Please do not be shocked. We are about to use internet terminology we have never before used at IHateTheMedia.com:
WTF?
Sorry, but that’s the only possible reaction to the new commercial for Quizno’s new “Toasty Torpedo” subs. You know, the ones shaped like giant male genitalia. Watch the commercial. We’re pretty sure you’ll agree.
The commercial features a talking oven that seems to be the gay cousin of HAL, the computer from the movie “2001.” It starts with the gay oven talking to a Quizno’s worker about how much they “both enjoyed” something. We aren’t privy to what that something may have been, but the mere memory of it causes the worker to look down at his crotch.
Then the gay oven says “Put it in me, Scott,” referring to his tasty, toasty torpedo.
There’s just so much that’s wrong and tasteless about this commercial that you really wonder who it’s aimed at, who approved it, and why.
The whole commercial comes across like some strange homage to gay, sado-mechanical sex.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
(See also, Burger King uses oral sex to sell “Super Seven Incher)
Source: TVSquad.com
This post was last modified on March 21, 2021
View Comments (40)
Quiznos is odd. I remember there last series, with the "I love the moon" rodents from the internet (stale by years on the internet by the way). What are they thinking?
The combo leaves me wondering, which mental image is better. Quiznos having rodents in love with their food or their employees having sex with your food? Or some other sandwich chain...
This site is more gay than that commercial...
Oh No, Editor! Bernie has outed us.
He's obviously figured out that our occasional references to our wives is nothing but a ruse to fool our readers. He's one smart cookie. And probably a damned attractive one. Hey, Bennie, give us a call next time you're in California.
Yeah, but if he saw our wives, he be convinced not only are we not gay, but that we must have some damn special hetero powers.
Have any of the detractors of this commercial ever seen "2001: A Space Odessy"?
The commercial is a parody of the movie. In order to work, especially in so brief a medium as a TV commercial, the characters in a parody must be instantly recognizable.
All of the characters on the "space ship" in "2001: A Space Odessy" were apparently male. Hal, the computer (machine) in the movie, had a male voice. The oven (machine) in the commercial has a male voice. To have used a female voice for the oven or a female in Scott's role would have been a non-parody, difficult to recognize and not at all entertaining.
Some people don't like parody. It can be difficult to grasp.
It's a type of comedy, so first a sense of humor is needed. Parody is often insulting (to what- or whoever is being parodied), so maturity is required to see the humor in spite of the insulting nature of the joke.
Maturity also helps one to realise that the parody is not aimed at the audience. It's not meant to denigrate your favorite science fiction film, author or director. It also has nothing to do with homosexuality in this case.
(If you were parodying scene from a movie about Oscar Wilde, that parody might have some gay innuendo in it.)
Lighten up, folks. All a normal child saw in this commercial was a man and a talking oven. Not gay sexual innuendo.
I'm gay, I love gay innuendo and I have a huge imagination, but I got no gayness from this man-and-oven exchange.
Ovens can't be gay! Ovens aren't alive. It's not only not homosexual, it's not even sexual! Not to a normal child and not to a typical adult.
You've got to be kidding me!! I could not WAIT to check out this link to find out how messed up this was, thinking it might be something from Europe or worse, Asia.
It was THIS!! Since when was sexual innuendo or sex in general outlawed in commercials? That's taking the "precedent approach" which I find unnecessary in this case, because anyone who is offended by this commercial is such a whiny assed sniveling wiener that they don't even merit an actual debate. A debate you'll lose, decidedly, but one you do not deserve nonetheless!
You people have no life. Its a COMERCIAL, not a childrens show. If you dont want your kids to see it then get your kids off the TV dumb asses. so shove it and stop wasting your breath you homo fags.
I'd give that oven a round with the monk..beleee dat..tup tup chup chup.
C'mon people, it's a commercial, just a commercial not the clarion of the end of western civilization. I can't believe some folks are up in arms about a stupid commercial. I just hope you're as proactive when it really counts. And while I'm no expert on marketing, this commercial made me laugh so hard I bought a Quiznos sandwich...and I liked it.
what is the main goal in selling a product to the masses. For the people to remember the commercial/product and here we are talking about it. With that said the goal is also to sell the product people commenting may not buy quiznos. Maybe a few people wanted to go to quiznos no matter how nasty the commercial might be to the masses. Look at the gieco commercials most spend time simply blabbing about nothing for 20 second then the last 10 is the jargen about how to apply or buy the product i still dont see what cavemen have to do with insurance. Maybe we as people need to look at what commercials today are about and stop focusing on one.
With gieco, the pointlessnes of the commercial is what makes it semi amusing, I personally love oldspice, geico, and etrade commercials because they make me laugh and people can't say they're inappropriate with little to no swearing or crude obscene humour.
Yet, in focusing on just one we can comment and consider & debate the problems we see in modern media. To focus on all would be too diffuse a debate, right?
One reason I stopped watching TV is that I could no longer stand the pervasive, annoying and utterly inane commercials, whose volume is purposely raised higher than the rest, just so you will sit there and be persuaded that you just must eat a sandwich (or whatever ) that is more than your acceptable calorie count for entire day..Now, they are adding the morals of hedge hogs into the mix. That isn't the way to make friends and influence people. The point is not to have a few people go to a eating establishment, or just the brain dead teen agers, solely, or the guys working next door who will eat just about anything cheap to call in, it is to be the kind of place where you get new walk-ins daily. Where "I saw your commercial and thought I would try you out." is heard,at least, several times a day. That is if you don't have a death wish.
If you want to appeal to people leave your politics at the door, both liberals and conservatives eat, don't insult people's intelligence,don't be radically of any one generation (or, do various commercials for each subset of society) and stay amusing and lighthearted. Laughter is a form of mnemonics. Women take kids out to lunch at places like Quiznos.. There should be, at least, some aspects of society that spare us being bombarded by sexual innuendo and disgusting images that most people don't want any where near their brains.
As you notice, they have us talking about them, but not in friendly, admiring terms.
If I want my brain washed I will do it myself.
To all those who seem to think this commercial is good and that the only people who dislike it are some kind of conservative prudes:
This story was originally written by me, IHateTheMedia.com's editor, who spent 30 years at the highest level of the advertising industry. During my career I was creative director at major international agencies and founded two very successful ad agencies of my own. I've won a warehouse full of national and international creativity awards. I can guarantee you that the Quizno's campaign is so bad that it wouldn't have been presented internally at any of the agencies I ever worked at or owned. It's just a terrible commercial.
That being said, after reading some of the comments from people who defend the commercial I was willing to think that maybe I was wrong. So I sent emails to three acquaintances who are still major names in the advertising business. All three are creative directors. Two of them are top notch, award-winning writers. The third is an equally respected art director. I asked them to watch the commercial and give me their opinion of it. I didn't prejudice them by giving them my opinion. Here are their responses:
Rob K: "It's gratuitous. Blatant. They're reaching to the lowest level to sell friggin' sandwiches. There's no art in it. There's no elegance in it. This is a brand that seems desperate for a real identity - a soul. And they think that "Put it in me, Scott" is the solution? One year max for Quizno's, and then, no mas."
Bruce M: "Very lame, quite gay and just a little spooky."
Scott M: "I guarantee the creative guys wanted a female V/O which would have made it simply tacky, amateurish and tasteless. With the HAL 9000 voice over, it hops right into bizarre."
So there you have it. To each his own, but be aware that when you call this good advertising, you demonstrate how little you know.
Interesting! My instinct (and I've no where near your education/skills) is that the best advertisement is the one that offends no one and appeals to a broad base of people. Don't chase anyone way, especially when selling something that all generation might not mind eating. These are NOT skateboards - they are sandwiches. Make them appeal to everyone, show the sandwich in a positive light - but for everyone. That advertisement was just plain creepy.
Reason 2,042,356 why I don't have a TV.
Funny? STUPID. So does that make you want a tasteless, bready sandwich cooked in a gay oven?(put that down you don't know where its been!) What is the percentage of gays to heterosexuals in this country? I would try selling sandwiches with a girl cook, they will get more customers.
Gay commercials are (I am guessing) the territory to explore-- Everyone will be doing them for awhile. (oh, look aren't we clever, open-minded and cutting edge?) NO, you are puerile and stuck in the hell of eternal mind-numbing narcissism. They will be doing them till they are considered old & tiresome and then go on to the next thing. and then the next.. ad infinitum.
The humor was infantile - barely High School level. We are all fascinated with our body parts - and, then ,we grow up.
The worse TV gets the more of us who want real entertainment leave it. They alienate us and then call us names when we don't want to listen and watch their nonsense, any longer.
Most intelligent analysis on this thread so far. Thanks.
You're welcome! (-: