Life in the Slow Lane

Life in the Slow Lane

Wednesday, October 19, 2005

Peevish

I have this pet peeve. And I am annoyed as hell every time one has blinded me. “They” are those wrinkle cream commercials with close ups of the models’ eyes and other potentially wrinkly bits. Do they really expect us to be impressed with the results of their magic potions when the images are so overexposed that any wrinkles or blemishes are lost in the glare? Have you noticed this too? There is Andie McDowell with any facial expression lost in her glowing white complexion. She could be The Crypt Keeper and we would never be able to see it. Do they think women are stupid?

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yes, they do.

Happy and Blue 2 said...

Never noticed. Maybe they are targeting men buying these products for women although that sounds dangerous for some reason..

Closet Metro said...

there's a lesson there: don't buy wrinkle cream, buy 800 watt lightbulbs.

ScottyGee said...

Have not noticed that one. Of course, I don't really pay attention to wrinkle cream ads...

Anonymous said...

OK,
You and I will be going to the cosmetic section to get you loaded up on some ADH to keep you moist, some Omega 3 capsules to keep your skin young and fresh, folic acid to keep that blush going,some anti-sagging emergency firming cream etc. The reason they show this on TV is that no one listens and seems to think that Body Shop oatmeal scrub is their ticket to beauty....NOT. YOU CANNOT AGE, YOU MUST LISTEN TO THE SKIN NAZIS!!! Zieg Hiel Oil of Olay.
ciao

Kranki said...

candy-we know different!

happyandblue-I have no idea who they are trying to fool.

mrtl-yeah, kinda defeats the whole purpose to use teenagers to sell wrinkle cream.

closet metro-EXACTLY!!

scottygee-not even to check out the older ladies?

skin bunny-do you have a FEVER?

KULA said...

Humans have yet to realize two things they can't change no matter how many chemicals they mix together: aging effects and stupidity!

magical_m said...

Andie MacDowell is my pet peeve.

She's just plain annoying, wrinkle free or not.

Amanda B. said...

This is, of course, except for me. I have no wrinkles or blemishes. Muwahahahaha!

Nessa said...

hahahahaha - yep! notice every time and Andi is one of the worst!

Opera Gal said...

vK- see, you and I have the "insider information" having both worked on film shoots - we know just how much spackle it takes at 5AM (I used to do makeup AND wardrobe) to make the "stahhhs" look beauteous.
And yes, average people REALLY believe this shit. I once did a series of pharmacy commercials (you know the type- host interviewing the patients who are getting their scrips filled) and I was AMAZED at how many people asked me afterwards how they got "real people" to be in the ads.
Every single one of them - an actor with a resume a mile long.

Kassi Gilbert said...

Actually they do have wrinkles, but they do overexpose their features with white light. And yes, they do think women are stupid.
Have you seen Sarah Jessica Parker lately...? I seriously thought she was Katherine Hepburn in the latest photo I saw in Entertainment Mag.

Humor Me said...

What always surprises me about them is the obviousness of it, not only of the over-exposure, but the expressions the models used. The mouth lines are the easiest to spot. They've lightly pressed their lips together, this tightens the muscles beneath the skin and LO AND BEHOLD!! Wrinkles!!! Oh. My. God. What will they do? What they don't tell you is that Teenagers get wrinkles when this. This is even more apparent in the next shot when the models mouth is relaxed "No more wrinkles" Wow. How freakin' amazing.

Squirl said...

People are just not skeptical enough. I'm always looking for an angle in an ad.

Anonymous said...

The best cure for commercials like this is... TiVo. Anytime I'm running through a show in fast-forward and get a glimpse of an annoying commercial, I'm grateful to the little TiVo dude for sparing me the irritation. Of course, when the really funky Target ads come on, or funny ads during the Superbowl, I always stop to watch them.

eclectic said...

Right up there with the "Ab-Dominator" and its ilk. Yep. We're that dumb... send us 4 of 'em.

Susie said...

On a related topic, I saw this morning that Lauren Hutton is posing nekkid somewhere at age 61. I say, "Go, Lauren!" And she says she's not retouched because "where would they start?"

Katy Barzedor said...

I think I want to pose naked and wrinkly, and force Andi MacDowell to look at it, and say "FACE REALITY, BITCH!"

Then, in my little fantasy, Andi repeats her best line from Sex, Lies and Videotape: "I'd feel stuuuuuupid."

And yay for your little treatment break, Kranki!

Candy said...

You know what, half the girls they use in those commercials arent even over the age of 20. Andie is an exception but, still. Most of the runway models are between 13 to 17. Its all a lie.

Holy Schmidt said...

This is similar to watching the Martha Stewert show. Ever notice that all close-ups of her it seems like the room is candle lit and her face looks very soft and smooth?

My husband thinks it's because of the thick layer of vaseline they put on the cameras.

Here's to none of us ever needing the wrinkle cream!