Did you really not get it? This is a satire. They're not making fun of the metric system. They're making fun of people who don't understand it. The anti-metrics are the ones who should be angry about this video, not us.
As Bill and others pointed out, the character in this video is kind of a portrayal of everything his creator sees as imbecilic and ignorant. It's like the Simpsons. When Homer does something obviously stupid, we aren't being told we should do that. We're being told that doing that would make us idiots like him. Homer is used to show what people shouldn't do, and other characters (Lisa) tell us how we should behave. This kind of satire goes back for centuries in Western culture. I refer you to Hogarth's prints in the 18th century, which use much the same kind of satire to try and discourage behavior the artist sees as foolish. --- "Paul Trusten, R.Ph." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Bill, you have established your reputation for being contrary. But,I can be > contrary, too. I like to laugh at things, and I'm the biggest punster since > Alfred Hitchcock, a lover of Norm Crosby's malapropisms, and George Carlin's > antics, but I have NO sense of humor at all when it comes to American jokes > about the metric system. Levity on this subject is the biggest obstacle we > face > in convincing the U.S. public to accept metric. How can they take seriously > as a > standard of measurement something they continue to poke fun at? It isn't humor > as much as it is ridicule, and I can't take any of it. There's a difference > between something people are laughing at and something that they consider to > have the standing of "a joke." During my visit to Australia, Kevin Wilks, > former secretary for the Australian Metric Conversion Board, was emphatic > about > U.S. metrication being, first, a psychological battle. Too many people have > been > making fun of metric over the decades, and, of all people, P&G should not be > pulling this stuff. No, I'm not laughing. Each giggle sets us back yet another > year. > > Paul T. > > Quoting Bill Potts <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: > > > Actually, it tickled my funny bone, Paul. > > > > Consider for a moment who "Jackie Moon" is. Perhaps the following will help: > > > > ----start of clip---- > > Will Ferrell stars in Semi-Pro, a comedy set in 1976 against the backdrop of > > the maverick ABA-a fast-paced, wild and crazy basketball league that rivaled > > the NBA and made a name for itself with innovations like the three-point > > shot and slam dunk contest. Ferrell plays Jackie Moon, a one-hit wonder who > > used the profits from the success of his chart-topping song "Love Me Sexy" > > to achieve his dream of owning a basketball team. But Moon's franchise, the > > Flint Michigan Tropics, is the worst team in the league and in danger of > > folding when the ABA announces its plans to merge with the NBA. If they want > > to survive, Jackie and the Tropics must now do the seemingly impossible-win. > > ----end of clip---- > > > > This is one of at least two commercials being used to promote two products > > at a time, namely the upcoming release of the movie, Jackie Moon, and a > > tangible product. The tangible products in the two commercials are Old Spice > > and Bud Lite. I haven't yet looked at the Bud Lite commercial, but a simple > > Google search on Jackie Moon will lead you right to it. > > > > Jackie Moon is supposed to be somewhat ignorant-or maybe gloriously > > ignorant. His comments on the metric system are, therefore, those of an > > ignoramus. At least, I'm convinced that's what the creators of the > > commercial had in mind. I think the fact that his initial exaggeration > > refers to a liter of sweat may be indicative of what we already know to be > > P&G's metric orientation. > > > > The objective of such a commercial is simple. They want you to remember the > > product, so that you'll instinctively reach for it the next time you're > > shopping for something in its category. Presenting it in an outrageous > > manner is often part of that. > > > > Finally, we should remember that it's the ad agency, not its client, that > > produces the commercial. If they can convince the client to sign off on it, > > then we get to see it. If it can be shown that somewhat tasteless > > commercials are successful, the client is happy and the ad agency gets its > > hefty fee for producing it, and the TV network gets its hefty fee for > > showing it. Obviously, Will Ferrell is very much in demand for such > > assignments. > > > > As metrication activists, we mustn't lose our sense of humor. Having a sense > > of humor doesn't mean agreeing that every joke or spoof is funny, but it > > does involve recognizing when something is intended, even if misguidedly, to > > be a joke or a spoof. > > > > I shall not be complaining to P&G. > > > > Bill Potts > > Roseville, CA > > http://metric1.org [SI Navigator] > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf > > Of Paul Trusten > > Sent: Thursday, February 14, 2008 09:07 > > To: U.S. Metric Association > > Subject: [USMA:40432] Procter & Gamble anti-metric ad > > > > I"M READY TO VOMIT! Procter & Gamble is supposed to be our friend on the > > metric system. Somebody in their advertising department goofed. Take a look > > at http://www.oldspice.com/products_new.html. > > > > Watch the video, and write to http://www.pg.com/getintouch/syt.jhtml. > > Let's get this damned thing off the air if we can! > > > > -- > > Paul Trusten, R.Ph. > > Public Relations Director > > U.S. Metric Association (USMA), Inc. > > www.metric.org > > 3609 Caldera Blvd., Apt. 122 > > Midland TX 79707-2872 US > > +1(432)528-7724 > > mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > > > > -- > > DIGNITY, SELF-RESPECT, AND INTEGRITY > IN PHARMACY > > Paul Trusten, R.Ph. > Acting Secretary > Phone +1(432)528-7724 > The Pharmacy Alliance > 3609 Caldera Boulevard, Apartment 122 > Midland TX 79707-2872 USA > mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://oleapothecary.blog.com > > ____________________________________________________________________________________ Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Yahoo! Search. http://tools.search.yahoo.com/newsearch/category.php?category=shopping
