Friday, May 13, 2011

Commercials, They're Grrrrreat!


Harry B. Sanderford

I was watching the tube recently and when I watch TV I like to watch the hell out of it. The remote control is key to my viewing pleasure. I don't watch commercials as a rule, this is ordinarily my prompt to move along. So, it is mildly ironic when my interest is caught by one of those deals where the whole point of the show is to count down a list of TV's most memorable commercials. It's pompous self-indulgence on my part really; I'm only hanging on to verify my prediction that the old commercial where Mean Joe Green scores some Coke from a kid and then tosses him his filthy sweat-soaked jersey will win out. It does of course and I revel in my astute ability to predict clichéd predictability. For my money though, the best commercial of all time is that one with Mr. Whipple sitting on the crapper noisily grinding out some grundlers and since he has nothing to read, he's left with just his thoughts. The camera moves to the little thought bubble over his head where a gore muzzled Tony the Tiger is plop-plopping Alka Seltzers into a glass of water with the freshly mauled carcass of Captain Crunch visibly oozing entrails dotted with pink hearts, yellow moons, orange stars and green clovers in the background. Not sure just what they were selling there.

 
                         


11 comments:

Stephen said...

Not sure either. Sometimes you never know what they're selling until you see the trade name.

John Wiswell said...

Perhaps they were selling nightmares?

Steve Green said...

I dunno what they're selling either Harry, but I had a chuckle at your description of it.

Judging by the content of most commercials, the people who write them must believe the average viewer to be either extremely gullible, or in possession of an IQ on a par with an earthworm. :D

Kevin Michaels said...

Somehow I don't think that commercial is going to show up during the Saturday morning cartoons.....too bad really, because it might shake up the mainstream just a little.
Great read!

Alan W. Davidson said...

Man, I don't remember the Mr. Whipple commercial. Maybe it was too violent for Canadian television...

For some reason, the commercial of that choir singing "I'd like to teach the world to sing..." while formed like a giant Christmas tree comes to mind. That was Coke, wasn't it?

Cathy Olliffe-Webster said...

Buahahahaha! Alan bringing in "I'd like to teach the world to sing" is SO MUCH EXACTLY LIKE Mr. Whipple and his "grundlers" (buahahahahahaha!)... even thought I've never seen Mr. Whipple I am reasonably certain they have absolutely nothing in common!!!
You guys crack me up.
You, guys, you.

Stephen said...

Whatever Mr Whipple is selling I'll buy it [and add it to to my 15 Lexus', three holidays in Turkey, and a 'Flava Shaka'.]

Won't be long before there's a version of the ad. dubbed over with a Scottish accent.

"Grundlers." Ha, Ha. Ha.

St.

Chuck Allen said...

Ahh. The saturday morning commercial memories. Or something very similar to it. Thanks for the laugh!

Jodi MacArthur said...

Drink a tiger and crunch a Captian! I miss the Big Red commercials.

Anonymous said...

Oustanding description of the commercial Harry! I can see it so easily and am laughing my hind-end off....uh, no, let's not go there. :)

Hey Mikey? :)

Denise Covey said...

Hi Harry. I think a lot of commercials are great, so clever. But the best thing is that they give you time to make a cuppa.

Denise<3

Ive posted a Friday flash this week if you'd like to read it:

http://flashquake.blogspot.com