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Every week, msnbc.com entertainment producers Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, Denise Hazlick, Paige Newman, Kurt Schlosser and Anna Chan weigh in on topics ranging from TV commercials to movie hype to the latest celebrity blunder. We're not ashamed to admit our love for bad TV or reveal what's on our iPods, and invite you to join the conversation via your comments.



Kids in ads: Why are they so awful?

Posted: Monday, July 02, 2007 11:00 AM by Gael Fashingbauer Cooper
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Commercials are big fans of easy stereotypes, since they usually have less than a minute to get their point across. So moms are inevitably in the kitchen, dads all love sports, every family lives in the suburbs, and kids are almost always horrible smart-mouths. Things my mom would have said to me had I been a TV commercial kid would have included: "Don't be fresh!," "Knock it off, smart alec!" and "Go to your room!" But in commercials, kids' brattiness apparently is considered cute.

We've already mentioned the "IDK, my BFF Jill" ad. Some of you love it, others think that Jill needs to take a chill pill and Mom needs to stop paying for her text-messaging addiction.

I'm also bugged by the annoying V8 ad where the mom is cooing in front of her baby in a stroller. "Mommy's eating a French fry! Yes she is!" she dribbles. Then the baby decks her. Hmm, maybe this is an ad where I hate the mom more than I do the child.

Another ad that makes me want to change the channel every single time (just like those horrible car accident ads) is the one for some cigarette-quitting product. The mom is in the car and her baby in the back is screaming, allowing the mom to deliver a monologue about how awful her life is and how only the cigarette patch stands between her and jumping off a cliff.

Also annoying (and an oldie, apparently, as we've discussed it in past contests) is the Pediasure commercial with the mom and bratty little girl shopping. As the mom muses about things to buy, the little girl pipes up with "I don't like chicken! I don't like broccoli! I don't think I like waffles!" It would take a mom with the patience of a saint not to turn right around and march home and feed that kid a chicken-broccoli waffle.

I'm not sure if it's still running, but there was an ad for Sharpie markers where the mom was carrying a toddler, and every time she went to put him down, the second his feet touched the floor he would start to scream. Apparently it was trying to hype that you could use a Sharpie with one hand while carrying your spoiled kid around with the other.

Update: Readers mentioned an ad I'd blocked out of my mind, but that surely belongs here. It's the paper-towel ad where the kid sprays his mom with orange soda and she retaliates by spraying him with water from the sink sprayer. Unsure who to dislike more in this one -- the kid, who at least seems to be shocked by what he's done, or the mom, who has no excuse. (Watch it here.)

I don't hate kids -- I like 'em fine. I think most of us do. But likeable kids in commercials are few and far between. At least Quizno's has retired that man-voiced Baby Bob, at least for now.

Share your thoughts on kids in commercials, whether bratty or beautiful, in the comments.

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There was an ad for fast and/or prefab food that starts with the stressed-out Mom standing in the kitchen after coming home from work late to broken appliances, teachers' meetings, etc., and her pre-teen daughter appears in the doorway and says in a very demanding tone: "I have softball practice in FIFTEEN MINUTES.  WHEN'S DINNER?"  I wonder how boiled softballs taste?.....
The main reason we have bratty kids (and bratty commercials) is because parents are not allowed to discipline their kids.  I am a mom of 2 and there were many times I had to jerk my kids out of the store because they were acting just like these kids in these commercials.  I was not "allowed" to make them stop so that I could finish my shopping I had to actually leave the store because someone may call the police because I was "abusing" my child.  A pop on the behind is NOT abuse.  Just remember these bratty kids, both at home and on these commercials, are going to grow into bratty adults and they are going to be in control of our country.  Is this what you really want?  I say get rid of the stupid commercials - no one knows what they're selling anyway.
How about the commercial for DQ ice cream cakes with the precocious little girl with the imaginary friend named Cindy??  Her parents hold a birthday party for her imaginary friend--WHO DOES THIS???
The commercial I cannot stand is the cell phone commercial where there's two lazy kids on the couch text messaging and the father comes in announcing that they got a new plan with unlimited texting.  The kids state that they text as much as they want anyway and the father goes on to say that now their mother can afford to quit her second job because of it.  She then walks through in a big taco suit.  Those kids make me want to take their phones and hit them with a hammer.  If you cant abide by the plan of the phone, then you dont get one.  Kids in commercials make me dread having kids of my own one day.
Well, I feel better.  I thought I was the only one getting perturbed by these commercials, especially the orange soda/paper towel one.  It seems like kids these days are being rewarded for having fresh mouths and attitudes.  And its not only on the commercials,  have you noticed that the worst behavior is always rewarded on shows like America's Funniest Videos?  Or am I the only one still watching that show?
Commercials are identical to the 50's when they started. Just modern clothes and sets changed.
-- Cleaning supplies never have a man (no Oxyclean yeller doesn't count)
-- Mom always knows the medicine to use, no dad ever giving a spoonful to a child that I have seen.
-- Women still always have to be "fresh" for society, can't these hygiene commercials stop embarrassing women?
-- Kids still all hate their vegetables
-- The fat kid always is the glutton eater.
-- The glasses kid is always the nerd
-- The beer commercial men are ugly and the women are porn-wannabes.
-- The cars do stuff in commercials nobody ever does with them in real life
-- Blonde twins always want to have sex, wouldnt that mean with their sister right there (EWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!) heard the radio McDonalds noah arc commercial recently?
-- Of two comparison women, blonde is always the successful of choosing the better ziploc bag or cleanser
-- And lets not forget everything now is "Just TOSS away!!  As if you are tossing it off the planet because a zillion swiffers would never add up!
I personally don't find it amusing that children are disrespectful to their parents.  I HATE all of these commericial and it shows the lack of respect we are raising children to have.  We better put a stop to all of this, or God help us when the are in control of this country!
OK, teenagers who want to send all the txt msgs they want without paying for them might be "brats," but babies who have days when they cry whenever you try to put them down aren't brats!  I love that Sharpie commercial. It emphasizes how convenient the product is, even if you've only got one hand--which is often the case for parents, even those of us who don't spoil the heck out of our kids.
The way I was raised was that if I talked back to my mother like the pediasure kid, or sprayed soda all over the kitchen, or talked like the texting girl, I would get spanked, then grounded.  I have three little cousins who pretty much run their households.  I sometimes hate going over to their house because it's total anarchy!  I am always reminded of my cousins when I see some of those obnoxious commercials.  My mom even told me if I started talking like the "IDK, my BFF Jill" I would get smacked...even at my age now.
As to the BFF ad and the Verizon ad, why on Earth are parents letting their children have cell phones in the first place?  My older son got one, sure, when he was 18 and starting college and we needed a sure way of contacting him.  My 12-year-old doesn't even want one.  And bratty kids have been commercial staples ever since I started watching TV as a kid (more than 40 years ago).  It's nothing new.  It's just gotten worse.
Didn't this all start with Roger's sister, Dee, on What's Happening?  I can't remember bad children being thought of as funny or cute until then.  Roger should have beat her ass.  My siblings would have.
I mentioned it before when I was snarling about the "IDK My BFF Jill" commercial, but bratty kids do NOT hold my attention, nor have I ever bought a product because I thought, "Ahh this is the such and such that obnoxious little scamp endorses!  I have to have it!"  It goes back to my theory that the whole feel good "you're special" parenting movement destroyed the country.

However, I have to agree with Kyle from Rosemont simply because AT&T put such an interesting spin on the parent-child argument.  I didn't quite catch it the first time because I thought it was just another snotty kid demanding things, but when I actually listened to the dialogue the second time around it was pretty darn funny.  "You never did hate me and you never will!"  Good one.
Come on, people.  They're just TV commercials, lighten up.
I'm with you, Felicia. I mute the TV and look away every time that annoying Jif ad comes on. That kid behaves as if her grandfather were a moron, and he caters to it. In my house, she not only wouldn't get the sandwich but would also get a "time out" for disrespectful behavior.
I prefer the bratty kid commercials to all the fat kid commercials anyday!
Cenex has one - he's the "Cenex Guy", and the kids ask if he's a superhero.  When the boy throws his beef jerky at him, I want to tell that kid in no uncertain terms, he'll never see another piece of beef jerky!
Although I certainly didn't grow up with a cell phone (I'm 31) I don't think they're necessarily a BAD idea for all kids. It's a good way to keep track of them when they're away from home. But it's up to the parent to ensure that it's used responsibly. Plus now they have phones made just for kids and plans that restrict who you can call and when, like Firefly. I wouldn't give them a regular phone. And they would be grounded if it was misused.
This is awesome. Are we not all adults here?  Why does everyone nowadays sit around getting fat and bickering about such piddly crap.  Listen get your overweight butts off the couch and find something constructive to do with your life!
In real life, bratty kids have bad parents.  Every time.
I just want to know how many people posting here have children of their own.  I was a much better parent/disciplinarian when I didn't have children.
I have to agree with Mildred Cox who commented on kids who don't hold silverware correctly in commercials. What is UP with THAT!?!?! Is ANYONE teaching any BASIC manners anymore??? When I was a kid, my parents were adamant that if we were big enough to sit at the table, we were old enough to learn to hold silverware correctly. Not long ago, I went to lunch with a group of adults that were the same age as I (we grew up before Social Workers were on every corner making sure kids never got spanked or their feelings hurt). As I looked around the table I realized that I was the only one holding my silverware correctly...no wonder a whole generation is forgetting the lost art of class and manners.
what a great job you have. these sorts of boring conversations are usually had by underpaid admins during smoke breaks on the company dime. you've managed to leverage your tv watching yenta-ship into a fulltime gig. kudos for you. nice work if you can get it.

what does the life of veal feel like
Lighten Up?  Companies pay good money for this bratty kid crap.  Who do you suppose it influences?  Certainly not the parents.  And folks wonder why is kid is bratty.  Lack of consistent discipline and outside influences.
What a relief to see I'm not alone; I hate those entitled bratty kid commercials!  Not cute!
How about the Mom in the Neosporin commercial who takes her daughter to the doctor for a 1/4 inch shallow cut on her finger?  "It started turning red and getting infected, because all I did was wash it, so I took her to the doctor."  Has anyone ever been to the doctor for a similar injury?  Please.
I'm a firm believer in raising children with utmost respect for the adults. Bad attitude is not to be tolerated. These people who grow up being tolerated won't harness many essential skills to be successful in our society, and help building it up. They won't learn how to work as a team, manage their anger, understand the difference of instant gratification to patience. The commericals, Disney channel, and many others are cartering many undesirable qualities amongst children, including the adults. Long exposure to these things are mind-numbing, and growing of acceptance in children's minds that anyone can get away with this kind of behavior. It is very scary. My 5 young children are restricted from playing with many of neighbor children due to their bad formed habits, which are allowed by their parents (i.e. swearings, vulgar conversations, etc). The influence will be felt everywhere, unfortunately. It is our responsiblity to avert these out of our sancturaries.
This one is a couple of years old, but it's totally obnoxious and memorable.  Little kid, maybe age 3, goes to fridge and pours a glass of milk, but really pours the whole gallon on the floor.  My grandson saw the commercial and did exactly the same thing the next day.  My daughter was upset, to say the least.

Oh, and why we're on annoying brats - why do grocery stores allow those mini-carts for kids to push and bump into adult legs, and why do they furnish those double carts with a plastic "car" attached to the front?  I hate these stores, the brats and mostly, their parents.
"This is awesome. Are we not all adults here?  Why does everyone nowadays sit around getting fat and bickering about such piddly crap.  Listen get your overweight butts off the couch and find something constructive to do with your life!" --Brittany, Coon Rapids, MN

...says the woman who apparently just sat on her overweight butt and read all these comments...!  Too funny!

Perhaps she's correct, in a way, though.  These comments should be going to the companies themselves as well as into a general discussion on a news website.
I am not a parent at all but I was child and I totally agree.  I have the same thoughts about all of those commercials.  Some of the things that those children do I cringe at the thought of doing them to my parents, and I am 23 years old.
I've got to say - I am the mother of two teenage boys and the exploding soda commercial doesn't make me angry - it reminds me that mistakes happen and sometimes we have to just have a little fun in our lives. Maybe if people were just a little less angry this world would be a better place.
What about the horrible table manners that are now acceptable.  Not in my corner of the world, and not at my table. There is NO reason for bad table manners, no one wants to see the food that is in your mouth, nor do we want to hear you smacking. If your children eats like that please put them out in the yard with the other animals, and don't take them out in public.  I will not buy products that promote children acting that way..
I love my TiVo because I don't have to watch any of these annoying kids. But I would rather watch 100 bratty-kids commercial than even half a commercial with the annoying nasal, affected voice of a woman talking like. The American Express business card "I need six tickets to Tokyo" makes me want to scream. But, yes, the bratty kids run a close second.
Funny - I rather like the orange soda ad...perhaps because I can see that mom then working WITH the kid to clean up the mess.  It's the sort of thing my mom would have done, and then made me help her clean up.
Scooter Libby gets away with it and you guys are yapping about comercials??  What is happening to this country?  I'm disgusted.
I'm with Emily in Atlanta.  The one and only "kid" commercial I can stand any more is the Volvo ad with the pre-schooler talking a mile a minute and Dad interjecting an occasional "uh-huh".  Why do I like this one?  Because it's real.  Four-year-olds really do that.  Dads really do that.  No one's intelligence is being insulted, and no one is being made a fool of.  The only other commercial I've seen like this in recent years was one a few years ago for some "inclusive" phone service.  It portrayed another pre-schooler babbling on about something-or-another to Grandma, to the disgust of his older brother, and the amusement of his mother.  I thought that one was cute, for the same reason.
It's so good to know that there are an abundance of great parents out here that know good parenting is simple:
-Beat your children regularly
-Teach them that it's OK to sit around and watch TV then whine about what's on
-Make snap judgements about people and their parenting skills without bothering to look any deeper.
I'll sleep so much better knowing you folks are out there being pretentious and self-righteous!  Without you, we are in danger of having positive interactions with each other and our children!
One of my all time most hated commercials is one of Lunchables.  Kid gets on the school bus, looks in lunch bag and makes a sad face out the window to Mom standing in front of the house.  This scene is replayed, day after day with unhappy lunch child.  Then child looks in bag and smiles a huge smile. Why?  Because Mom finally bought him Lunchables, those overpriced, full of fat, sugar and calorie lunches.  My kids knew I was going to be screaming at the TV whenever it came on.
Denise: Your comment would make more sense to me if this weren't clearly marked as a Weblog about television, and if the Scooter Libby story wasn't currently leading the front page of MSNBC.com.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19570081/
Re. the Viva commeercial:
Lighten up a bit.  The top was on the bottle and the kid apparently did not realize the effect that shaking would have.  From the look on his face he was likely expecting to be tried for a capital offense.  Mom had the good sense to realize it was an accident so she made a game of it.  It is probably what my mother would have done (but that was a couple generations ago).  Cleaning up the kitchen would be a "family fun" event.  Besides, the kitchen "always" needs some cleaning.
I guess no one's old enough to remember the detergent commercial (Tide or Cheer) that came out in the 70s.  A doting mother gives her kid a shirt - fresh from the family laundry room.  She watches as he promptly runs outside and jumps up and down in a mud puddle!

Proverbs 23:13  Withhold not correction from the child; for if thou beatest him with a rod, he will not die.  
"MARY SHAW:
Spare the rod, spoil the child is not in the Bible. It's in an old poem by Samuel Butler. You need to spend less time beating your children and more time reading your Bible.  
Kate Simons (Sent Monday, July 02, 2007 4:36 PM)"

While Mary may have been mistaken about where her choice of words come from, a couple of similar verses *do* pop up if you look hard enough:

"Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him." ~Proverbs 13:24

and

"Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish him with the rod, he will not die. Punish him with the rod and save his soul from death." ~Proverbs 23:13-14

So yes, Mary was in the wrong with her quotation of the Bible, however, so too were you wrong in assuming the Bible mentions nothing of sparing the rod.  It would seem YOU need to read your Bible a little more closely as well.

"First take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."  ~Matthew 7:5


As an aside, I do NOT beat my children.  They learned from an early age to respect Mom and Dad, and thus, they do not throw tantrums and lash out in public.  In fact, I'm often complimented on my well-behaved children.  Most discipline doesn't even involve the "rod" at all.  It's about teaching them respect and being consistent with the boundaries of your rules.
I completely agree with you! For some reason, people think it's cute and funny when kids are little disrespectful brats. Parents have no back-bones now-a-days (i'm in my 20's). My parents tought us to respect people -that's the bottom line. These kids know nothing about respect. There is a radio show here in L.A. where a little girl from the show "crank calls" people on a daily basis, and is a little smart ass, wasting people's time, and everyone thinks it's funny. How is that comedy? This is why kids are they way they are - they are starving for attention, and they definitely get it that way! Pathetic.
lol - I remember, back in the 60's - a little girl, with a snotty voice "My mommy always uses Handi Wrap".  There was a commercial in the late 60's, too - where a kid lunged at his sandwich and chomped it - my son tried that once - no more sandwich that day - he never did that again.
The bratty kid is nothing new.
To all the naysayers--please go back to the "Ground Rules" post re: the annual commercial discussion...and then if it's just too beneath you to read this discussion, please exit immediately to read Proust or the Wall Street Journal or whatever and leave the rest of us to talk about commercials, 'kay?

And p.s.--the little girl on the Pediasure commercial is one (of many) reasons I am DILIGENT about taking my birth control pills every day.  Yikes.
Not only these so-termed 'bratty kids' commericals are from negative aspect, the other commericals also should be brought to attention such as Hanes, Victoria's Secret being physically revealing, that people don't need to go to strip bars when they are readily provided on the T.V., while bearing in mind, with the children about. It is frighteningly appalling. These things are demoraling what should remain respectfully private.
I watch less and less TV.. Precocious obnoxius children are beyond digusting. Sitcoms, with out laught tracks, 90% of the stultified individuals watching would not know to laugh. That is until the last ditch pitch, a blow to the male genitls inevitably occurs..... Brain Dead,,,,
i don't like bratty kids either....the best commercial ever was one my husband and i only saw one time when we lived in chicago. it was a yellow pages ad with a dad standing in the doorway of his sons room. the teenager was giving the dad a lot of smack while the dad was reminding him to clean his room...do chores...etc. well the kid says while putting his hand up "talk to the hand cuz jimmy ain't listening" or something to that effect. then you see the yellow pages fly and knock jimmy out and fall open to military school ads. classic!
I am so sick of seeing media that makes it seem acceptable to be an irresponsible parent. Cute kids that act like brats and the parents who act either oblivious or simply unaware of this behavior perpetrate the problems we have as a society where no one takes responsibility for any of their own actions. This is completely unacceptable of the media. Thank you for allowing those of us with functioning brain cells to vent!
Isn't this supposed to be about commercials and not about parenting skills?  I have one son and 2 step daughters but I'll save my views on the subject for another day.  That said, I always liked the commercial for some phone company or another where a young girl tells her father, "Dad, I think it's time I got a cell phone." and he pops right back with "I think it's time you got a job!".  I haven't seen it for a while but his response is just so perfect it cracked me up every time.
I agree.  As a elementary teacher,I have observed children immitating attitudes and behavior "as seen on tv."  Those commercials are a reflection of the way we are parenting today.  Just go to any local grocery store or shopping mall and look and listen to the way children are speaking and behaving.  Times have changed.  Children are increasing in rudeness to parents, grandparents, teachers and etc.  But adults are not giving good examples for children to follow.  Just look at the news.  We need to see these commericals as a wake-up call for positive change, for the sake of our children, our future.


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