Will the Next Jake From State Farm Be A Woman?

It’s Jake… from State Farm.

I say this line a lot and it would make a lot more sense if there was a Jake around when I said it. Usually there’s not. It’s a line from the infamous State Farm commercials with the original Jake. Take a look…

I totally forgot about the “Well, she’s a guy, so…” line. That probably wouldn’t go over well now in the U.S. but it was really funny at the time (and still is but shhhhhhh don’t tell anyone). Jake from State Farm was eventually replaced by a new Jake and he’s helped expand the campaign a lot.

Yes, that’s an old Pacer and yes that’s THE Caitlin Clark who was absolutely assaulted by a fan who clearly planned this for weeks ahead of time.

Remember when KFC started swapping out celebrities to play the part of Colonel Sanders? It was bizarre and I still don’t understand the idea behind it. I hope State Farm doesn’t follow in their footsteps but in today’s sensitive culture, I wouldn’t be surprised if they bring on a new “Jake from State Farm” and it’s a woman. Jackie from State Farm. She’d be a woman of color, obviously. Look how inclusive we are, State Farm would say.

Let’s hope they don’t fall prey to the idea that they can please everyone all the time. Just stick to doing insurance, k?

-Out of the Wilderness

The FedEx Tony Hawk Commercial – Real or BS?

FedEx is rolling out a series of ads called “Tall Tales of True Deliveries.” The first one is about an entitled couple who expect the FedEx driver to cater to their every need on their wedding day. I hope he got a groomsmans gift for his clutch delivery, that’s all I’m sayin.’ Check that one out here. The next episode includes legendary skateboarder Tony Hawk…

A Tall Tale, Indeed. So FedEx wants us to believe that if we bring an item in and say “Can you send this to my cousin over in California?” they’re going to bend over backwards to do it? I’m calling BS. The reality that we all live in is encapsulated by what the FedEx guy says at the very end of the commercial, “I’m gonna need an address and a zip code.” I’m sure 99% of the FedEx staff and delivery drivers are great people. Maybe that’s the point of the commercials. But they need to be careful not to set expectations too high because if we are to believe these ads, we can just show up all willy nilly and expect FedEx to do everything for us… from sending a package without an address to delivering a package wherever we want them to, on command. That’s the definition of entitlement.

With that said, this Tony Hawk story is true. Below is the original, whole story from back in 2020, and you can read more about the exchange as reported by Entertainment Tonight here.

-Out of the Wilderness

“You Are My Sunshine” Covers – Which is the Best?

In these frigid months, it’s important to remember the warm things of life. Like… the sun. Remember that ol’ thing? Keeps us kinda warm on cold days and scorches us in the summer? Yeah, the sun. As a way to remind you that summer is only *Googles “when does summer start”* holy crap it’s still 5 months away!? Well, that’s a bummer. As a way to brighten your cold days for the next 5 months, here are a few fantastic versions of “You Are My Sunshine.” Which is your favorite?

One of the earliest recordings from way back in 1939 by the Pine Ridge Boys.

Relatively new country singer Zach Bryan…

Singer/songwriter band Shovels and Rope…

The Man in Black, Johnny Cash…

“Jar of Hearts” singer Christina Perri…

Alternate take by The Dead South…

Obviously there are many, many performances of this song. It’s been a classic for decades. My favorite version is Johnny Cash with his soulful, haunting version. Which is yours?

-Out of the Wilderness

Taco Bell Portugal. The Man Commercial – The Music, Joe Keery, and More

Taco Bell has cheap tacos, we all know that. But maybe the message needs some star power. Enter Portugal. The Man to reiterate the low-cost menu where you have an assortment of options for $3 or less!

The Music. Appropriately using a Portugal. The Man song as the soundtrack of the commercial, here’s the full song called “Grim Generation.”

Taco Bell has been using popular music in a few of their recent commercials like this one featuring Green Day. It’s not a bad idea to try advertising by association. In an ideal world, poeple will hear the song by Portugal. The Man (or Green Day, of course) and think of Taco Bell. But there’s a fine line, just like with the music itself, between satisfaction and oversaturation. You know those songs you hear on the radio way too much? Even the best of songs can become annoying when it’s played too much. The same is true with commercials. Have you seen the Verizon commercial with the dramatic dad? I’ve seen it enough to want to mute the TV when it comes on. A lot of people would say the same thing about Burger King commercials, too.

What I need more of is those birds in the Progressive ads. Give us more, please!

Still, though, the best Taco Bell commercials are as follows:

  1. Any commercial with the “Yo Quiero Taco Bell” chihuahua.
  2. The one with Joe Keery is an instant classic… from 2020.

-Out of the Wilderness

Benson Boone “Beautiful Things” Video – The Location and More!

I’ll be totally honest… I had no idea who Benson Boone was until I sat down to write today’s blog post. *Ahem* I post every day at 1pm central, subscribe below for notifications* …I was kind of in the mood to write about a music video so this was perfect timing.

I saw the thumbnail for a music video by some guy named Benson Boone. The thumbnail is what drew me in because it reminded me of my camping trip to Texas. Did you know northern Texas has canyons? I didn’t know that but with God as my witness, I’ve never seen anything more beautiful. Here are 3 of my favorite pics from that trip (more stories from Texas here).

Of course, at this point I’ve got to watch Benson’s video to see if it was shot in Texas. It looks a lot like what I saw in the state parks. Take a look…

After some research, I’m making a calculated guess that this wasn’t shot in Texas, but near St. George, Utah with part of the Grand Canyon as the backdrop. Stunning, no matter where they chose to shoot the video. Also, here’s another favorite pic from Texas because I just could’t leave it out…

So that’s how it’s going for Benson. A new music video with over a quarter million views in just one day (at the time of this post). But let’s see how it started, shall we?

I was surprised to find out he was on American Idol a couple of years ago. He chose to leave the show early but obviously his talent and determination have propelled him to the national stage anyway. One of the reasons I love the “Beautiful Things” video is because of Benson’s passion, which is why I became such a big fan of Judah & the Lion, too. Not only is the music really good, but seeing someone passionate about what they’re doing, especially as musicians, has always been something I admired very much. It also makes me secretly super jealous. God made me left-handed, creative, and a lover of animals, but He didn’t give me the talent to sing well. Ugh.

What do you think about Benson’s new video? Have you been new on your musical radar? Chime in below and also follow Benson on Instagram: @BensonBoone and if you enjoyed today’s post, send a quick note of encouragement by donating $1 so I can continue posting daily…

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-Out of the Wilderness