ABOUT TEST PATTERN

Don't touch that dial: Test Pattern tunes into television, movie, music and pop culture links, as well as gossip and idle chat from around the Web.

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 commercials: Adorable or obnoxious?

Posted: Monday, July 21, 2008 6:00 AM by Gael Fashingbauer Cooper
Filed Under:

We talked earlier about how ad agencies try and play on our love for certain songs, hoping we'll transfer that love to their products. They do the same thing with kids. But just as a proud parent is quick to assume everyone thinks his or her little darling can do no wrong, commercials often make the exact same mistake.

'I don't like waffles'
First off, who doesn't like WAFFLES? This is not cod-liver oil we are talking about here, but yet the little girl in the Pediasure commercial insists she doesn't like the golden-brown breakfast treat. Of course, she apparently doesn't like anything. And, you know, that's fine. I was kind of a picky eater myself. But the fact that she keeps repeating her negative food feelings while her hapless mom just shops and shops annoys more viewers than it entertains.

Barfing ETrade baby
I'm just going to go on the record right now and say that I may be unfairly biased against this ad. I have a nine-month-old daughter, and well, I've seen her milk make an unwelcome return visit a few too many times over the past months. So you'll have to forgive me if the barfing baby for ETrade just doesn't seem as hilarious to me as to most folks out there. But I seem to be alone, because most of you love this kid. Maybe I'd like his barf-free ads, such as the one with the clown, better.

DQ kid
This commercial kind of went right by me, didn't think it was dumb, didn't think it was exceptionally memorable. The family's at DQ and the kid says antidisestablishmentarianism. Eh. But readers disagreed with me in droves -- plenty of you posted that you LOVED the ad, especially the kid's laugh at the end. So there you go. Cute kids are in the eye of the beholder.

I know there are plenty of kids in commercials that I haven't mentioned here. Share your thoughts on those, and other commercials, in the comments. We'll be announcing our choice for best and worst ad of the year on Aug. 4 in the blog, so campaign for your favorites (or least favorites) while you still can.

MAIN PAGE

Email this EMAIL THIS

Comments

Kids aren't so bad, its the whiney, screaming, crying in the commercials - Really do we need to listen to it???

Ugh!, Libertyville, IL (Sent Monday, July 21, 2008 2:51 PM)

@Sheldon, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
You whining about someone whining = EPIC FAIL.
I love irony.

Andrew, Philadelphia, PA (Sent Monday, July 21, 2008 2:56 PM)

Not sure if this qualifies as a "KID" but the new BK commercial where the Little plastic headed BK jr child comes up and KICKS the king.

It seriously bothers me on many levels.  I have children and if my child came up to say "hi" and kicked me in the shin,  I dont think would blithely hand over the burgerking meal to him while cringing in pain. No one in that "family" even flinched.  

Not even sure what the point of that was except to make me NEVER want to go to BK again.  

Sara, Fayetteville, AR (Sent Monday, July 21, 2008 3:00 PM)

Dude, I hate all those commercials.  The DQ one is the worst!

Katie somewhere USA (Sent Monday, July 21, 2008 3:07 PM)

Who ever at Burger King hired their present ad agency should be shot.  There have been a whole series of commercials featuring that guy that have bordered on creepy. First there is the one with the guy waking up with the Burger King in his bed, and the one with the burger king peering in the windows of the high rise.  There used to be one where the Burger King was sitting in an outdoor cafe saying how much he liked little boys.  Ick and double Ick!

That pedisure girl is totally annoying.  Nice thing to show, kids running the household! Vanilla pedisure doesn't look like something that tastes so great.  THe pediatrician hit the nail on the head.  Most kids don't need it. But, guilt and laziness sell.

Any advertisement that exploits little girls and uses sexual allure to sell should be banned.

How about more ads that do not show a nuclear family of mother, father and two kids!

Dee, Foxboro MA (Sent Monday, July 21, 2008 3:08 PM)

I liked the Oreo cookie commercials with the kids - especially the one (it was a few years ago) with the little eating his Oreo and promising his dog some - then at the end he tells the dog that 'Mom says chocolate is bad for dogs, but you can drink my milk'.  I also like the one with the little girl having the lick-off contest with the older grandmother-like lady, and the one with the triplets where they all pour their milk into one glass to share.

Maggie, Platteville EI (Sent Monday, July 21, 2008 3:23 PM)

How about the two root a toote, fresh and fruities for Sonic. Makes me want to pull out my fingernails with pliers. I will never eat at Sonic again because it produces imaging’s of these two uhhhh Guys?

Gary F (Sent Monday, July 21, 2008 3:24 PM)

The worst kind of kid commercial is when the kid is eating something and it gets all over the kid's face.  What is cute or appealing about a kid with a face full of food?!?!  That's just gross.  Worse than vomit!!  (And, yes, I have kids.)

Judie Gale, Houston, Texas (Sent Monday, July 21, 2008 3:40 PM)

I forgot about those other DQ commercials, I definitely agree that the "shooting fish in a barrell" one is completely inappropriate, so is the girl basically stealing money from her father...however, it also annoys me that they portray these men to be so stupid. As for the flirting girl, you really have to wonder not only about the ad exec that thought this was a good idea, but also the child's parents, is this the impression you want other people to have of your daughter, that at the age of what 8 or 9, she has already learned how to use her "feminine wiles" to get what she wants, did we just turn back the calendar.

I also forget which car it is for but the mother picks the daughter up from a party and she asks her mom what "spoiled" means and her mom asks her why did someone call you taht, and she turns around and says NO someone called YOU that! I really like that one too..  

jersey girl (Sent Monday, July 21, 2008 3:42 PM)

My favorite kid in a recent commercial is in the Vlassic Pickle ad.  She doesn't say anything, just eats the pickle at the end with joy and enthusiasm and only has to look adorable.  She's cute enough to sell almost anything!

Robin (Sent Monday, July 21, 2008 3:43 PM)

I'm with the majority --- I don't like the kid commericials....I will admit every once in awhile there can be a cute one, but overall I don't care about them.  But even worse are the teenager ones --- some are stupid (Tyson chicken comes to mind), some are annoying (cell phone ads) and lots of them with kids and teens keep me from buying certain products.

Reenie,Wenatchee,WA (Sent Monday, July 21, 2008 3:44 PM)

I think a commercial that's kinda cute is the Oreo commercial where the dad and son are each eating an Oreo over a webcam.  They simulanteously twist the cookie apart, lick the icing, and eat the cookie.  Then the boy says "Good night Dad." and the father says "Good morning son."  Makes me smile when I see it.

Charlotte, Addieville, IL (Sent Monday, July 21, 2008 3:57 PM)

I think its hilarious that adults are actually commenting on children being in commercials. What are we really going to try to BAN kids from commercials just because you've decided its annoying. How about ALL commercials are annoying. Personally, I don't care if a kid is in a commercial laughing or crying- I just switch channels during all commercials- its kinda terrible lol but it beats watching commercials.

Stacey, Seattle, Wa (Sent Monday, July 21, 2008 4:00 PM)

there's a paper towel commercial that shows a little boy looking at his mom and she says "You need 60 cupcakes, by tomorrow?" and then they happily go about making the cupcakes... I don't have a kid but if I did and he tells me the day before that he needs cupcakes... I would buy them from the store. I do like the commercials where the mom gets mad at her husband/kids for throwing their phone "minutes" in the trash.. but those aren't young kids.

Becky, St. Louis, MO (Sent Monday, July 21, 2008 4:02 PM)

Mother slices an apple for an obnoxious daughter, followed by the brat son kicking his father on the shin. Burger King advertisement for'healthful' food. Advertising executives: please stop adding to the problem of rampant rudeness in our society.

Julie Lawai Hi (Sent Monday, July 21, 2008 4:07 PM)

I would much rather see bratty kids than the scary Burger King commercials...CREEPY

Keila Lubbock Texas (Sent Monday, July 21, 2008 4:08 PM)

Local ads using their children to do their ads. #1 can't understand them, #2 don't like their singing #3 won't buy their product. Very annoying. Using kids at a very young age really need to be previewed and okayed before airing.

Kathy Rutherford, Grand Blanc, Michigan (Sent Monday, July 21, 2008 4:10 PM)

One commericial that I have enjoyed although I don't think it is on anymore, is a for Quaker Oat bars.  The kids are saying things like "we don't pay for cable" and "My parents say my sister dresses like a floozy"  also teaches you what not to say in front of a kid

oldmama (Sent Monday, July 21, 2008 4:11 PM)

I mute EVERYTHING, including the shows. I'm THIS far from just pulling the plug. Commercials are nasty, and reality shows are nasty; do you really watch this horrible crap? If it weren't for DVDs and British shows there would be no tv at all. Children? Ban the adults too and have talking mice shill the drugs and greasy food.

Bubba, Georgia (Sent Monday, July 21, 2008 4:22 PM)

I used to love the ad for Volvo (I think) in which the little girl never stops talking. It seemed very realistic to me. I loath any of the ads, or films, where the child speaks with an adult voice, or an animal's mouth moves to make it look as if it's speaking. creepy. I love the blood hound that sleeps in the bed, and the little boy who wakes his dad at 6.30 with Cheerios. He's a beautiful, solemn little boy, who is totally believable.

Ann (Sent Monday, July 21, 2008 4:23 PM)

While I agree with some that to pick on commercials seems petty, I do think some of the commercials using children as the main subjects do reflect some of the behavior we see in younger and younger children every year. I am a child psychologist and my best friend is an elementary school teacher and we both are constantly amazed at the behaviour of young kids. The most disturbing commercials are usually directed to the kids not the adult. The DQ commercial with the young girl and her mother, flirting her way into a free treat, is horrid, together with the small size t-shirt proclaiming 8 years as "hot for boys," we are in trouble. I am not a conservative or liberal, just a mom of 3, concerned that even commercials are now portraying adults as idiots, constantly outsmarted by a child, that is way too precocious for his age. The BK commercial (they are all creepy) where the "son," kicks the king and then runs, while the daughter refuses to eat an apple because is not cut in the shape of fries? The DQ where the daughter tricks the father into paying for food and then runs away, and the Pediasure commercial that is misleading. Achild should not be taking that because he/she is a picky eater it should be because they are UNDER weight, and lacking nutrients, if they are already a healthy eater then they don't need it, so the kid gets her "treat," by refusing to eat everything the mother buys? Give me a break, all this products are aimed at children, come to Dairy Queen, Eat at BK, refuse to eat everything and you can get Pediacare, fool the adults you know better so demand our product.

JLinder, Hammond, WI (Sent Monday, July 21, 2008 4:41 PM)

Ok, first of all, I LOVE the little DQ girl...get over it people, she's not promoting 8 year old sex.  If you have an 8 year old, you should know that they know much more than they used to at that age, and that's what makes it funny.  Why does everything have to be so PC nowadays?

Some others I love...the Oreo commercial with the dad overseas saying goodnight and the boy saying good morning over the computer...or the boy talking to the dog saying he's not getting blamed for the mess on the carpet again, so cute!

I absolutely cannot stand the one with the little red-haired boy saying "You can do whateeeever you want," in his annoying little voice.  I don't think they air it anymore, but when they did it was like nails on a chalkboard.

Don't usually like kids acting like adults, but there used to be a cute one with kids working in an office and talking around the water cooler about their weekends.  For some reason, I just loved that one!

Jamie, Chicago, IL (Sent Monday, July 21, 2008 4:45 PM)

Here in OKlahoma City we have a commercial, a local one. It is for a home construction business. The daughter says "Let our family build you families home". The girl speaks as if she has a lisp and you can barely make out what she is saying. I wish that family would send her to speech therapy..... She is cute but it makes you mute the commercial , every time.

kimberly, Oklahoma City (Sent Monday, July 21, 2008 5:23 PM)

more than anything - I can't stand boys in commercials (or tv shows for that matter) who have the "signature skater bowl haircut" ahhhh- please - cut the hair and look like a boy - everytime I see commercials with kids that "supposedly look cute" I want to put my hands through the screen and cut the hair! thank goodness for remote controls!

W P, Woodlands Texas 77381 (Sent Monday, July 21, 2008 5:30 PM)

RE: Pediasure commercial:
That commercial should show a child that CANNOT eat certain foods, not that they REFUSE to eat certain foods. Only because it makes the kid look bratty and manipulative because she knows mom is going to give her the Pediasure. (I've drank Ensure and its good; I assume its the same thing.) I am having my first baby in Jan., maybe my opinion will change, but all i remember growing up in my Hispanic family was my mom telling us in Spanish to "Eat Poop" if we didn't like something, and that was that. Although my mother did give my baby sister a bottle half full of Pet milk & half water. I guess that was her version of Pediasure back in the early 70's!!! =)

Anon Ymous (Sent Monday, July 21, 2008 5:48 PM)

As a general rule I loathe kids in commercials but I saw a cute one this last weekend at a baseball game.  A little boy is playing baseball by himself throwing the ball and trying to hit it.  With every try he says, "I'm the greatest batter in the world!" - then misses the ball.  After missing the ball three times he frowns for a moment then gets a big grin and says, "Strike three....hmm....I'm the greatest PITCHER in the world!"  The tagline was something about optimism being contagious.  
I have no idea what it was for beyond that but I thought it was cute.

Leslie, Albuquerque (Sent Monday, July 21, 2008 5:58 PM)

I completely detest the Dairy Queen commercial with the little girl who gets a boy to buy her a sundae. Makes me ill. There are more than enough little girls walking around out there dressed inappropriately and acting "flirty". Why glorify it on TV? Oh, and great message to send to little girls that they should use their looks to get whatever they want. yuck

Natalie, Orlando, FL (Sent Monday, July 21, 2008 6:17 PM)

Since you asked, I would like to nominate the Ped Egg as WORST commercial.  When they showed the foot being grated onto the carpet like a block of parmesan, I felt the vomit rising.  Nasty!

marilyn (Sent Monday, July 21, 2008 7:15 PM)

OK...one of THE cutest kid commercials of all time is the health insurance commercial that has the kid describing a fight he saw on TV and then he says "And you know what he did? He kicked him in the penisth". I die laughing everytime I see that one. And the kid is so cute!

Milore, Providence, Rhode Island (Sent Monday, July 21, 2008 8:25 PM)

Actually, the girl's name is not Paris Hilton. Hilton is the owner of the furniture company's first name.

I completely agree about the Pediasure brat, ugh.

Carolina, Houston (Sent Monday, July 21, 2008 10:31 PM)

Sheldon, if you don't think this topic is worth discussing, why are you taking the time to read about it and post a comment here?

kim, seattle (Sent Tuesday, July 22, 2008 2:16 AM)

Yes, I definitely think it's unrealistic that these commercials portray cute kids making huge messes, and the mom just smiles at them and cleans it up. Maybe these moms are all on Prozac because I don't know any moms who just smile when their kids make a mess.  Oh and the "water/orange soda fight" is just plain ridiculous!  I guess I'm an old stick-in-the-mud :P

emily , pa (Sent Tuesday, July 22, 2008 8:10 AM)

I'd like to see someone report about the way males/husbands/fathers are portrayed in today's commercials.  They are all ba-foons who can't do anything right until (all hail) the woman shows up and saves the day while being in ka-hoos with the kids about how stupid dad is.  I hate it.  Time to get just as mad as we did when women were only portrayed as bombshell or housewife.

Teacher--Manatee, FLA (Sent Tuesday, July 22, 2008 8:18 AM)

Guess there are good and bad commercials with kids.  However, there are no good "local" commercials with kids.  What gets me is that some lame-brained dealer thinks his/her kids are adorable not realizing that most viewers find them despicable.

Ric Oklahoma City (Sent Tuesday, July 22, 2008 8:37 AM)

I can't stand the etrade baby. It's stupid.

However, my least favorite kid commercial has to be the Burger King apple fries commercial. I've been boycotting BK for years because of their poor advertising, and this one has not changed my mind. Little girl doesn't want to eat her apple and defiantly tells her mother "no" each time mom tries to give it to her. Mom sighs and lets girl be defiant. Enter the king, with apples cut in the shape of fries (losing all the great fiber in the skin!). You just know those things are loaded with preservatives to keep them from browning on the shelves at BK.

Brandy, Murfreesboro, TN (Sent Tuesday, July 22, 2008 9:48 AM)

Agreed that most kids in commercials are annoying. But one commercial that I really liked this past year was for a cell phone (Verizon, I think). It was after Christmas, and two teenage girls were in the back yard looking at a pony. The girl with the pony is jealous of her friend, who got a new cell phone for Christmas. I think the funniest part is when the cell phone girl asks, "Does it bite?"

"Uh, yeah."

Mary, Kansas City (Sent Tuesday, July 22, 2008 9:50 AM)

The only commercial I like with kids that AREN'T obnoxious or smart@$$es is the one for Yobaby organic yogurt, with the Supremes song "Baby Love". It might be on YouTube - it seemed in heavy rotation for a while a few months back, but not lately. But there's something sweet about it - almost makes me wanna have a kid.

djp, wallyworld, ct (Sent Tuesday, July 22, 2008 9:58 AM)

My favorite commercial with a kid is the McDonalds commercial when the boy brings his boombox to the dinner table and dances while eating his happy meal and the family stares at him. Then the dad starts to kind of get his groove on. I LOVE that one!!

I especially hate hearing kids on the radio ads. And around here a lot of the local ads are done by kids of the business owners. It's so annoying!! I turn the station every time!

Kelly, Akron, OH (Sent Tuesday, July 22, 2008 10:23 AM)

I also love the Kaiser Permanente ad with the chibby little kid who talks about his bad habits like watchign TV and playing video games. The line "The drinking was the worst" while he chugs a 2-liter of pop cracks me up. He uses language he clearly hears from adults, but understands and applies to his own actions. Very creative, and very cute. And the T-ball bunt is priceless. I made that same move myself a few years ago...

Bridget, Richmond, VA (Sent Tuesday, July 22, 2008 10:30 AM)

I really hate any commercial were children are allowed to misbehave and the adults act as if it is either cute or acceptable. There is a credit card commercial were the kids are bouncing off the walls in the market, when the mom is filling the tank etc... only to have the mom use her extra rewards points to send the kids to camp. and I keep thinking WTF you would inflict those monsters,who you don't say a word to on other people, and think its okay... I just don't get why advertisers think displaying ill behaved children makes people want to buy their product. I think the DQ with the pre-teen girl is funny but wrong. The whiner in the shopping cart, ha I keep thinking man she should be glad she doens't know my mom and dad.

Shelley, Kansas City, Kansas (Sent Tuesday, July 22, 2008 12:07 PM)

Most kids in commercials aren't cute. They're just loud and annoying.

Lennar Homes has one of the most annoying radio ads I've ever heard. Kids singing, "Everything's included by Lennar, ee i ee i OHHHHHH!" I hate it and turn the channel whenever it comes on.

fruitloop, North Carolina (Sent Tuesday, July 22, 2008 12:40 PM)

I loved the kid in the Verizon FIOS ads... "They bring fiber optics right to your door, on 3 different spectrums of light!"  He was really cute.

And by the way, my 5-yr-old REFUSES to eat waffles.  Really not so far-fetched, people! The kid may be annoying, but the content of the commercial is perfectly believable.

HM, Bucks County PA (Sent Tuesday, July 22, 2008 1:35 PM)

I agree with some here about the ETrade baby.  The barfing commercial is gross, but I do like the one where he rented the clown (and says in a lower voice, like the clown is gonna hear him) that he underestimated the creepy factor.  I think that one's funny because I never knew how many adults were afraid of clowns.

As far as the Pediasure girl goes, yes, I have taken children to the store.  Yes, I have asked before we leave what they do or don't like to eat.  What kills me though, if she's too picky for waffles, she's going to like the taste of pediasure?  

Jamie, Casey IL (Sent Tuesday, July 22, 2008 1:45 PM)

I'm tired of all computer generated baby talk.  Most annoying crap ever.  Only second to computer generated talking animals.  It bothers me to the point of channel change every time.

Yoink, Va (Sent Tuesday, July 22, 2008 3:31 PM)

I too like the commercial about the father leaving on a business trip and his daughter puts her teddy bear in his briefcase.  He takes pictures of the bear at different locations and then the one where he is outside the house is the most endearing, genuine, daddy-daughter commercials.  If they are not related it sure looks like she loves her daddy and he loves her.  Wonderful.  That is probably the only child commerical that is worth looking at.

Bernice Shomph, Mamaroneck, NY 1o543 (Sent Tuesday, July 22, 2008 3:33 PM)

I pray to God that "Teacher" is not really a teacher.
It's 'buffoons' and 'cahoots.'

Oy.

Oh and if that Pediasure kid was mine, I would say just what my mother would have said to me, "If you don't like it, don't eat it, but you're not getting anything else."

Laurah in NY (Sent Wednesday, July 23, 2008 2:15 PM)

I comepletely agree with the Pediasure commercial being annoying.  How could this kid not like waffles, yet still like this crappy nutritional drink?

BMW, New Jersey (Sent Wednesday, July 23, 2008 5:52 PM)

Along with everyone else, I can't stand the Pediasure/no waffle girl commercial and the DQ commercial with the little girl flirting her way into getting a sundae.  But the one that bugs me the most lately is for some insurance company where a young boy is at Take Your Child to Work Day at a bank.  Left unsupervised, he sends a bunch of office supplies through the drive-up teller chute and they smash into the car at the window.  If that ever happened to me, you can be darn sure it wouldn't be MY insurance paying for the repairs.

Julie, Portland, OR (Sent Thursday, July 24, 2008 3:26 PM)

Most of these kids make me glad I can't have any. If this was the only view of American Kids that I had...well - i would be of the opinion that they were whiny, selfish, obnoxious brats. And that parents were stupid and lazy.

Good thing I have neices and nephews...

Joy, Ellicott City, MD (Sent Thursday, July 24, 2008 4:00 PM)

I have to agree about those kids in the Welch's commercials - I never bought grape juice for my kids after that because I was afraid they'd turn into some weird automatons. I also hated that commercial that was out a few year ago when the teen daughter has on a pair of hip-hugger jeans and her mom comes in and pulls them down lower on her hips! Gee honey, are you standing on the street corner today? Let me help you!

Carol RN (Sent Thursday, July 24, 2008 4:30 PM)



SEND A COMMENT

PLEASE READ: All comments must be approved before appearing in the thread; time and space constraints prevent all comments from appearing. We will only approve comments that are directly related to the blog, use appropriate language and are not attacking the comments of others.

Message (please, no HTML tags. Web addresses will be hyperlinked):

Your name, city and state (John Doe, Seattle, Wash.): 

 Your e-mail address (jdoe@msnbc.com):

Your website (it's okay if you don't have one):

Remember me? (We'll keep it private)

TRACKBACKS

Trackbacks are links to weblogs that reference this post. Like comments, trackbacks do not appear until approved by us. The trackback URL for this post is: http://testpattern.msnbc.msn.com/trackback.aspx?PostID=1203308

More Test Pattern

Recent Posts:

Archives:

Categories:

Links

Syndicate This Site

Add Test Pattern to your news reader:
live.com xml
myyahoo msn
bloglines newsgator
google

MSNBC Weblogs