Dish Network's Tastelss and Vulgar Ads

Free Republic Vanity ^ | Sept 11, 2005 | Jack Black

[Jack Black]

I have been watching NFL football today, one of my few TV viewing vices. The games were great, especially the Lions finally winning an opener in a convincing fashion. However throughout the games, on those channels as well as several others I watched are these totally vulgar ads.

For those of you who have not seen them the theme is that 'cable TV sucks'. The visuals involve various things being sucked onto the TV screen, shoes, one old mans clothes except for his underwear, etc.

Most parents I know have worked diligently to help our kids understand what words and phrases are not popular. Certainly in our house 'sucks' has always been a bad word. After all most of us know that 'sucks' is short for a description of a common sex act.

So this is where we are at. One of the largest TV providers thinks it's cleaver to use gutter slang for sex acts as the tag line for their saturation bombing ad campaign.

Well, I'm not sure about you, but I think I'll stick with my cable, thanks very much. Dish Network, no thanks.

[Gabz]

Usually they don't reply , but once in awhile they to reply that which adds are run , and how often, is not up to them. Something I do not believe.

If you do not believe it, then you know noting about broadcast advertising. DN has no control over anything but how many ads they pay for - each individual channel makes the decisions of how many and when ads run - with one LARGE exception....filling time.

Advertising is how stations/channels/networks generate revenue - all programming has a certain amount of time built in for advertising - if they don't sell the time they still have to fill it.

[flada]

"Sucks" is vulgar? Better not tell that to any vaccuum cleaner salesmen, they'll have to change their entire offensive pitch. Also, sheet feeders on printing presses suck. Leeches suck--even the ones used for medical purposes. Mosquitoes suck. Vampires fictionally suck. Anyone who's ever eaten a lollipop sucks.

[Artemis Webb]

Yeah...I know what you mean...

In fact the other day I found my Labrador bitch outside sucking some eggs. I was really mad and yelling at her for making an ass out of herself but she couldn't hear me because an old Fokker airplane flew over my head.

Frustrated I returned to my game of Trivial Pursuit in the house. Have you ever played it? You have these little chits that you try to put in the holes...

[Gabz]

They still don't offer network channels...am I wrong on this??

Yes. We get ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC

[FatherFig1o155]

They really do need to mention it. The lawyers force the advertising people to add on all the legal you hear and see on commercials, print, newspaper, everything. All that fast talk about leasing details on those car commercials? Lawyers. The 10 lines of small type at the bottom of those computer ads? Lawyers.

It's a CYA move on the companies' part so some yahoo doesn't sue them for an overpromise made by the marketing department.

[Gabz]

Some of us have kids to raise.

You're right.

Childhood is becoming shorter all the time.

And your attitude is part of the reason - our 7yo thinks the ad is hilarious because the TV is acting like a vaccuum cleaner - absolutely nothing vulgar about it at all - except in the mind of a few narrow minded individuals.

[Welsh Rabbit]

I recently heard my dear, sweet mother use the term "sucks" to describe some wine. It was the first time I've ever heard her say anything of the sort. I thought it was pretty funny.

[JoJo Gunn]

Get a life

Excuse me, are you someone important?

[incredulous joe]

TV has been banished from my house.

I think much of this slang is relevant to your environment.

I teach in a school where such words, along with "shut up" or taking the Lord's name in vain, are not tolerated at all. If I hear language such as this on the school yard - I have only once - the child is reprimanded immediately and forcefully.

The other kids take note not to say "Jesus Christ" or "That Sucks" when the ball is stolen from them during a game and they come up with other words like "dang".

I think your right to be offended, but that's life in th USA 2005. degradation and humiliation function as entertainment. Don't tolerate it. Explain why it's wrong. Your kids won't use it.

[trubluolyguy]

"Anyone else offended by these ads?"


By the word sucks?

Offended?


No. If I was, I would have turned the tv off. But I guess that's just me.

[JoJo Gunn]

If you do not believe it, then you know noting about broadcast advertising.

Perhaps you don't know anything about it. Dish actually feeds their ads on top of others. (Every now and then the timing is off so you can see that Dish interrupted another ad).

[PennsylvaniaMom]

Without question, the worst ads, IMO are the ED ones. The 'Bob' ads were campy, and fun. The others, especially that damn darked haired woman soulfully talking about when 'the time is right...' I want to throw something at the screen. That is not the reaction that any advertiser should want.

I remember, years ago, reading something on the same subject point back when fem. hygene products started being advertised. They were kept fairly benign...it was all about fresh and absorbant...and they used the product to sop up what looks like spilt Windex...very unoffensive. Fast forward to Mike Ditka throwing a football thru a tire...

Lastly, the Dish Network TV sucks ads DO produce a double entendre for me...I think the TV as sucking (bad product) and and that TV itself is a vast wasteland (300 channels and nothing worth watching) so it is like a vacuum...sucking!!!

[Artemis Webb]

"Excuse me, are you someone important?"

yup.

[ovrtaxt]

My kids have heard the term used in an insulting way, so they have the context to understand the meaning.

We don't let them talk like that.

It's visually funny- but it desensitizes the viewer to a rude behavior.

Believe me, we don't 'shelter' them- but we don't allow them to participate in verbal sewage. It makes one appear uneducated and uncreative.

[trubluolyguy]

"The Cox Cable ads are crass and vulgar"



Gee it's a good thing we aren't liberals, we'd see a bunch of conservatives out front of an office building picketing and demanding some business family change their name because it sounds vulgar.

[Artemis Webb]

"Perhaps you don't know anything about it. Dish actually feeds their ads on top of others. (Every now and then the timing is off so you can see that Dish interrupted another ad)."

Apparently YOU DON'T KNOW, but that is common and has been done by local stations over network feeds for decades.

It is also common in radio where you are likely to hear a Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity commercial for a New York City business/product being dubbed over by a local commercial.

[Artemis Webb]

What we have here is too much of the "thought police". The NCAA doesn't like a sports team because they think their name might offend Native Americans. A FEW conservatives don't like something on tv because they get wound up over the word suck.

Same type of people in both cases.

[Dan from Michigan]

Truth is sometimes needed. Cable TV DOES suck, and if I was able to get a clear view of the Southern Sky, I could have gotten a dish instead of paying an arm and a leg each month.

[Dan from Michigan]

It's not exactly a sexual reference.

I always thought of it as a sports term - and around here usually the words "The Lions" are in front of it.

Although they won today! Woo hoo!

[Gabz]

My daughter has also heard the term in an insulting manner and knows it is not a permissible expression to use.....however, she knows the difference as she proved to us when she explained what the commercial meant - cable cost too much money and that is why we switched to dish.