Now that Washington Mutual completely imploded on its garbage-pile avalanche of home mortgages, this old WaMu commercial from August 2006, starring Scott Adsit pre-30 Rock, takes on a new, darker, meaning…
videos
FreeCreditReport Hires Ed McMahon To Rap In "Viral" Videos
By 9.25.08
We’re warning you now, so that you won’t bother to fall for the “you-gotta-see-this!” absurdity of an 85-year-old former talk show announcer and sweepstakes pitchman reduced to self-mockery in order to make some money. We don’t begrudge McMahon his career, but as you know we deeply begrudge “free”creditreport.com for its misleading name, commercials, promises—well, pretty much everything.
Always Test The Merchandise Before Demonstrating It
By 9.22.08
Where is the salesman in this screencap? He’s behind the table, holding his ribcage and crying out in pain. Don’t keep striking your $45 samurai blade against the table, kids—otherwise you might find yourself saying things like, “Ohhh, that got me good,” instead of talking about the awesome swordlike qualities of your sword.
Purina Isn't Bothered By Dog Food Infested With Fly Larvae, Maggots
By 9.20.08
Christina’s two dogs fell ill after eating Purina Beneful infested with maggots and fly larvae. After taking her dogs to the vet, Christina called Purina for an explanation, only to be told: “As soon as our food leaves our factory, it is no longer our responsibility.”
Your New Tires Could Be Six-Year-Old Death Traps
By 9.14.08
Those “new” tires of yours could be six-years old and ready to disintegrate on the highway. Tire rubber dries out after six years, but unlike in Europe and Asia, American companies are allowed to sell expired tires long after they turn into death donuts. A 20/20 investigation found that the “new” tires on sale at Sears and Walmart can be up to 12-years-old. Inside, how to tell when your tires were born…
WHH Ranch Company Uses Shredded Checks As Package Cushioning
By 8.24.08
A Texas cannery has been using shredded checks from the local bank as packing materials for the past twenty years. The WHH Ranch Company claims that Michelle McBride of Kansas is the only customer to ever complain about the checks, which plainly displayed routing and account numbers for hospitals, medicare, schools, businesses, and personal accounts.
Burger King Employee Takes Bath In Sink, Feels Wrath Of Health Department
By 8.12.08
A Burger King employee who took a bath in the burger chain’s sink is probably regretting that someone filmed it and posted the video to MySpace, because the local Health Department was among those viewers who were not amused.
Lowe's Driver Caught With Hand In The Hooker Jar
By 8.6.08
Sick of prostitutes and their customers infesting their communities, Oklahomans are videobusting them and posting the results on YouTube. This one catches a Lowe’s delivery driver picking up a hooker in a residential neighborhood and retiring to the back of his truck for a playdate. It’s the work of a one man citizen journalism campaign by Brian Bates, who’s been at it in OK since 1996. It seems in the 12 year he’s been at it, he hasn’t run out of material. Full vid inside.
Your Brother Committed Suicide? No Insurance For You
By 8.4.08
Consumer Reports has an interview with the mother of a young man who couldn’t get any insurance because, after his brother committed suicide when he was younger, he saw a psychiatrist for a few sessions. He went uninsured after he aged out of his father’s coverage and taking jobs with no health benefits. Then, while he was cleaning it, his pickup truck burst into flames.
Wannabe Supervillain Who Claimed He Poisoned Baby Food Is Arrested
By 8.1.08
Police have arrested Anton Dunn, a 42-year-old New Yorker who uploaded videos to YouTube and other sites in which he wears a black mask and calls himself “Trashman.” In the videos, Mr. Trashman announces that he’s managed to poison “millions of bottles of baby food” with cyanide. Gerber, the company he names in his threats, says it’s found no evidence that any food has been tampered with.
Video Tutorial For Escaping Cellphone Without ETF
By 8.1.08
Who needs a bunch of words to tell you how to get out of your cellphone contract without early termination fee when a nice boy will tell you how do to it? You just sit back, grab some popcorn, and watch Ely Rosentock’s video tutorial. 9 minutes later, you’ll know how to break your cellphone contract without ETF, or moving to California. Video inside… [More]
Viacom Retracts Fraudulent Ownership Claims On Indie Filmmaker's YouTube Clip
By 7.30.08
Last week we told you about how Viacom was sending fraudulent ownership claims to indie filmmakers on YouTube. A few days after our post went up about how they were doing this to animator Joanna Davidovich, a Viacom executive got in touch with her to explain what happened.
Viacom Fraudulently Claims Ownership Of Indie Filmmakers' YouTube Clips
By 7.22.08
Viacom is sending bogus copyright ownership claims and illegal posting notices to independent filmmakers posting their own movies on YouTube. These films contain not one iota of Viacom content. Take, for instance, this lovely short animation, “Juxtaposer,” made by Joanna Davidovich for her senior project. It’s completely her original creation. She has copyrighted it and says that she “only entered into distribution agreements that were nonexclusive.” Yet, the media corporation saw fit to have YouTube tell Joanna, “Viacom has claimed some or all audio and visual content in your video.”
That Sure Is An Expensive Phone Ya Got There, Mr. Hobo
By 7.14.08
Fine, fine, the iPhone is decent and all that, but here’s a funny clip from “The Soup” that puts the lie to that whole “It’s so much cheaper!” hype. And if you’re not an iPhone owner and need even more reason to feel good about that, check out Wisebread’s rant against people who stand in line for gadgets.
By 7.14.08
../../../..//2008/07/14/tv-stations-looking-to-save/
TV stations looking to save money can do so by interviewing guests remotely over Skype, as WTVT in Tampa did, live, with me this morning. No more paying for car service or bottled water!
VIDEO: Activist Bum Rushes iPhone Line With Flag Pony
By 7.11.08
The first person in line at the 5th Ave Apple store in Manhattan was some kind of activist Daniel Bowman Simon, part of a group who camped out in front of The Cube for over a week, hoping to use it as an opportunity to bring exposure to issues of, “sustainability, affordable housing, energy security, and locally-grown food,” who tried to bumrush the applauding Apple receiving line of Apple employees and penetrate The Cube with what appears to be a metal/aluminum-foil horse carrying an American flag. The world may never know now knows exactly what sort of brilliant political statement he was trying to make as he was quickly intercepted by burly security guards who jettisoned him away to make room for more obedient cult members. Video, inside…
