Maybe not so weird as baffling. I saw a TV ad tonight for a package tour company that was advertising its European tours. It listed various European cities. And Marrakesh.
A lot of Southern Europe is more or less in Africa, I believe there was a campaign to have Morocco join the EU some years back.
@Firenze You keep sharp knives in a drawer?? Never - unsafe and the constant buffeting takes small nicks out of the cutting edge. What you want is a magnetic strip (preferably a double one) screwed to the backsplash or side of a cupboard and keep the knives there. If you really can't accommodate a magnetic strip, then a wooden block or two. Either will keep your knives easily to hand when you need them and safely out of harms way when rootling around in a drawer.
I thought knife blocks were bad for knife blades? I know a lot of chefs who keep sharp knives in a leather roll within a drawer, or have knives that have some kind of case of their own.
@Firenze You keep sharp knives in a drawer?? Never - unsafe and the constant buffeting takes small nicks out of the cutting edge. What you want is a magnetic strip (preferably a double one) screwed to the backsplash or side of a cupboard and keep the knives there. If you really can't accommodate a magnetic strip, then a wooden block or two. Either will keep your knives easily to hand when you need them and safely out of harms way when rootling around in a drawer.
I thought knife blocks were bad for knife blades? I know a lot of chefs who keep sharp knives in a leather roll within a drawer, or have knives that have some kind of case of their own.
Chef’s hat on. You do have to sharpen knives more if they are kept in a block. If you don’t clean your knives throughly enough some germs can hang around in the slots. I have a block for our home knives and a roll for my personal professional knives. So long as you remember to keep knives sharp (as you should anyway as they are more dangerous blunt) and clean them properly a block is ok.
I had a block for a bit, but it took up a lot of space and only held 3 or 4 knives. Whereas the implements drawer runs to 17 (excluding the cheeseboard ones and the pizza cutters). All sizes, some serrated. I notice in going to do a particular task I think Not that one, that one. Some I must have had for 40 years.
I have an electric sharpener, and usually sharpen a knife just prior to use.
We have a set of knives in a knife block but a bread saw and a long curved blade knife, both of which came from my grandparents, and a kitchen devil knife which I bought 45years ago, which live in the cutlery drawer
Now I'm not doing re-enactment any more, my medieval belt knife and medieval kitchen knife (small) both live in the kitchen drawer, and I do still use them occasionally. The rest of my knives are in a knife block.
I think this one belongs here. I asked my friend why the flag was flying at half mast at the entrance to the retirement community that he has just moved into.
"It means there's a condominium for sale".
"Eh?"
"Someone just died and their place is for sale".
Super Glue Liquid, Instant Clear Cyanoacrylate Thin Viscosity Adhesive, Food Safe Glue for Shoe Sole Repair Leather Ceramic Plastic Glass Metal Wood The food safe is the part that seems odd, followed by shoe repair. I understand if you repair something, it is safe to store food in it, but it just sounds strange.
Not so much strange as annoying – there’s one for Haribo sweets at the moment where they have a little scene with two adults, usually supposedly responsible adults like policemen, talking about how much they love Haribo, but the voices are dubbed over with small children’s voices. I find it creepy, it sounds very weird and I can’t imagine who it is aimed at, I would have thought adults would be put off and children wouldn’t be interested in an ad picturing adults.
Not so much strange as annoying – there’s one for Haribo sweets at the moment where they have a little scene with two adults, usually supposedly responsible adults like policemen, talking about how much they love Haribo, but the voices are dubbed over with small children’s voices. I find it creepy, it sounds very weird and I can’t imagine who it is aimed at, I would have thought adults would be put off and children wouldn’t be interested in an ad picturing adults.
The ad that runs here is two (American) football players, but it’s the same thing—adults with children’s voices. It’s a thing; not that long ago, videos of that sort seemed to be regulars on Facebook (at least my wife’s feed) and Tik-Tok. Some people apparently find it very funny. Like you, I find it very creepy.
Haribo have run a few similar ones in the past, but for some reason I think this recent one is more off-putting than previous ones.
Mr RoS really dislikes it.
A no less weird but slightly more successful one (for me anyway) is the ad for a bank, which has children behaving like adults (on the premise that your relationship with money is supposedly formed as a child, or something).
The little girl insisting ‘I didn’t eat the calamari, I won’t pay for the calamari’ is memorable.
I saw a lovely satirical post elsewhere on the internet recently, skewering those adverts for funeral planning. Do you have those in the US too? Usually featuring jolly middle-aged people discussing how they’ve sorted their funeral plans, with much laughter from all involved.
A no less weird but slightly more successful one (for me anyway) is the ad for a bank, which has children behaving like adults (on the premise that your relationship with money is supposedly formed as a child, or something).
The little girl insisting ‘I didn’t eat the calamari, I won’t pay for the calamari’ is memorable.
Also the supermarket checkout assistant.
I also like the Nationwide series with the arrogant CEO.
I also like the Nationwide series with the arrogant CEO.
"Muffin me" - among other demands. Which is a complete copy of the Doctor Who episode (an early one with Chris Eccleston and Billie Piper I think) with Zoe Wanamaker demanding "moisturise me!"
I saw a lovely satirical post elsewhere on the internet recently, skewering those adverts for funeral planning. Do you have those in the US too? Usually featuring jolly middle-aged people discussing how they’ve sorted their funeral plans, with much laughter from all involved.
Sort of, although here the people aren’t usually jolly, and the commercials are for life insurance that will cover funeral expenses. They are usually playing cards, unloading groceries or the like, and discussing the recent death of a friend. “All those funeral expenses!,” one will say. “That wasn’t a problem,” another will say. “She had life insurance from Overpriced Life Insurance Co.” The first person will react as though they’ve never heard of such a thing.
These hallmarks of these commercials are wooden scripts and wooden acting.
These hallmarks of these commercials are wooden scripts and wooden acting.
I think you are being excessively generous ...
Although I've now seen it Far Too Many Times, I like the advert where the girl hands her dad the "boots" bag. I think the actors were well chosen although they're probably about 5 years older now.
What really annoy us are all those ads for fabric care, promising Even More Freshness. Just open the windows!!!
The little girl insisting ‘I didn’t eat the calamari, I won’t pay for the calamari’ is memorable.
I had seafood dish at my birthday lunch last week which included a couple of rings of calamari. I picked one up to comment on the width of the slice, and one of my sons quoted that at me. Most of the table picked up on the reference.
I saw a lovely satirical post elsewhere on the internet recently, skewering those adverts for funeral planning. Do you have those in the US too? Usually featuring jolly middle-aged people discussing how they’ve sorted their funeral plans, with much laughter from all involved.
Sort of, although here the people aren’t usually jolly, and the commercials are for life insurance that will cover funeral expenses. They are usually playing cards, unloading groceries or the like, and discussing the recent death of a friend. “All those funeral expenses!,” one will say. “That wasn’t a problem,” another will say. “She had life insurance from Overpriced Life Insurance Co.” The first person will react as though they’ve never heard of such a thing.
A current radio commercial that amuses me for All The Wrong Reasons is of a husband and wife. The wife says: "I had a horrible dream last night. You were in an accident..." and then she goes onto explain that, because of that, she had to pack up and move to a new house! ("Oh, that's awful, hon!" exclaims the husband). What amuses me is that, other than a passing reference to the accident, she never again mentions what happened to the husband. It is all about the inconvenience his accident caused her! When the hubby says "Oh, that's awful!" I always wonder what he would have said if she said something like: "You were in an accident and decapitated and the kids used your head like a soccer ball!"
I always wonder what he would have said if she said something like: "You were in an accident and decapitated and the kids used your head like a soccer ball!"
There's a new (I think) one for a deodorant specially formulated for "down there" which shows a guy going out to play sport and pulling forward his waistband and spraying himself. Cut to the playing field, he goes up to head the ball and the player right next to him gets a noseful of the new fragrance and almost swoons in pleasure.
What really annoy us are all those ads for fabric care, promising Even More Freshness. Just open the windows!!!
My reaction to the deodorant ads that Sparrow mentions above is pretty similar to that - "You sweat, you smell - just wash!"
I find the idea of mixing body (especially 'lower body') smells with artificial aromas quite repugnant, and there are a couple of brands advertising them at the moment. The rather close attention being given to the guys' perfumed areas does seem a bit weird.
There's a new (I think) one for a deodorant specially formulated for "down there" which shows a guy going out to play sport and pulling forward his waistband and spraying himself. Cut to the playing field, he goes up to head the ball and the player right next to him gets a noseful of the new fragrance and almost swoons in pleasure.
I haven't seen them before but we get all-over body spray ads here now, with reference to "balls". And some tablets for vaginal smells (with a woman holding her nose) and other problems down there in prime-time. I find them a bit odd but I suppose if the problem exists...
I saw a lovely satirical post elsewhere on the internet recently, skewering those adverts for funeral planning. Do you have those in the US too? Usually featuring jolly middle-aged people discussing how they’ve sorted their funeral plans, with much laughter from all involved.
The ones I've seen here in the land of Oz are either young couples with kids saying the best thing they did is get life insurance to cover funeral costs or funeral cover. There is one I don't mind consisting of cartoon turtles with one in its shell and the other apologising for using the f-word.
Meerkats made an appearance several years ago for various insurances and still seem to be going strong.
[I find them a bit odd but I suppose if the problem exists...
The problem I have with much advertising is that these "problems" don't actually exist.
The product, whatever it is, needs a market, and the aim of the adverts is to create that market. They do that by putting about the idea that we, the target customers, have a problem that had never entered our minds until we started being inundated with adverts.
I don't like being manipulated into thinking, in these current instances, that I need to cover up my natural aroma with artificial smelling chemicals. It is covering up the smell that seems to be the selling point of those lower body toiletries, not the antiperspirant qualities.
At least, that is the message I get, particularly from the one where the guy is getting very close and personal with the basketball (?) player.
Indeed @Roseofsharon. That's exactly how it is re advertising.
One of my favourite Oz TV programs for many years has been a variation on the title Gruen (it gets reamed every so often). This program features a host and a panel of 4 advertising professionals discussing different tv advertisements, their purpose, success or failure and one particular panel member is always excited about how good the ads are at convincing people to lean towards a particular product. It's very interesting and entertaining hearing them present their views.
They also task different ad firms, two firms per week with making an ad on a a particular topic, critique the ad the company makes and vote on which ad is the better one. Some of the pieces shown are really clever. I look forward to the program being screened each year, though I know it's not to everyone's tase.
The problem I have with much advertising is that these "problems" don't actually exist.
The product, whatever it is, needs a market, and the aim of the adverts is to create that market. They do that by putting about the idea that we, the target customers, have a problem that had never entered our minds until we started being inundated with adverts.
"Night starvation" was never a problem until Horlick's invented it in ?the 1930s.
This was savagely lampooned by George Orwell in "Keep the aspidistra flying" - apparently his publisher Victor Gollancz had to make him rewrite some of the "made-up" advertising slogans in the book for fear that they were too close to genuine ones and that the companies would sue. As the book had already been typeset, all alterations had to be exactly the same length as the originals.
Phone game ads are a prime example of How Not To Act. They really are some of the most wooden displays possible.
I know trees that can act more animated.
Not to mention one I have a lot at the moment, with a bloke wearing shorts. And a camera shot up his shorts. No you cannot see his sack, but you can see far more of his leg than anyone needs to.
Comments
A lot of Southern Europe is more or less in Africa, I believe there was a campaign to have Morocco join the EU some years back.
I thought knife blocks were bad for knife blades? I know a lot of chefs who keep sharp knives in a leather roll within a drawer, or have knives that have some kind of case of their own.
Chef’s hat on. You do have to sharpen knives more if they are kept in a block. If you don’t clean your knives throughly enough some germs can hang around in the slots. I have a block for our home knives and a roll for my personal professional knives. So long as you remember to keep knives sharp (as you should anyway as they are more dangerous blunt) and clean them properly a block is ok.
We have a knife block, and I occasionally sharpen some of my knives, and they are notably better.
I have an electric sharpener, and usually sharpen a knife just prior to use.
In the Rogue household a pizza cutter is known as an infinity blade.
"It means there's a condominium for sale".
"Eh?"
"Someone just died and their place is for sale".
Mr RoS really dislikes it.
A no less weird but slightly more successful one (for me anyway) is the ad for a bank, which has children behaving like adults (on the premise that your relationship with money is supposedly formed as a child, or something).
The little girl insisting ‘I didn’t eat the calamari, I won’t pay for the calamari’ is memorable.
Also the supermarket checkout assistant.
I also like the Nationwide series with the arrogant CEO.
"Muffin me" - among other demands. Which is a complete copy of the Doctor Who episode (an early one with Chris Eccleston and Billie Piper I think) with Zoe Wanamaker demanding "moisturise me!"
These hallmarks of these commercials are wooden scripts and wooden acting.
Although I've now seen it Far Too Many Times, I like the advert where the girl hands her dad the "boots" bag. I think the actors were well chosen although they're probably about 5 years older now.
What really annoy us are all those ads for fabric care, promising Even More Freshness. Just open the windows!!!
I find the idea of mixing body (especially 'lower body') smells with artificial aromas quite repugnant, and there are a couple of brands advertising them at the moment. The rather close attention being given to the guys' perfumed areas does seem a bit weird.
I haven't seen them before but we get all-over body spray ads here now, with reference to "balls". And some tablets for vaginal smells (with a woman holding her nose) and other problems down there in prime-time. I find them a bit odd but I suppose if the problem exists...
The ones I've seen here in the land of Oz are either young couples with kids saying the best thing they did is get life insurance to cover funeral costs or funeral cover. There is one I don't mind consisting of cartoon turtles with one in its shell and the other apologising for using the f-word.
Meerkats made an appearance several years ago for various insurances and still seem to be going strong.
@Roseofsharon they are antiperspirants not deodorant - they're preventing the sweat not just covering it up.
The product, whatever it is, needs a market, and the aim of the adverts is to create that market. They do that by putting about the idea that we, the target customers, have a problem that had never entered our minds until we started being inundated with adverts.
I don't like being manipulated into thinking, in these current instances, that I need to cover up my natural aroma with artificial smelling chemicals. It is covering up the smell that seems to be the selling point of those lower body toiletries, not the antiperspirant qualities.
At least, that is the message I get, particularly from the one where the guy is getting very close and personal with the basketball (?) player.
One of my favourite Oz TV programs for many years has been a variation on the title Gruen (it gets reamed every so often). This program features a host and a panel of 4 advertising professionals discussing different tv advertisements, their purpose, success or failure and one particular panel member is always excited about how good the ads are at convincing people to lean towards a particular product. It's very interesting and entertaining hearing them present their views.
They also task different ad firms, two firms per week with making an ad on a a particular topic, critique the ad the company makes and vote on which ad is the better one. Some of the pieces shown are really clever. I look forward to the program being screened each year, though I know it's not to everyone's tase.
This was savagely lampooned by George Orwell in "Keep the aspidistra flying" - apparently his publisher Victor Gollancz had to make him rewrite some of the "made-up" advertising slogans in the book for fear that they were too close to genuine ones and that the companies would sue. As the book had already been typeset, all alterations had to be exactly the same length as the originals.
I know trees that can act more animated.
Not to mention one I have a lot at the moment, with a bloke wearing shorts. And a camera shot up his shorts. No you cannot see his sack, but you can see far more of his leg than anyone needs to.