“It may be the most annoying commercial on television. It’s repetitive, it’s simplistic, it’s production values are beyond cheap, it’s insultingly basic and worse yet, it is still higher brow than NBC’s target demographic.”
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Teaser for Zune, Microsoft’s iPod
By 7.27.06
Insects Love Apples
By 7.24.06
Whilst browsing the Apple forum, looking to find a solution for why my MagSafe connector wouldn’t actually charge my MacBook Pro anymore (solution? “Buy a new one!” Thanks, Apple chuckleheads.) I came across this remarkable cry for fumigatory technical support and the accompanying video illustrating his problem: insects living inside his monitor.
Redux; Head On! Apply Directly to the Forehead!
By 7.21.06
Last month we posted the commercial for Head On! – a headache relief stick that you rub on your brow. The commercial repeats “Head On! Apply Directly to the Forehead!” over and over again.
Daily Show Explains Net Neutrality
By 7.21.06
“The point is that with net neutrality all internet packets – whether they come from a big company or a single citizen – are treated in the exact same way.”
Andy Warhol Teaches You Japanese Colors
By 7.20.06
Andy Warhol certainly has a cool command of Japanese in the 80’s ad for TDK, doesn’t he? “Aka… Midori… Ao… Gunzyouiro…Kirei!” Red, green, blue, ultramarine, beautiful, for the record. Not that you’ll care after Warhol’s eyes horrifically snap open and appear to be black pools of staring blood.
UPDATE: Comcast Censors Critical Nightline Story
By 7.19.06
Reader Jason reports that a fishy cut of last Friday’s Nightline was also heard in their podcast of the show. Listen here. Missing on both the internet-over-tv service and the podcast was a segment containing an infamous clip mocking the cable operator.
UPDATE: Comcast Censors Critical Nightline Story
By 7.18.06
When Consumerist readers and users of Comcast’s tv-over-internet service watched our clip on Nightline, they were surprised to see that Comcast appeared to censor out a part that was critical of the cable operator. Whither the Sleepy Comcast Tech? We pointed this out to the segment’s producer. 50 minutes later, we got this email from Comcast Corporate Communications:
1970’s Iran Air Stewardess Porn
By 7.18.06
Okay, not really. Sorry to get your hopes up: the Arab world really doesn’t produce enough porn. But before they started waving scimitars in the air and crying through blood-soaked beer for jihad against the white devil, Iran was a friend of America, a peaceful country filled with polite men in plaid suits extolling the virtues of Iran Air.
Lucky Strike Means WTF
By 7.18.06
Back in the 50’s, these Lucky strike stop motion ads were almost as pervasive as smoke in a maternity ward.
Comcast Censors Critical Nightline Story
By 7.18.06
The Sleepy Comcast Technician featured prominently in Nightline’s story last Friday, but you wouldn’t know that if you were watching with Comcast’s tv-over-inernet service. Watch this screen snag:
Consumerist On Nightline
By 7.17.06
Here’s the video of us on Nightline along with Vincent Ferrari this past Friday, July 14th. People seem to enjoy the part where we say “So?” We like it when Vincent says “Vent their spleen!” Though we really wished they included our metaphor about crack rocks. Nightline definitely nails the best rendering of the cancel call we’ve seen. They re-edited the recording to leave in the juicy bits, then present the transcript with snazzy bubbles.
Avoid Crack, Advises PeeWee Herman
By 7.15.06
Take from a man who knows, don’t take crack. Don’t even think about it. Crack cocaine is the most addictive form of coke and even pondering its chemical structure in an academic setting can causes serious lung and liver damage, breakdown of tooth enamel, delusional parasitosis, paralysis, and even indecent exposure.
HOWTO: Disco
By 7.14.06
If there’s one thing that’s not being consumed enough these days, it’s dirty, dirty, disco dancing.
Daily Show Ties Ted Stevens’ Tubes
By 7.13.06
Have no fear people, this crazy old politico isn’t in a position where his uninformed opinions might do harm, he’s only a member of the Senate commerce committee currently deciding on Net Neutrality.
Microsoft Tech Leaves Babeluscious Support Message
By 7.12.06
Amusing rendition of a support call a Microsoft tech left on a customer’s machine with visual aids. The tech’s first language is obviously not English.
Mary Tyler Moore, Oven Sprite
By 7.11.06
We might have unicorns in Wendy’s commercials but in the 1950’s, they had magical fairies, and Mary Tyler Moore. Before she became Mrs. Dick Van Dyke, Moore was was Happy Hotpoint, a blithe, dancing, 3-inch pixie shilling for Hotpoint appliances on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.
Comcast is Nice, Frustrating Man
By 7.7.06
We’ve been fielding some inquiries lately from news organizations, asking our thoughts about recording customer service interactions. Will Vincent and the Sleepy Comcast guy inspire copycats? Will people try to game the system for kicks and national acclaim? Well, some guy tried to goad a Comcast rep during an intent to cancel call…
