I’ve been watching a lot of the Olympics, and even with the TiVo, there are a few ads I haven’t been able to avoid. The first defines the type of ad I would like to ban, because it is a crime against nostalgia:
Yes, that’s a collection of recreations of iconic scenes from "The Breakfast Club." I have a hard time describing the visceral loathing I feel for this ad. Marie and I used to have this movie memorized, but the target market for this ad probably hasn’t heard the words, "So it’s sorta social: demented and sad, but social. Right?" So the target market probably just thinks this is a bunch of kids doing dopey things to the accompaniment of a moldy oldie. Good one.
Contrast that with the United Airlines ads called "Sea Orchestra" and ‘Heart" (memo to United – let people embed your video). I’ve actually stopped ba-booping through blocks of Olympic ads and rewound to watch these. They’re original and actually relate to the thing being advertised, and I hate to say it, but these advertisements are entertaining.
Which is more than I can say for the continued harping on the Chinese gymnastics age scandal. Al Trautwig made a particularly ugly comment the other evening, snidely inviting the viewers to judge for themselves as to whether some of the Chinese gymnasts looked old enough. Excuse me? This isn’t "America’s Top Sports Scandal." If the Chinese cheated, it’s not going to be voted on via telephone by the US viewing public. The only thing this does is make Al Trautwig look like a first-class wart.
Ugh, ugh, and urggh. Makes my scalp crawl (and no, I don’t have vermin this time!)
And totally stupid. The people who were the target audience for this movie (and Jill? Don’t give yourself too much credit “used to have this movie memorized” indeed! I’d bet you and I both still could recite 95% of the dialog right along with Ally, Molly, Emilio, Anthony and Judd) most likely don’t have kids that old, so who are they targeting? Like you said, today’s teens probably don’t know this movie from any other 80’s movie.
Makes me extra glad I have a trigger finger on my TiVo remote.
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Oh, agreed and seconded… The Breakfast Club spot is awful! And the commentators have been really American Supremo, don’t you think—if they’re not all smug and bemused, they’re pointing fingers. Hate it. I don’t remember this from previous Olympiads, do you?
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Actually, Kathy, the US commentators have always had a smug America-centrism as far as I can remember. This particular trial by public opinion just happened to rise above (or sink below) the usual US-ian dreck. The only time I don’t see it is where the US just doesn’t have a contender. Then the coverage is refreshingly geographically neutral.
Marie, do you really think that I’m giving myself too much “credit” by saying I don’t remember all the lines?
I suppose all I need is you, cookie dough, and ginger ale. Or better yet, red wine (we are grown-ups by now, after all).
Jill, I thought of you last week. Punkin had her first proper stage performance (she was Hickory Cricket #4 in Pinocchio) and I bought a little bouquet of flowers to present to her at the conclusion of the show.
As I was picking out the flowers I thought fondly of your mother bringing us each a half of a tube of chocolate chip cookie dough after Doo Wop – she knew what we really wanted!
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OK—was it just me or did everyone think Judd Nelson was tooooo hot back in the day?
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Kathy, that was most definitely NOT just you….
Marie, both Mom and I had forgotten about that COMPLETELY. What a great memory. Good times!
I’m not watching (or taping) the Olympics except when they run over the time we’re supposed to have news, but I have seen the United commercials, which are really good. I do remember someone saying the Chinese girls don’t look like they’re 16, but I think all the girls look starved (saw the end of the gymnastics last night waiting for the news).
I watched The Breakfast Club on TV recently and realized I remembered a lot of it. Not words, just scenes.
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I will never forget seeing BC in the movie theater when it first came out. I was in Chicago at the time too. I didn’t want the movie to end, maybe because I WAS one of those kids (not saying which one but it wasn’t Molly). That JCP commercial is just awful, not even a good cover of the song. I hate to say it I’m not all that fond of the United commercial either.
The only Olympics I’ve watched is the equestrian events on Oxygen and the woman announcer sounds like Bebe Neuwirth and every time she says something about how well the horse is going, the horse has a fault or something happens.
Yea, Judd was hot but so was Emilio.
Sadly, I suspect this commercial is being marketed to our generation — but as the parents doing the shopping (or at least the money-providing) for back-to-school clothes — rather than to the teens.
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hate that JCP commercial – if they do one from Pretty in Pink i will have to boycott them even for work :) and yes Judd nelson was always so hot but i was an Andrew McCarthy fan…and have you seen Anthony Michael Hall these days? yummmm
and i do love the airline commercial! i wanted to link to it but could not find it either – brilliant artwork
hey can you ‘splain me the new biking events in the Olympics?
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I think no one should explain a thing to Marietta until she makes a post on her own darn blog….
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Don’t worry, Kathy – I don’t know what new events Marietta is talking about, so I cain’t do no ‘splainin.
Al Troutwig is a first class wart. I think that since he did just a good job of nearly ruining the Tour de France with his stupid comments, someone thought they’d give him a crack at ruining the Olympics with his stupid comments.
A couple of days in I figured out I could watch whole events streamed on the NBC website with none of the commentary and none of the harsh aftertaste.