Big Time Commercial Annoyances

Commercials have remained pretty annoying to me. Here's a few of the ones that have given me the most nightmares.


Gordon Jump-The Maytag Repairman- Jump was best known as Arthur Carlson on the classic sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati. If you're a total jackass like me you'll also remember him as the creepy bike shop owner in a "special" two-part episode of Diff'rent Strokes. While replacing Jesse White as the Maytag Repairman resulted in a nice hunk of change, Mr. Carlson really couldn't cut ice as a commercial icon and his commercials eventually faded from the airwaves.




Bobby Short-Charlie- I was surfing, looking for some clips of Shelley Hack on YouTube when I shocked by a voice of the past, Bobby Short's cringe-worthy bellow. For some reason I always found Bobby Short annoying.
Although Short acquired quite an audience, the sound of Bobby Short's voice makes me have "spells."


Dell- The Dell Guy- It was another time. The "Dude You're Getting A Dell" made his debut in the late '90s. We grew accustomed to his TV presence for decades really. With his stoner-like talk and approachable demeanor, he attempted to make computers "cool." It didn't work for me, I'd never use one. Then as quickly as it began, it ended all because Young Ben Curtis was caught with the ganja.

The Good News: We'll have YouTube videos to remember him by...


Madge-Palmolive- For some reason, I have a profound attachment to Palmolive. Some might think it's "sick" or "crazy." As much as I like Palmolive, I hated Madge. She remained a mystery. I never really had a handle on what she did, all I know is she's dunk someone's hands in a bowl of water and say, "You're soaking in it."

Update: In her last spot , a drunken Madge "mistakenly" used a bottle marked Acme Skin Destroyer as her "friends" were soaking in it. Litigation is still pending.



Phil Rizzuto- The Money Store- Holy cow, what a crappy ad campaign. The late Phil Rizzuto was a constant presence on TV. As a beloved ex-baseball player he seemed a natural as a likable and reliable pitchman. Don't believe it. Despite his hail-fellow-well-met attitude, Phil and the Money Store indeed wanted their money back. In fact, if you were late with your payments, Phil would make a house call smelling of Brycleem and swinging a baseball bat "for show."

The Worst of the Lot: All of Them