Thrash the Brat in the Ad!

Why doesn't someone thrash the brat in the Vision Express advert? The one who runs about shouting, jumps all over the sofa and trashes his dad's glasses – and instead of reprimanding his delinquent offspring the guy goes to the optician, and realises he could (and should) have bought two pairs of spectacles.



What kind of message is that to give a child? It implies bad behaviour is OK because the father is a fault for not being prepared. At the very least the wretched kid should have been told his behaviour is totally unacceptable, and then made to sit in the naughty corner. The problem with that, as I explained in last week’s Whinge, is that any such move on the part of adults is now viewed as politically incorrect: instead, a child must be placed in the ‘time out place’. Whatever the terminology, PC or not, I still think the treatment of bad behaviour in this advert is totally inappropriate. It's not even funny and it really, really irritates me.


While we’re on the subject of annoying adverts, what about that one for Ribena with the blackcurrants who want to be eaten? What kind of fruit would enjoy the prospect of being squished, squashed, turned to liquid and consumed by humans? Any sane berry would surely turn tail and run as fast as they could rather than racing to dive into the communal pot. I just hate the concept of ads featuring any kind of food that expresses a desire to be eaten. In addition the ad has ruined a perfectly good song: Mungo Jerry will never sound the same again.


And how about comparethemeercat.com? I understand most people love these adverts, but I must lack a sense of humour because they make me want to hurl the television through the window. What have meercats got to do with insurance? And why do the furry characters (who are really rather sinister) come from Russia when meercats actually live in sandy deserts? What is the point of these ads, which are not a patch on Meercat Manor?


Generally speaking, most insurance adverts are dire, with ridiculous central characters including a nodding dog, a woman who looks as if she’s been electrocuted and an opera singer with a cartoon moustache.


And I loathe all those advertisements for hair and beauty products that try to fool us into believing we can regenerate our skin, smooth out wrinkles or increase the volume of our hair. Instead of just telling us we will look better if we use their products they use pseudo-scientific terminology in an effort to make their claims sound more convincing. I find this worrying because I have no idea what they are talking about - plus  they use thin, glamorous models, singers and actors, some of whom have been 'enhanced' to make them look better.

Advertisements for household cleaning products are just as bad. They seem to concentrate on projecting images of safeguarding your family by eradicating germs from loos and surfaces; dislodging dirt from carpets; keeping clothes clean and soft, and making your home smell 'fresh'. Are women really that obsessive about the state of their houses? Do they spend all their time agonising about dirty clothes and hgow to shift stains?

Then there are the ads put together by companies which seem to have never-ending sales for beds and sofas. Do they ever sell at normal price I wonder? And those horrible, brash ads for online bingo, make me really cross, as do the endless shots of cars seen in a variety of landscapes, from a variety of angles, all intent on selling a lifestyle.

I have to admit that at the moment I can't think of a single advert that I like...