Chansky’s Notebook: Are We That Dumb?

How stupid does TV advertising think we are?

DirecTV, if it is not lying, is the preferred television provider by a country mile. So why is DTV trying to increase market share by claiming that anyone who subscribes to cable instead is as dumb as a doornail?

Have you seen the DirecTV ads on NFL games? How can you miss them, they are on just about every commercial break. According to DirecTV, if you use cable, you are no smarter than a guy who gets his arm caught in a vending machine, a woman sitting on a wad of gum, an airline passenger who enjoys getting his seat kicked by a rambunctious child, someone who camps out in a poison ivy field, and a guy who walks into a clear plate glass window (which I have done, by the way.)

The message is clear as that window. Drop cable and get DTV or you are, in a word, stupid. And this seems to be the new trend in sports advertising.

Nationwide has a series of commercials in which an arrogant Peyton Manning uses award-winning singer Brad Paisely as his stooge. I know it’s funny, but it gets old considering Paisely is as good at his profession as Manning was at his. Personally, I like the sweet blond singer who adds new lyrics to the Nationwide is On Your Side jingle.

Talking about stooges, how about the two Sonic guys in the drive-through line? Both a quality actors Peter Grozs and T.J. Jagodowski, who have done stand-up and appeared in full-length movies. But one loves telling the other he is an idiot in more ways to count. Fortunately, the commercials got old and have been phased out, which caused the Sonic guys to go rogue, make up their own spots and put them on You Tube.

The mark of a good commercial is not only to like it but remember what product it is advertising. Doesn’t happen with the captain of some starship who is ready to make a galactically cool move but realizes he has lost his keys – again – whatever that has to do with turning a spaceship.

Not so with the Verizon nitwit who interrupts press conferences, weddings and stops people on the street to ask them what is under the big tarp, which everyone knows is a Verizon logo, but stands there anyway.

Only on TV.

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