I watched Barbie so you don’t have to

I can’t think of a movie more suited for the United States in 2023 than Barbie. You know how in real life, there are clashes going on between liberals and conservatives over things like “the patriarchy,” women’s rights, abortion, social justice, etc. Well, this movie paints a vivid and obvious picture as to who’s to blame.

White men.

The writers are clearly living in their Hollywood bubble (think: all men are bad… no scratch that, all conservative white men are bad) and have no clue that there are men out there that appreciate women in all their wonderful intricacies and that there are women out there that appreciate the same about men. The movie was not entertaining, except for a handful of scenes (Will Ferrell taking his character to extremes, for instance). From the very beginning, the movie was determined to be hateful towards men up to the final, very last frame. In fact, the only male that wasn’t written to become hated was a soft, beta male as some call them. Michael Cera’s character.

Technically speaking, the cinematography was fine. The cast was fine. Why Barbie wants to become human is clumsy and not explained. It’s just a bad story. The obvious message of the movie:

Men suck.

This Rotten Tomatoes review says it perfectly…

One thing I appreciate in movies is the way they can evoke different emotions. A romantic comedy has more than just romance and humor, there might be an element of danger or adventure. A horror movie has moments of humor. A fantasy movie includes a love story. This Barbie movie, I can’t even figure out what it was other than a boring, predictable bashing of men… and white men specifically. I think I laughed twice but most of the time just wondered how much more I had to endure.

It’s that bad.

I didn’t come away hating America, hating my white male self, or thinking that women are God’s answer to mankind’s problems– excuse me, womankind’s problem– so I think their mission failed with me. Maybe they’ll try to get me to hate myself in Barbie 2.

-Out of the Wilderness

The iPhone 15 Commercial with Common’s Uncommon Mistake

Hello! I’ve written quite a bit about iPhone commercials. If you’d like, check out my Popular TV Ads page to read up on those ads and lots more. The latest iPhone commercial I’ve seen features rapper/entertainer Common and his alter ego Reflection Common. Mirror jokes never get old, I guess!

Common sits down for a beard trim but the barber has to step away. The barber sets his phone down and Common takes notice of the titanium phone. Take a look at the ad. Does anything peculiar happen?

That’s Gonna Be A ‘No’ From Me, Dawg. The barber in the commercial leaves his phone in a way many people do these days, face down. It’s a polite, and common, way to tell people you don’t want them seeing what’s on your phone. In other words, no touchy touchy. So what does Common do? Touchy touchy, of course. He Ignores social etiquette and grabs the dang phone! As someone commented on YouTube, “Who the hell just picks up someone else’s phone like that?”

Yes. Exactly.

I think it’s rude even for family members to brazenly pick up each other’s phones without asking, and it definitely comes across as borderline cavalier to do that with someone you’re only acquaintances with (ie. your barber, neighbor, Uber driver). The only script revision needed was for Common to ask the barber if he can check it out. The barber can say, “Sure, man,” “Yes,” or something lighthearted like, “Yeah, just don’t call China.” OK, that’s a dad joke from a bygone era but you get the point. It’s an easy fix for a glaring problem.

How do you feel about the commercial? Should T-Mobile have thought twice about having Common pick up the barber’s phone or is that something we should let slide?

-Out of the Wilderness

Jordan Commercial in Paris, France – The Music, the Stars, and More

Is there anyone or anything more iconic than Michael Jordan? Well, Dolly Parton but that’s beside the point. The next most iconic thing might be the Eiffel Tower so to have the well-known structure appear in an ad with the well-known basketball legend, well that’s a recipe for an iconic commercial. Check out the stars, the music, and the GOAT (not LeBron!) in the ad then scroll down for more info…

The Music. How do the sayings go? If you’re gonna play in Texas, you gotta have a fiddle in the band. And if you’re gonna play ball in Paris, you gotta use a French song… something like that, I’m sure. Although the lyrics are in French, the familiar melody in the song called “Mes joies quotidiennes” is from the The Sound of Music soundtrack, where it’s called “My Favorite Things.”

Here’s the version from The Sound of Music, plus a contemporary song from Ariana Grande that uses the same melody (and also kind of did something illegal with the song… allegedly).

Of course, you can’t mention this song without including a version we hear at Christmastime each season. For a more in-depth dive into how the song became a holiday classic, check out Billboard’s article about it.

The Stars. Appearing in the commercial are Teyana Taylor, Zion Williamson, Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum, Rema, Gabby Williams, and of course, Michael Jordan.

Mixing the song with a hip-hop beat was a clever move and gives the melody an enjoyable makeover fitting for an audience of basketball fans in 2023. Overall, it’s a good ad that will do well for the brand or at the very least, it won’t hurt it. How you do feel about the commercial? Is there a particular reason it was shot in Paris instead of, say, anywhere in the United States?

-Out of the Wilderness

Dunkin’ Donuts commercial with Ben Affleck and… who?

I recently finished a sprint triathlon and some of the swag from the race included a gift card from Dunkin’ (the donut shop formerly known as “Dunkin’ Donuts”). How sweet of them, right? So today’s post is about Dunkin’s donut-box-full of ads featuring Ben Affleck and someone I don’t recognize. Check out one of the commercials, then scroll down for more info…

Sweet and Spicy. The donuts are sweet and she’s spicy. No, not one of the Spice Girls. That, in fact, wouldn’t be possible since she was born after the Spice Girls rose to fame. She’s Dunkin’ spokeswoman and rapper Ice Spice.

No Rules, Just Right. I’ve noticed over the years that with music, rules of grammar are generally out the window. Words that don’t really rhyme and phrases that should be plural, or not, are, or are not, used. Did anyone else pick up on it in the commercial above? Maybe I’m too nitpicky, sure, but when she said “my fans is called munchkins…” I shuddered. I’m not surprised there wasn’t a retake, though, since there are single individuals who now identify as they/them. Anything goes in 2023.

But Still. But still, a lot of people will find the commercials funny or endearing. Ben and Ice Spice seem to have some chemistry. His generation and hers, two becoming one.

I’ll tell you what I want, what I really, really want… I want to hear your comments about this collaboration with Mr. Afflect and Miss Spice. Chime in below! And if you want to see more of their commercials, check out the Dunkin’ YouTube page.

-Out of the Wilderness

The Coke Missed Field Goal Commercial

There are some commercials that seem to transcend time. I’m thinking of this Amazon commercial or numerous Publix commercials. For ages, this is how it feels to be a football fan in America: Highs. Lows. Drama. And then it’s second down. Yeah, one play can send you through the loop of every emotion. Especially when it’s a game-changing field goal attempt. Tell me you haven’t felt like these fans before…

This has got to go down as one of the best football-related commercials of all time. I’ve felt this way so many times. Sometimes there’s a flag thrown that changes everything, and gives needed relief, but sometimes not. I’m thinking about my formative years when the college team I loved missed kicks “wide right” more than once. And no yellow flag saved the day.

😭

How do you feel about the commercial? Is there any better way to show the joy, heartache, and absolute excitement that goes on in college football?

-Out of the Wilderness