AT&T Jokes About Death
By Nate • Dec 1st, 2008 • Category: Advertising
I usually try to ignore commercials when I watch television. If I can’t at least ignore them, I’ll just let them wash over me, saturating myself with slogans and jingles and catchphrases until none of it means anything anymore. It’s better than actually paying attention to them and requires less effort than it would take to actually get off my ass until my show comes back on.
In any case, a few days ago, I came across this commercial from AT&T that struck even me as more morbid than necessary.
Pretty sick huh? That they killed Slate Sanchez doesn’t bother me so much. Local news douchebags can be ground up and used for cattle feed, for all I care. But for his unassuming crew to have the similar fate, well that’s more than a former A/V nerd like myself can take. They didn’t ask to die in the service of Slate Sanchez. They’re unwitting victims to what could have been a perfectly entertaining way for that local news creep to bite it.
That’s no way to sell cell phone service to the nerds of the world. Shame on you, AT&T.
Nate is pretty sure Mark Twain said it best, "Humor is the great thing, the saving thing after all. The minute it crops up, all our hardnesses yield, all our irritations, and resentments flit away, and a sunny spirit takes their place."
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I’m not normally the sensitive type, but for some reason every time I see this commercial I think of the destruction of the World Trade Center (the association of destroyed buildings, I guess). Although I find most of the AT&T commercials really funny, this one just makes me morose every time I see it. I really wish someone would yank it; it’s in such poor taste to have an innocent crew meet a horrible fate because they didn’t get a cell phone call.
Ah, just lighten up!!!!! This is AT&T just having a little tongue-in-cheek fun . . . .It certainly gets the point across about the importance of missed calls. Hell, their’s more violence on the evening news, including sports! Get a sense of humor . . . .
Yeah!!!!! Lighten up, you jerk!!!!!! Get a sense of humor!!!!! My opinions are all inherently superior to your own!!!!! . . . . Hey, you know what’s awesome?????? Random unnecessary punctuation!!!!!! . . . . . I never bothered to learn how to write!!!!!
Sincerely,
Random Anonymous Internet Idiot
You’re right, Kevin, making off-hand jokes about innocent people dying is a great way to get across a corporate talking-point and advertising message. I wonder why other companies have never thought of this before. Ford Trucks; Buy an F-150, or this baby gets it!
Oh, and this is a humor website. You might have missed that at some point along the way. Our tongues are firmly planted in our cheeks. (yes, that is also intended as a joke. I apologize.)