Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Minor Irritations


When did parents become stupid?

I'm speaking about television portrayals, especially commercials. Or perhaps the question ought to be when did children become smarmy know- it- alls?

In fairness, kids can act like know- it- alls in the real world.  I am sure I did it though my mind has charitably forgotten the details. 
Commonality does not mean we have to see it and that lets me circle back to my point.

I've noticed in commercials parents are often portrayed as knowing less about the world than their pre-pubescent loinfruit.

Currently an Easter candy commercial is gnawing away at my calmness. In it a boy of perhaps seven is shopping with his mother. Chocolate bunnies loom. She suggests getting a bevy of them and is summarily, and smugly, corrected by little loinfruit.
From him we learn the proper collective nouns for the lagomorphs in question. He even provides a collective noun specifically for domestic rabbits.

This is our cue to coo, "Ooooh isn't he smart."

No. he's annoying.

A few years ago a public service commercial had a father and daughter cleaning up after a meal.
Daddy was about to pour grease down the drain. Fortunately for all concerned, especially the pipes, loinfruit is there to chastise and correct him.

It was once that parents knew things like proper terms and not to pour grease down a drain and passed them on to kids.

Now parents, and I'll extrapolate it's adults in general, are hopeless.
Woe to the unchildrened.
However do we get through the day?
I am by no means advocating a return to the golden-hued days of father knowing best, but I'd like a return to the days of father and mother knowing something.

6 comments:

the Bag Lady said...

I totally agree, cousin. There is a commercial for toilet tissue that is similar... and annoying. Poor dumb adults.

Pearl said...

It's the ad agencies.

They stink!

:-)

Pearl

Chris said...

Yeah, that's right up there with ads portraying men as overgrown, adolescent, bumbling buffoons and women as their long-suffering enablers. All the stereotypes ads reinforce really get under my skin. And don't get me started on flower shops with the "Guys, even if you don't know what you did wrong to get that look from her, make it all better with a bouquet from..." ads. Jeez, I can feel my blood pressure rising just thinking of this stuff!

Leah J. Utas said...

Bag Lady, one wonders how we've managed to survive.

Pearl, yes. So true. But the companies still approve the ad so everyone is at fault.

Chris, that is inflaming. I'm not sure how it happened, but it is deeply and completely offensive.

messymimi said...

This is one of the reasons i gave up TV over 10 years ago. It made me too crazy to have to watch this stuff.

Leah J. Utas said...

Good for you for giving it up. I am sure you are a great deal happier for it.