Friday F-Off: English, Marketers and When My Daughter is Smarter Than I Am
Preventable Stupid
My Friday F-Off is inspired by the above stupid ad. I took a picture of this sign because I just didn’t understand the message and I was going to add it to my next Kick Ass Pics post which is coming to you next week. The caption was going to be ‘You can’t cure stupid’ because that is my new favourite saying not because it really went with the picture.
Since, here is what I learned. My reviewing of the ad from the side of the road deduced the following: I assumed the dad in the ad was an ass for beating his kid on a water slide race instead of ‘tie’-ing as the ad suggests. I also thought ‘shit, we are not supposed to promote tans for kids?’. WTF is Esso thinking? My brilliant daughter pointed out that it doesn’t mean that. I swear I looked at that ad for 5 solid minutes. I even put on my thinking face which looks like this:
None of it worked. I couldn’t understand what the ad was trying to tell me. Then my daughter pointed out that tie meant necktie. Lightbulb on. Now it makes sense.
The English language is stupid. And, as I previously pointed out, you can’t cure that. But, in this case I also think the marketers are stupid.
Words that have multiple meanings should not appear on signs that you drive by unless it is explicitly explained or the innuendo is meant. You can prevent stupid. Preventable stupid is the new caption for this ad. If they had made it more obvious, I would not have felt stupid, they would have not looked stupid and I would not have had to make my thinking face because I am pretty sure it is causing wrinkles. At least one of the family look smart. Damn that kid.
I looked at it, looked again and still didn’t get it. Stupid billboards and stupid people who think that sh*t up.
Your image is so cute… that puppy is self explanatory and should be on a billboard!
You can’t cure stupid. I am standing by that.
Everyone should have a dog like her once in their life, she was very special
I agree that there is no cure for stupid and never will be. I’ll stand by you as you stand by that
confirmation we are blood relatives…..i thought the exact same as you. go to Shell
Go to Shell – So Funny!
I didn’t get it either. Thank goodness your daughter was able to explain it.
kdcol recently posted…The world is my oyster
I know. I would say she is a chip off the old block, but I think I just proved she’s not.
well I am just as stupid – insert scrunchy face here – because I thought it meant the asshole dad would rather be tanning than racing with his son and I was all “what a dick! – play with your kid for fuck’s sake!”……My daughter – at 15 – is now in the enviable position of pointing out how wrong I am. All. The. Time. It must be exhausting for her.
My daughter does look exhausted by me. I thought the dad looked like a dick even when I knew the meaning of the ad. He is pretty pleased with himself that he beat his kid. Fucking dick.
it is a stupid ad, any way you slice it, and how’s the kids supposed to provide opportunity for a tan? and what the heck do esso & coke have to do with a tan?? stupid all around!
If you rub coke all over your body and let it eat off all the sunscreen you will get a tan. That one is obvious.
It’s all about context. I’m sitting at my computer looking out at a beautiful day, thinking what the hell am I doing in here. Then I clicked to your post. Got it instantly.
Although if any job ever made me wear a tie (or panty hose, the female equivalent), I would quit on day 2.
Cassandra recently posted…Throwdown Thursday: Keep It to Yourself
Clearly you are the superior race (or under stimulated – cue Momus).
I bow to Cassandra, my spirit guide. Can I borrow a $20? All my spirit guides lend me a $20…
Can’t we just hate the ad because of the dad’s smug face that screams smackable?
knehilla recently posted…10 More British Words that Should Come Over to the States
Yes. Yes we can.
The ad picture looks like it was taken in 1955. It has that “retro” look about it.
I reckon that is to make them look hip.
Where in the hell did you see that sign? Why is there barbed wire around it?! I agree with you and your commenters. I thought it must have been a picture of an old sign, since it’s so retro and everybody knows that tanning leads to skin cancer and wrinkles. At least your daughter will speak to you. Mine thinks I’m so dumb that it’s all she can do not to roll her eyes in front of me.
Another stupid thing: can’t you drink coke at work? Wouldn’t that make a refreshing break? The maker of this ad should be fired, since it takes the intelligence of Cassandra or your daughter–which only 95 % of the population–have to understand it.
It is a campaign, believe it or not, intended to be retro. There are other, more explanatory yet still stupid, ads in the series. I will try and capture a shot of one.
Barb wire – I live in a crazy-ass neighbourhood y’all! OK, not really, it was the side of the road and they didn’t want anyone climbing the ladder to spray paint WTF?! on the ad that they clearly spent millions in creative development to produce. Intelligence of Cassandra – love it!
While it certainly would be tempting to spray paint that billboard, this totally ruins my image of Canadians. The stereotype is that you’re all super polite and well mannered. Everyone except you, that is. I’m guessing they put that barbed wire up with you in mind.
Don’t worry, I will say sorry the whole time I am spray painting. All good.
Well clearly this is aimed at the same pretentious pricks that make up perfume & cologne adverts because I still don’t understand what it means…
PinkNoam recently posted…The 10 Most Awesome Shit Jokes
There’s the secret. I need to be a pretentious prick and then I will be allowed to enter the petrol station to buy coke. Now it all make sense!
Technically you can’t drink a tan OR a tie (either kind).
In conclusion this ad is stupid and the people who made it are stupid and anyone who’s taken a big swig of tanning oil or blended their tie into a smoothie is stupid and they’re all just one more reason I don’t want to live on this planet anymore.
Spoken Like A True Nut recently posted…“You shouldn’t have…”: Father’s Day edition.
Please stay on the planet. Who am I going to rant to if not you???