Most hated:— any automobile, SUV, or truck commercial where they exhibit absolutely idiotic driving. Screaming along a winding road at ridiculous speeds, sliding sideways, off-roading where they're driving at excessive speeds about six inches from the edge of a precipice, any of that stuff. Running a close second are any commercials (usually locally produced) for used car dealers or furniture store dealers where the loudmouthed twerp doing the voice-over is shouting at the top of his lungs and sounding so excited about not having to make any payments for six months that you're sure he's gonna mess his pants.

One of my favorites:— a Japanese commercial not shown in this country. I saw it on a program of award-winning commercials (who in the hell watches a program made up of nothing but commercials? I do, 'cause [God forgive me!!] at one time, I used to produce radio commercials, and an especially good commercial can be a work of art—really!). It showed a very tall building—a skyscraper—with a wee, tiny ladder running all the way from the sidewalk to the top. At the very bottom of the ladder was a little toy fireman, maybe four or five inches tall, wearing the traditional fireman's hat and a yellow slicker. He also wore a back-pack containing what at first looked like a couple of toy size oxygen tanks, but a close up showed that they two double-A batteries—with the brand name plainly visible. There was no voice-over, and I don't recall any music, but there must have been—probably something kind of whimsical. Anyway, the whole commercial consisted of various shots of the little battery-operated plastic fireman climbing the side of this very tall building. A very long climb. As he—finally—approaches the top, you get a view from the side and slightly above. Right on the edge of the roof is a cigarette butt, still smoldering. When the fireman reaches the edge of the roof, he points a small fire hose at the cigarette butt, there is a little squirt of water, and the cigarette butt hisses and goes out. As the screen fades, you see the logo for the brand of batteries. End of commercial.

Beautiful!

Don Firth