I Don't Buy That
Jennifer Flaten

Maybe you have seen the commercial; it is for a well-known brand of garbage bag. The commercial focuses on a befuddled homemaker, she has no idea what to do about the foul smelling odor invading her kitchen.

As the woman in the commercial wrings her hands over a course of action, the soothing male voice over delivers the solution. She needs to use an odor shield garbage bag.

That's right an odor shield garbage bag, which I am sure is not very different from a different garbage bag. Yet, I can guarantee that the "odor shield" costs about 50% more then the "regular" bag.

Still, the commercial would like you to believe two things. First, that people have no idea what to do when a horrid stench takes over the kitchen. Second, that if you don't have a particular garbage bag you will have to live with the stench.

Have we turned into a nation of morons? Why on earth, would you spend extra for the "odor" shield when you could just tie the bag up and take it to the outside garbage can?

I can't fathom why marketers would think that the general public is too stupid to take the smelly garbage outside. Yes, I understand how this is just a dramatization for commercial purposes, but still, it boggles the mind.

Have we as a nation become that lazy, that we are willing to pay extra for something that maybe saves 2 minutes of our "precious" time?

I can't begin to describe how irritated this commercial makes me; it just is joining a long line of commercials that portray the customer as a blathering idiot.

Another example of marketing to morons, a local phone company implies that now that they have lowered their phone plan-pricing moms everywhere will be able to stop working their 2nd jobs.

Yes, this commercial wants you to believe that moms everywhere are willing to take on another job just to provide their darling children with text messaging.

The commercial mom is shown wearing a demeaning costume (a taco) to attest to the horrible conditions, she would endure to provide a cell phone to her children.

I think every mother in the tri state area should take up arms, storm the cell phone company, and beat them with their own phones. No mom I know would work and extra job just so the kids could have a cell phone.

There is nothing amusing about these commercials at all. There are truly funny commercials out there; they are just few and far between.

As the purpose of a commercial is to sell a product to the consumer, I don't see how insulting our intelligence will help move the product.

Lately, this disturbing trend of selling to the lowest common denominator or "Joe Six Pack" if you will is getting more and more out of hand.

Most products for younger men show them as sloppy, slackers who can't find their butts with a road map and both hands. Tell me, what consumer would identify with that?

I know that sometimes commercials are controversial just to generate talk about the product. This stems from any attention is good attention, used by attention whores everywhere, and which has helped launch many a product, see Paris Hilton, if you don't believe me.

While I don't like a controversial commercial whose sole purpose is to generate a buzz, they are certainly better then commercials that portray the consumer as a moron.

I know I find myself wondering how a company authorized such a stupid commercial, and then I realize that is the best example of a committee in action. Too many cooks spoil the broth and all that. Plus, some focus group somewhere thought the commercial was "da bomb"

The ad agency certainly doesn't care they are laughing all the way to the bank.