Posting daily at 1pm central about all kinds of things. One day it's dating, the next it's TV commercials. I hope you're entertained. Professional photos on SmugMug – https://benwilder.smugmug.com
SKYRIZI, you know company behind the “nothing is everything” commercials, has another ad featuring their catching tune. I’d be lying if I said the song doesn’t get stuck in my head often. They have a smorgasbord of styles in almost every genre! It’s everything America didn’t know it always needed. Here’s one of their newer ads and I was shocked by how much it resembles my life.
Everything except for the ukulele and cutting a vegetable perfectly was basically taken right out of my life. Roller skating? Yep, I do that. In fact, here’s a post about it. Mowing the yard? Uh huh, that’s something I do. Hooping with my homies? Of course. I was the star bench player on my high school JV team. Swimming? Dang, don’t get me started on that. I had ONE embarrassing swim (recap here) and I haven’t let myself forget about it. The ad wraps up with a couple of guys playing brass instruments… kind of like me with a trumpet.
I mean, I kind of think SKYRIZI owes me royalties for this commercial. Instead, they’re giving me nothing… which is everything.
When back-to-school commercials start airing, you know summer is drawing to a close. Good news is the fall season doesn’t officially start until late in September but companies like Amazon, Walmart, and Target are rolling out ads for all the school supplies students might need. Gosh, it doesn’t seem like it’s been a year since I wrote about these ads:
Just like the series of ads last year, Amazon is using a familiar face to promote their back-to-school offerings but this time it’s not Kathryn Hahn. It’s Randall Park. He’s been in quite a few projects from the big screen to the small screen. Check out his resume here.
It feels proper to point out that Amazon isn’t always the best place to get the lowest prices. *ahem* Dollar Tree! But for whatever you need, I’d recommend checking around before making a final decision. Other places like Goodwill, local thrift stores, and the clearance aisle at Walmart might have exactly what you need for low cost. In fact, just the other day they had brand new Florida State hats for $1, normally selling for over $15. I didn’t buy one of course, because I don’t want a dime of my money to go to Florida State. Is it still obvious I’m bitter about what happened nearly 10 years ago?
Do you like the new commercial from Amazon? Chime in below…
I might be creating drama where there is none, but I’m sincerely wondering what CMT’s flagship show is going to do this weekend when their show airs. As the name of the show suggests, it contains the 20 best country music videos across the land. But does it? Does it, really? When I worked at CMT (before I was laid off in dramatic fashion, and that’s not a dig at CMT, I’m grateful for my time there), there was a super secret formula powerful people used in forming the list of 20 and I won’t get into it mostly because I have no idea what the super secret formula was.
Some of my best friends came from my time at CMT so as the drama has unfolded with Jason Aldean, I think about my friends working on Hot 20 Countdown. They’re responsible for putting together an entertaining show with the best country music has to offer, and they’re good at their jobs. I don’t know if it’s the elephant in the production room up there in Nashville, but everywhere else in the country knows that Jason Aldean has the most-watched video in country music. What is a producer supposed to do when the #1 video in the country has been dropped entirely from the channel? Yes, that’s right. CMT pulled the music video so it will not air at all on CMT. Should producers of the show…
Pretend it doesn’t exist?
Put Jelly Roll at #1?
Hold a spot open in memoriam?
Sometimes I run with ludicrous thoughts so what if they left the #1 video open like athletes sometimes do if a teammate passes away? Announce that taking the top spot is Jason Aldean with “Try That In A Small Town” but due to decisions above our pay grade, we will not be showing the video. Kind of like the missing man formation in a military flyover. Football players wear patches on their uniforms. Or this, basketball players paying tribute to Kobe Bryant…
I’ll be the first to say Jason’s music video is inflammatory but not because of anything related to racism. It’s just terrible timing to put a video out that feeds into division that already exists. I dig deeper into my thoughts in this post, but if peace is what we’re after, the music video isn’t helping at all.
So what is a music video countdown show to do when the most-watched video of the week is blackballed? Do producers put together a subtle nod to the fans? No, that would get them fired. These people have families and responsibilities. I guess they just have to “go along to get along.” It’s unfortunate CMT would put them in this situation because the show is going to lose credibility and relevancy if they don’t, in some way, acknowledge what’s going on with Jason Aldean.
I’ll be the first to admit I have a short memory so I thought it would be a good idea to remind myself (and whoever reads this) what ludicrous things relevant politicians have said in the last few years… things we shouldn’t forget about, especially with each of them having a desire to be elected president of the United States, whether it was in 2020 or upcoming in 2024.
Grammar Nazi. VP hopeful Tim Walz explains away a handful of lies by saying his “grammar’s not always correct.”
Hotness. Joe Biden has less tact than I do. In this video, he jokes about the ground being hot after the Maui fires which killed over 100 people.
114 people burned to death in Maui
Over 1000 people are still missing, including children
Please Stand Up. Vivek Ramaswamy is not the real slim shady. But his memory skills are real. Also a little cringey.
If You Question… Who can forget this one? Joe Biden questioning your blackness.
A Man of the People. Here’s Joe Biden shushing a woman who works for him. So much for breaking down the patriarchy.
Concerned. Mike Pence was running for the Republican nominee bid in 2024, but his answer about caring (or not caring) for American cities while bending over backwards for Ukraine might be the dagger that takes his campaign down. It was fun while it lasted, huh, Mike?
Gun Show. This is an oldie but a goodie coming from Texas man Beto O’Rourke. At the time, he was campaigning for the Democratic nominee spot, but his line about AR-15s was (and still is) hilarious. Later, after he withdrew, he was praised by Joe Biden who said Beto would have an important role in the Biden administration. Hmmm, somehow that never materialized. Shocker.
Covid. Running as a 2024 Democrat hopeful is Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. who had a bizarre statement about covid recently. What he said baffled Democrats and Republicans alike. Covid might be racist and RFK might be on the way out… already.
Wheels on the Bus. Last, but not least, Kamala Harris who seems to be willing to do anything to gain more power (not even mentioning how she got her California appointments 😉 ), here she is accusing Joe Biden of not being racist, but doing racist things (mmmk?). A few months later, she graciously accepted his invitation to serve as vice president in Biden’s administration.
The U.S. women’s national soccer team is in the news but not because of their play on the field during the 2023 FIFA World Cup. Nope. It was their lack of enthusiasm during the national anthem. I watched it. At first, I didn’t think it was much out of the ordinary. Before a huge game, a huge tournament, athletes might be in a different headspace especially just minutes before the match starts. They might be thinking about strategy, nerves are high. So if a player doesn’t have their hand over their heart or they don’t sing the lyrics, it’s understandable. Here’s a replay of the anthem before the women played against Vietnam.
🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
THE NATIONAL ANTHEM PLAYS AT THE 2023 FIFA WOMEN'S WORLD CUP FOR THE FIRST TIME 🙌 pic.twitter.com/czqIXr5zBT
But then I went back and watched the anthem from previous World Cups (see videos below) and it becomes very clear. Half of the 2023 women’s team is ticked off about something. Most likely it’s Trump, or Republicans, or gay rights, or a baby’s right to live, or any number of things from the list of things liberals hate. For some being defined by the word pride, they sure don’t seem to be showing much.
Open-minded liberals when you disagree with them
In the U.S. women’s first game of the World Cup, they played Vietnam and it was hard for me to root for America. However, for players like Rodman, Smith, Ertz, I will try again when they play their next game Wednesday. Now watch the anthem from previous matches and see if you don’t notice a general ramping down of excitement over the years. In most of the videos, the women and men are pumped up, proud, honored to represent their country. And if any of those things aren’t true, they at least had the maturity to keep it internal as their faces and body language were being broadcast around the world.
And finally, the anthem at the men’s World Cup in 2022…
Out of the Wilderness 