For a culture so obsessed with money, we sure don’t know the value of it. Here is a video of a guy trying buy a $.99 Taco Bell taco with an American Eagle gold coin. It’s legal tender for $50, but with gold the price of gold where it’s at, has a meltdown value of more like $1428. The Taco Bell employee doesn’t really want to take it, saying it’s “for collecting” and is much happier when the guy pays with two one-dollar bills. To be fair, he gives up pretty quick and doesn’t press his case, but that Taco slinger sure missed out. [More]
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Domino's Pizza Ads Smack Of Desperation
By 3.11.11
Does Domino’s seem a little desperate lately? A little too eager to prove that they’re listening to your negative tweets about the pizza quality, and not putting boogers in the pies? Like that commercial where they talk all those customers who think they’re complaining about the ingredients inside a focus group room, but then they’re actually in the farmer’s field where the tomatoes come from! Because absolutely nothing happens in the process between getting that tomato to the local pizzeria. Nope, they just send it via pneumatic tube. The comedians at UCB have noticed the earnest tone and made a lil parody video to skewer Domino’s for daring to try to change. Free salad topoff via helicopter, anyone? [More]
Clergy Perform Exorcism On Chase Bank
By 3.11.11
A group of clergy gathered together on the steps of JP Morgan Chase on Park Ave in New York City to perform an exorcism on the bank. They said that the bank was possessed by the demons of “selfishness and avarice” because according to the group’s new study, only 6% of New York homeowners seeking a loan mod have gotten it in the past year. The exorcism happens at 0:57. No satanic spirits fly out of the banks, but money does fly out when the clergy closes down their bank accounts. [More]
The $2,300 Tank Of Gas
By 3.10.11
A man’s eyes popped out his head and went “Awoooga!” when they saw his receipt for pumping 13 gallons of gas: $2297.84! Since he paid with his debit card, that meant real money was immediately drained from his bank account, causing a $1,300 overdraft. At first the gas station manager just shrugged his shoulders and blamed the bank, but he changed his tune after news reporters walked in asking questions about the receipts. [More]
How Delta Made Enemies Of Standup Eugene Mirman
By 3.7.11
I stumbled across this clip of standup comedian Eugene Mirman describing how Delta Airlines became his enemy. It all started when they lost his bag and at the counter they looked at his ticket and asked him if his name was “Barbara Riddle.” He said no and then they proceeded to deliver Ms. Riddle’s bag to his house, twice, before finally giving up and telling him he’d have to file a claim for his luggage. Fast-forward to 5:57 to hear him tell the tale and read aloud the hate letter he wrote them as a result. [More]
Behind The Scenes Of The New Old Spice Commercial
By 3.4.11
Here’s a behind the scenes look at how they made the new Old Spice commercial where the guy goes from Tahiti to the Alps to his home pleasure pad. I thought they did it all with fancy computer mouse clicks, but actually it’s all shot in one take with a lot of wires and props and set pieces that slide in and out. It’s pretty fantastic, but I would have liked to see the interviewer ask the talent, Isiah “Mr. Old Spice” Mustafa, what thinks about the fact that he is going to go through the rest of his life with people asking if they can smell him. [More]
Man Installs Windows 1.0 Through 7 To See What Happens
By 3.3.11
A man decided to try installing every single major upgrade version of Windows in consecutive order just to see what would happen, and made a video documenting the amazing results. Quite a dose of nostalgia. I like how the attention to seeing how the color scheme preferences are maintained or not maintained across installs is a major point of focus. [More]
How To Shop For Free, Extreme Couponer Shares Her Secrets
By 2.28.11
Uber-couponer Kathy Spencer isn’t satisfied with just having a low grocery bill. She only considers it a success if she gets everything for almost free, or even make money off the transaction. She does this by looking for loopholes in the system, like “rolling.” This is where say toilet paper is on sale for $1 but buying it generates a $1 store credit coupon. Use that to buy another roll, get another coupon, buy another roll and pretty soon, you’ve got yourself a year’s supply of toilet paper and you’re handing it out to strangers in the parking lot. [More]
Video Of Bully Debt Collector Crumbling
By 2.25.11
Here are two videos, the first of debt collector threatening this man’s wife and kids over a debt he had already repaid, and the second of when he calls them back and takes them to task. The debt collector says he’s an “officer” with the “ULPD,” which is the “United Legal Processing Division” but the name sounds like it was chosen to make it sounds like law enforcement. Note how quickly they fold once he starts asking questions like “Who are you,” “who do you work for,” and “what proof do you have.” Then think about how if that’s all it takes to get them to back off and move on to the next soft target, how these bullying tactics must be working for them. [More]
Resort Owner Shows How He Games TripAdvisor
By 2.25.11
A guy shows TODAY how he posts fake glowing reviews for his own resort and restaurant on TripAdvisor, and trash talks the competition. This doesn’t mean that customer review sites like TripAdvisor aren’t worthwhile, though. Just take his own advice and throw out the best reviews and the worst. The ones in the middle are the most likely to be from real people reflecting their real experience. [More]
Clip From "Consumerist On Bloomberg" Last Night
By 2.17.11
Here’s a clip from last night’s “Consumerist on Bloomberg” segment where I talked about the 8-year-old girl who racked up a $1,400 bill playing “Smurfs Village” on her parent’s iPad. [More]
Food Activists Capture And Execute Ronald McDonald Statue
By 2.14.11
A bunch of food activists and artists in Finland kidnapped a Ronald McDonald statute from McDonald’s and held it hostage in a series of Al-Qaeda style ransom videos. They demanded answers to questions about how McDonald’s produces it food or they would guillotine the statue. Two members of the group were arrested by police and the statue was recovered, but the group went ahead and guillotined a replica anyway. [More]
Only 8 People Waited In Line For The Verizon iPhone At Apple's Flagship NYC Store
By 2.10.11
CNN Money reports that a paltry eight people were lined up before doors opened at Apple’s big glass cube in New York City this morning to get their mittened hands on the new Verizon iPhone 4. Those numbers are a stark contrast to the thousands who showed up in June when the AT&T iPhone 4 went on sale. That it was about 11 degrees with the wind chill probably had something to do with the sparse turnout. [More]
Woman Bites Into Razor In Walmart Brand Ice Cream
By 2.9.11
A woman has cut her lip on a razor that was at the bottom of her cup of Walmart brand Peanut Butter Stars. When she called to complain, the customer service rep told her, “I’m sorry, I hope your day gets better.” [More]
Were Groupon's Super Bowl Ads Tasteless?
By 2.7.11
Groupon spent several million dollars offending a lot of people last night with a series of Super Bowl ads that started off as philanthropic pitches, then quickly segued into how you could get a great deal on the endangered entity with a Groupon. The online backlash was immediate and left many viewers wondering if Kenneth Cole was moonlighting as a Groupon ad copywriter. [More]
Starbucks Trenta Holds Entire Bottle Of Wine
By 2.4.11
We already knew that Starbucks new “Trenta” size was slightly larger than the capacity of the average human stomach (and how this was not really a big idea when you think about what 7-11 and Dunkin Donuts have been doing for years), but now, just for a little dose of extra perspective, Cockeyed demonstrates how the Trenta holds an entire bottle of wine, with 5 oz left over. I think I just figured out my new way to get drunk in the park: wineaccinos! [More]
Comedian Who Made Videos Asking For $1 Million And Got It… Was A Hoax
By 2.4.11
It sounded too good to be true: comedian Craig Rowin made a series of web videos asking for $1 million, and then he announced he had received it. A rich benefactor named “Benjamin” had seen the videos and was amused by them enough to hand over the cash. The videos went viral, Craig went on TV and international news teams were dispatching crews to cover his amazing story, which he maintained was completely real. Then at the end of the check-handing-over ceremony on Wednesday night, Rowin burned the check on stage and revealed it was all a hoax and the “investment banker millionaire” was an actor he had hired. Sorry, dreams. [More]
Verizon Drops Snark Bomb On AT&T In New iPhone Ad
By 2.4.11
Verizon gets all catty against AT&T in this new ad. First it shows the iPhone spinning and light passing over it while a a dramatic orchestra pumps and a throaty announcer intones, “It’s beautiful. It’s intelligent. It’s genius. But does your network, work?” Then the phone rings. It’s Verizon guy! He says, “Yes, I can hear you now,” and wiggles his eyebrows. Oh snap! Let the coke wars begin! In other news, the “can you hear me now” guy is has put on a few pounds. In other other news, Verizon has declared they’re all sold out of iPhone 4 pre-orders. [More]
