a certain population. The fact is a certain population of folks aren't the brightest bulbs in the pack and will respond to these things. Besides, it's that old saying tell a small lie and people won't believe it, tell a big one and they will. I think it was Mr Hitler who said it.

In modern times if you lie and it's backed by big money and repeated enough it becomes the truth and then people are invested in it and even when shown the truth folks will balk and still accept the lie.

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http://i658.photobucket.com/albums/u...28328491_n.jpg

I really like the ads telling me I can save 6 grand on a new car today, by spending 19 grand on a new car today...
I also like coupons for perishible items buy 4, get one free. Knowing full well I'll have to eat all five today if I'm gonna enjoy the "savings".
Then there's my friendly neighborhood grocery store which prints every price tag with the header Price Cut!!, regardless of the current price, the previous price, or the price it will be tomorrow. 50 cents for M&M's in June..
PRICE CUT!! $1.50 in August. lol.
My examples aren't nearly as weighty as the issues you guys are talking about, but hey...foods the most important thing I got going.

Just about every ad insults my intelligence and we got too many of them on TV. Plus, the channels are allowed to make the commercials louder than regular programming so you have to babysit them with the remote so you don't generate noise that'll bother your neighbors or wake up somebody in the house. That is why I cut the cord. No more commercials for me ;)

To expand on the previous post.. We have a chain called Crappy Tire or China Tire.. They used to mark big sales with yellow price tags on the shelves until they conditioned the regulars. Now, many regular-priced items are tagged with yellow tags.

P.S. What's the deal with Christmas music in August?

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Originally Posted by FiReSTaRT

P.S. What's the deal with Christmas music in August?

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Some people just have a death wish. That junk is acceptable from December 10-25th and then it needs to cease.

The only commercials that really annoy me are the ones that paint men as incompetent, bumbling dads/husbands/caretakers.

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Originally Posted by bharner

Some people just have a death wish. That junk is acceptable from December 10-25th and then it needs to cease.

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I'd say a week before, a week after and that's it. Also all that Christmas music and then saying "Happy Holidays". Eff you and your 'holidays'! It's Christmas! Call it for what it is! If you wanna cover additional ethnic groups, wish them theirs as well at the appropriate time! Rant over :cool:

There's on on Australian TV at the moment I'm currently ranting at. A young fit housewife, arms full of grocery bags, little kids in tow, walks into her kitchen whilst talking on her phone. She's enquire about life insurance. The guy asks her if she's a smoker (she smugly replies she's not) gives her age, etc. The guy on the line asks her how much money she wants to insure herself for, she replies 'Oh, well blah blah blah, 250 grand sounds about right' or words to that effect. And hangs up. The ad is advertising how easy it is to get life insurance. So this lady has come back from grocery shopping, and while walking from the car to the house she's decided to ring the insurance company on a whim. She plucks a figure out of the air and hangs up and the whole deal takes maybe 20 seconds.

I'm sort of thinking I'd have put the bags down first...

I'm not sure I'm smart enough to have my intelligence insulted. If it has happened, I'm pretty sure I missed it.

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Originally Posted by honedright

I find television, and everything on it in general, to be an insult to my intelligence. That's why I rarely watch TV.

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Well I like my big TV; its lots of pictures in it & I don't have to read anything.
I like picture books too.

I agree. Pitcher books are cool!

I concur

Attachment 107809

Area Man Constantly Mentioning He Doesn't Own A Television | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

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Originally Posted by Slartibartfast

Area Man Constantly Mentioning He Doesn't Own A Television | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

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I can't get to that link because I don't own an internet-capable device

So true, BobH. The media is also famous for twisting things around, you can't trust a news story anymore unless you were there.

I heard an ad on the radio from one of the big "junk" companies today.

"we recycle fifty percent more than we put in the landfill"

I asked my labourer what percentage they recycle, guess what he said....

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Originally Posted by Firefighter2

So true, BobH. The media is also famous for twisting things around, you can't trust a news story anymore unless you were there.

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I have watched them set up shots, angles and props to boost a tv news story.

It hurts watching these PC cleaning ads. They make matters seem a lot worse then they are, and they make miraculous claims.

Notice that comments have been disabled for the above video.

As far as I am concerned, most, if not all American television advertising and shows (especially the "reality" tv shows) insult my intelligence.