Awesome Century 21 Ad

[JayB]

The Ad

 

"The Spot: A title card reads "The Debate." We fade in on a couple standing in their kitchen, arguing about whether to buy a new house. The wife is the aggressor; the husband has his doubts. "Suzanne researched this," says the wife in exasperation. As we're wondering who Suzanne is, the ad cuts to an image of the couple's kitchen telephone. "This listing is special, John," says the voice of their real estate agent over the speakerphone. "You guys can do this." The husband caves. "This is awesome," says the wife. We see a picture of the agent's Century 21 business card.

 

I've gotten a few e-mails about this ad—all of them negative. One of my readers called the ad "creepy." Another felt that the wife in the spot "comes off as a nagging harpy." And a third asked me to explain "why a woman bullying her husband would make me want to buy a house."

 

As for "The Debate": It's terrifying. The problem lies in the performances. That beleaguered husband, dough-faced and weary, seems highly sympathetic as he expresses a few doubts about this major life decision. Meanwhile, the wife (who looks like a more hostile Mary Louise Parker—though she lacks MLP's patented bone-dry delivery) just knits her eyebrows at the guy like he's unfathomably dense. Later, she jabs him with an accusatory "What?!"—her eyes wide and wild, her neck muscles flexed, her head twitching in disbelief at what a ninny her husband's turned out to be.

 

The capper comes when their real estate agent, who we discover has been listening in on what should be a private and delicate moment, takes sides with the wife and thereby crumbles the husband's defenses. Don't listen to her, John. Of course your agent wants you to buy a house you can't afford—she gets a bigger commission!"

 

Moral - if you want the McMansion with the McLuxury items like granite countertops, the key is to marry a sackless doughboy who will roll over and consent to decades worth of debt slavery when he signs on the line for the 100%LTV, no-doc, interest-only, neg-am, payment-option ARM/suicide loan they'll need to shoehorn their way into the plywood palace that runs 7X their annual income. Yeeha.

[olyclimber]

They're buying a house? I thought they were joining the Church of Scientology.

[KaskadskyjKozak]

Just wait, Jay, your time will come.

[Couloir]

Either that or he should have just handed over his balls wrapped in a nice box at HER wedding.

[cj001f]

Either that or he should have just handed over his balls wrapped in a nice box at HER wedding.

Pissed you didn't get to wear the dress?

[larrythellama]

like commercials are not supposed to be manipulative.

[Dechristo]

At the end of the ad, I enjoyed how the wife acted similarly enthused as the husband in acknowledging how "big the garage" was (his space).

[olyclimber]

You millitant milquetoast! If the roles were reversed and the man was hoodwinking the woman you wouldn't have any problem with this, would you! Post-Politically Correct Era Bandwagoners!

[Dechristo]

millitant milquetoast misogynista

[G-spotter]

Is Polictical the new Method Man album?

[Alpinfox]

... they'll need to shoehorn their way into the plywood palace that runs 7X their annual income. Yeeha.

 

Only 7X annual income?!?!?! Is this in Seattle?!?

 

If so, PLEASE GIVE ME THE MLS LISTING!

[Dechristo]

one can paint the plywood to a beautiful faux marble.

[olyclimber]

Is Polictical the new Method Man album?

 

My spelling and grammar are rapidly deminishing as my mind goes...

[Figger_Eight]

where'd it go?

[olyclimber]

in the gutter, with the empty beer bottles

[Figger_Eight]

Nevermind - I found it. Homey needs to get a pair.