Am I just being sensitive?

[callmeann]

    Is anyone else disgusted by the commercial for whatever lozenge Hall's is advertising, where the family is taking their son to his dorm and the roommate offers the mom a Hall's and it turns into an awkward, suggestive moment?

     First, if those boys are supposed to be obviously in college, I call BS.  They could have chosen actors who look like young adults but they had to have known how young those boys look.  They could technically be of age, but it couldn't have been an accident that they look about fourteen.  My own son is a college freshman who looks like a HS senior at the oldest and he looks two years older than those boys.

    Second, what about an awkwardly suggestive moment between a boy's roommate and his mother, which is discovered by him and his dad is funny and effective at selling cough drops?  And even if it could be funny if the young man had the appeal of an actual adult, how is it entertaining when it smacks of pedophelia?

     I can't believe this trash is still on the air.

[sati769leigh]

Nov. 5, 2009 at 8:35 PM

i think you are being a bit over sensative to be honest

[MSugarKane]

Nov. 6, 2009 at 7:34 AM

I laughed the first time, now its just weird to me

[callmeann]

Nov. 6, 2009 at 10:44 AM

Even if I am, and if you find it funny, how is it smart advertising?  It doesn't seem like a pointless risk into borderline inappropriateness?

(Original Poster)

[kerijeanbean]

Nov. 6, 2009 at 2:43 PM

I agree it seems a bit overly suggestive and just wrong.  I was weirded out by it the first time I saw it.

[used2chaos]

Nov. 6, 2009 at 3:18 PM

I haven't seen it. 

It sounds just plain wrong, though.  Isn't there a better way to sell cough drops?  Ad execs are paid handsomely, they need to do their job a little better.  Suggestive pedophilia is not the way to go...

I tend to laugh at the stupidity of commercials on t.v. lately.  How believable is it that Axe shampoo (being "woman approved") will get you the girl?  Or using the right shaving cream will suddenly make really hot women want you?  Never mind that they are waaay out of your league. 

[evwsquared]

Nov. 6, 2009 at 3:21 PM

It does seem to go on just a little too long. I think that you have to take into account that the boy is a different race, too, Ann. I'm going to sound horrible saying this, I know, but as a general rule Asians are smaller than Caucasians, and this can make some seem younger than they are during the college years. Living in a university town and completely surrounded by undergraduates, I see this daily. Even taking that into account, he does look a little young.

I see the humor in the commercial. It doesn't make me laugh, but I see the juxtoposition that they are making---that the pleasure that they have over the taste of their Halls looks like something other than it is. I'm not going to buy Halls instead of candy, though!

[callmeann]

Nov. 6, 2009 at 11:39 PM

Yeah, maybe he just seems too close to Mark's age.  That will ususally put me in a frame of mind to read really closely into things

(Original Poster)

[ooph]

Nov. 18, 2009 at 1:10 PM

I think it is a horrible commercial.  Even my husband, who has a twisted sense of humor, finds it offensive.  I am very open minded and have a wicked sense of humor myself, but I think this pushes the line. 

 

[Anouck]

Nov. 18, 2009 at 1:31 PM

Ummm, people actually watch commercials? I'm sure I've seen glimpses of it, but personally, I use commercials to either get something to drink/eat, or better yet, I record the programs and fast forward through the commercials, heh.