Why I Hate Verison Wireless
I would never join “The Nations’ Largest 3G Network” because I find their commercials completely offensive.
Here we are, in the biggest economic struggle since the Great Depression. The first commercial that they do that I hate is one where they show a Blackberry Storm in the hands of someone. The narrator says, “You could really go for some music right now. Too bad all you have is your Blackberry Storm…”
TOO BAD all you have is your BLACKBERRY STORM?? OK so now you can download music on the go. America can’t wait to spend their money on music. They must have it. It’s an impulse. Not only do I find the notion of buying anything on impulse like that annoying, I find it offensive that they suggest that owning a phone like a Blackberry is something than can be “all you have.”
You could go for some food right now, too bad all you have is $1.50 and the possibility of your house being foreclosed.
THAT is the correct way to use a “all you have” statement.
There are two other Verison commercials that annoy me. Both have the same premise: who will you list as your favorites and get unlimited calls to? The well-known “Can you hear me now?” Verison man walks alongside some high school jock asshole, who lists all of the people he is going to call now that he has the new plan the commercial is advertising.
I just saw this one, which made me write this post. At the end, the subject of the commercial suggests he’ll put his physics tutor on his favorites for unlimited calling. She looks intelligent, but extremely attractive. There is a kind of assumption that the male character is attracted to his physics tutor, who gives him a sexy glance as she joins the group.
Yet, the other commercial of the same nature is far different. There is a tutor in that ad as well. The ad starts with the jock saying that he’s going to choose his weight coach, his nutrition coach… etc. The crowd reaches a very geeky looking, unattractive boy in very unfashionable attire. The character finishes off with, “and this guy” and the Verison Wireless guy gives him an odd look that suggests, “seriously? this loser?” and the tutor adds, “it’s Gilbert… his English tutor…” and the jock gives a shrug.
It’s impossible to express how angry this makes me, as an English major, and as an usually non-judgmental person. Why is the physics tutor attractive, but the English tutor totally undesirable? The only way that this would be fair is if the physics major was also nerdy and undesirable. But instead, the English tutor is a laughing stock, who acts awkward as soon as he is acknowledged, and who is obviously acknowledged as a loser.
I see Verison as a judgmental company because of these commercials, despite their customer service and actual company policy. This is why I will never join Verison.
