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RSS icon Comments on The Velveteen Touch of a Dandy Fop

1

My jaw dropped the first time I saw this; it's so horrifying that I stood there stupefied for several minutes after the commercial was over wondering what the hell I just witnessed.

But, in advertising you're supposed to make people LOVE your advertisement or HATE it. The kiss of death is apathy, so even if someone hates your commercial they'll remember it because they reacted to it.

It's like shock art... for Starburst.

Posted by Carollani | May 7, 2007 2:14 PM
2

I applaud your use of a Mr. Show reference in the title.

Posted by elswinger | May 7, 2007 2:20 PM
3

it's talking about getting thousands of blogs to host your ad for free, in an age where people bloop-bloop past ads on tv. whoever wrote this spot was an evil genius.

Posted by jake | May 7, 2007 2:27 PM
4

It's my favorite thing on TV right now.

Posted by Soupytwist | May 7, 2007 2:36 PM
5

Look closely and you will see that said Fop is none other than Jimmy Tickles of Strangers With Candy fame. I'm super jazzed!

Posted by Jerri | May 7, 2007 3:17 PM
6

Way to be a fucking month late.

Posted by louley | May 7, 2007 3:24 PM
7

I believe the idea is to shift the "gayness" of liking berries & cream Starburst onto the scapegoat we see hear, while emphasizing the casual het cool of the two young men hanging out together talking about Starburst.

Posted by MvB | May 7, 2007 3:52 PM
8

I need to stop muting commercials. I keep missing out.

Posted by keshmeshi | May 7, 2007 3:52 PM
9

7 -- Who said the "berries and cream" guy was supposed to be gay? And how do we know the other two guys are straight? They're sharing candy, for Christ's sake.

Posted by Jason Josephes | May 7, 2007 4:00 PM
10

Lindy, if you have to ask, it's too expensive. Gah!

Posted by nipper | May 7, 2007 4:28 PM
11

That commercial was awesome and I think that guy is supposed to be an elf or something.

Posted by Transit Man | May 7, 2007 4:29 PM
12

god damn it!.

Posted by biggie j guitar player for amplified rock outfit SSS | May 7, 2007 4:40 PM
13

Same bullshit as every other weird commercial you see. It gets attention, gets people talking about it, and thus, might increase sales.

Posted by Gitai | May 7, 2007 4:47 PM
14

The way he says "Berries & Cream" seams so familiar. Like it is from a Monty Python sketch or something similar.

Posted by elswinger | May 7, 2007 4:48 PM
15

I'm sorry, but he's definitely meant to be gay.

Posted by svw | May 7, 2007 4:52 PM
16

Yow! That was excruciating to watch. I'm not sure if I should be offended by the over-the-top gay stereotyping, or to applaud Skittles for embracing it. Either way, I'm glad I stopped watching TV. That was just painful.

Posted by SDA in SEA | May 7, 2007 5:13 PM
17

I gotta say I don't see the "gay" stereotype either. It's some weird dandy-fop-elf. Maybe if he had a lisp.

Posted by Gloria | May 7, 2007 5:52 PM
18

Well! That was disturbing.

I'm living in Australia at the moment, and I have to say, that wouldn't even be over the top here. There are basically two kinds of ads I've seen:

1. Someone quite literally shouting the name or type of product at you.

2. Really strange, trippy shit. There's a Coke commercial that takes place inside a Coke machine. All the little droplets of Coke live in a Wonka-esque fantasy world until they apparently sacrifice themselves to the bottle gods and come out the bottom of the machine. The ad basically says that you're eating little fantasy creatures by drinking Coke.

The Starburst commerical is still baffling, but a bit more par for the course.

Posted by brie | May 7, 2007 6:07 PM
19

We do the "Berries and Cream" dance at our house quite regularly. Kurt B. Reighley should have gotten the role in the commercial, trust me.

Posted by Mark Mitchell | May 7, 2007 9:50 PM
20

+1 for the title reference.

Posted by mjg | May 8, 2007 8:08 AM
21

I absolutely LOVE this commercial! Every time it comes on, it makes me smile. I always give my boyfriend (who is British) crap and tell him he reminds me of the prancy boy in the ad. heehee

Posted by faux show | May 8, 2007 9:42 AM
22

wanna learn how to do the little lad dance like he does?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ik8xpHdItrE

Posted by faux show | May 8, 2007 9:46 AM
23

I like the alternate version better:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfnFE1bCQfM

Has a awkward pause and a kick at the end that cracks me up

Posted by Colin | May 8, 2007 12:22 PM
24

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Posted by Buy antivirus | May 10, 2007 2:08 PM
25

MSN I NIIPET
MSN

Posted by Bill | May 12, 2007 7:06 PM
26

MSN I NIIPET
MSN

Posted by Bill | May 12, 2007 7:07 PM

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