AT&T Commercial "Baguette Mystery" Solved
Videogum friend Amy Blair is annoyed at the unrealistic number of loaves of French bread in the mom's car in the ubiquitous "Dad takes picture of daughter's teddy bear while on business trip" AT&T commercial. This bothered me too, until probably my 100th viewing, which coincidentally occurred last night. Can you solve the mystery of the baguettes?:
I guess it's pretty obvious from the screencap, but not the commercial: they're bars, as in "More bars in more places." (Other things in the commercial are also bars.) This has been Videogum Commercial Highlights For Children Puzzle. Next week's puzzle: why is the chick from the Progressive commercials also in EVERY OTHER COMMERCIAL for the past three years? She must be as rich as Bill Gates!
Posted by Lindsay at 11:35 AM in Commercials
Tags: Mysteries
I hate to sound like a tool, but they've been doing the "more bars" thing for a few years now, and I think I got it the first time around.
Maybe it's just me though.
Score = 56
also rich: the red bearded guy in the cable commercials and the woman in those 'i ate pumpkin pie last night' yogurt ads.
Score = 2
That woman (Andrea Rosen) is one of my FAVORITE comedic actresses. She's in a 4-girl troupe called Variety SHAC, here's a funny short they did with Fred Armisen. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ze67MLUFc-Q
Score = 4
Favorite Andrea Rosen line EVER comes from Potluck
"But, do you see how that would be like me saying 'This is all my pasta'?"
Score = 2
Andrea Rosen is in a lot of commercials too, but that's not her.
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I may be thinking of a different specific yoplait commercial than Jeb, but this is the spot I'm talking about. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdRLYqP7ZoM
Don't be telling me that's not her!
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Oh, I know. I was just responding to how amazing Andrea is. She sticks to mostly yogurt and bagel commercials.
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I had never heard of that before. That was hilarious!
Ah, I love Fred Armisen.
Score = 1
don't forget stella.
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Every time I see these goddamn yogurt commercials I get a little more upset. The commercial is obviously for women but the whole "this guy I'm with is a total fucking retard, just like all guys, (now I will call him babe to emasculate him) RIGHT BABE" thing is Fail City, USA.
Score = 6
really? just now catching on to this?
Score = 29
my thoughts exactly. It's not even that subliminal
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I thought it was going to be something awesome like "They're going to be making 'le pain pipes!'".
The above is hilarious if you took middle school french and are a dork.
Score = 7
Looks like some is gonna make up some homemade Quiznos Toasted Torpedos! Awww Yeah!
Score = 6
Both amy and lindsay are bad commercial watchers.
Score = 27
Don't forget that the chick from the Progressive ads is also a switchboard operator on Mad Men in the first season (maybe the second season too, but I don't have cable.)
Score = 2
The little girl in this commercial is the cutest thing ever. And I don't hate progressive girl, somehow. I really feel like I should. But I don't.
Score = 4
Also solved: Mystery of Videogum Corporate Parent
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Also solved: Mystery of Videogum Corporate Parent
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I will say this... I work in a gourmet food market and this french woman comes in with her daughter once a week and buys seven (yes seven) baguettes. Although I had seen this commercial way too many times to count before she began shopping at the market so I too wondered...maybe they just eat a lot of bread. Also the more bars in more places thing.
Score = 6
I switched to AT&T from T-Mobile for the iPhone 3G in July and I've never had so many 'No Service' areas in my life. AT&T sucks ass. iPhone makes it worth it but make no mistake, it sucks ass. Much like the carb-crazy bitch and her daughter in that commercial.
Score = 4
Hey you guys? You know the Verizon commerical? Where tons of people follow a guy around? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70UzgxL3XFo
So yeah, why are all those people there?! That's unrealistic. Never seen that in real.
Score = 27
Did we really need a post explaining that the baguettes are bars? Haven't we been had knowing that since these commercials began?
Score = 30
You guys have been watching commercials way too carefully.
Score = -20
I'll admit everyone is kinda piling on, including me, for what was an honest mistake. But you got to see that devoting a post to uncovering an obvious mystery of a few years old reoccurring commercial campaign is funny. Say if a friend was like "Hey! Did you realize Ed Norton and Brad Pitt are the same person in Fight Club!". You give them some shit. And laugh.
Score = 18
Looks like everyone forgot to take their grain of irony today. Ftr: there's also no such thing as a "Videogum Highlights For Children Puzzle." :(
Score = -12
Really? Now you pull "I was being ironic"? I'll give benefit of doubt cause I love the 'gum, but whatevs.
(Accidentally put this below. Whoops. Looks better here.)
Score = 10
Again, seriously? Irony? Booooooo.
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I mean the general tone. I did watch it many times before noticing, but the whole "can you guess this puzzle" element, which is most of the post, is a joke. Oops, NEVER COMPLAIN, NEVER EXPLAIN.
Score = -1
SPOILERZ
Score = 4
You know what, I take that back. It's a little presumptuous of me to assume everybody would catch that the baguettes, and every other instance of cascading phalli in these AT&T commercials, represent bars. MY BAD.
Hey, Videogum Detectives, next case: what is this large, flat wooden thing that I have to move every time I need to leave my apartment???
Score = 37
Captain
HammerObvious approves of this blog post.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7bdr6fjg-k
Score = 0
Seriously? Are you serious?? Hi. My name is common sense. Nice to meet you.
Score = -3
aside from it being bars, maybe she is going to make croutons.
just saying.
Score = 17
Really? Now you pull "I was being ironic"? I'll give benefit of doubt cause I love the 'gum, but whatevs.
Score = -2
I think what amuses us incredulous videogum fans is that you DID notice that she had a bunch of baguettes, so you clearly allowed your eye to divert from the people to the corner of the screen. Then we all simply find it charming that you're proud of yourself for "cracking the case," where you're really just finally noticing the point of the commercial's aesthetic design. It would sort of be like feeling like something was A LITTLE OFF in the commercial where the people do nice things for each other because the people doing good things all look like the recent recipients of the good deeds, then slowing down the commercial and "discovering" that they ARE the same people. I mean, that was the whole point of the ad. To describe it as a discovery is sort of silly. But don't take the jabs personally. You're a celebrity now and you have to absorb your fans' weird petty comments!
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Progressive girl was also on 1st season of Mad Men with cateye glasses. Back when Kristen Schaal was on the switchboard.
Score = -1
wow.
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Lay off, herd.
Score = 7
Sorry Lindsay, this post of yours is the The Worst.
But anyway look, they have the same campaign in India, except they used men and not super-confusing-breads! : http://lh5.ggpht.com/_1MQiOHT4bJk/SaOE2wpa1LI/AAAAAAAACiI/4X6F1QhaBoo/s912/india1%20930.JPG
Score = 1
Nice shot! Where'd you immediately find that photo? Private collection? If so, I'm envious of your trip to India. I have recently become fascinated by that place.
Score = 0
I bet they don't think anything of it in france
Score = 6
Heh, at :19 there's a kid being forced to swing... or do something weirder... on what has to be the shittiest swing set in the country. All the way on the left.
Score = 2
Can't we all just SETTLE DOWN?
Score = 4
Am I the only one who mutes the tv when the commercials come on?
I've seen this once or twice though. It makes me wretch.
Are you really watching commercials with such an attentive, critical, interpretive eye?
I can save you the trouble : they're trying to sell you crap.
Score = 1
wow i havent seen this much videogum hate since gabe posted.
Score = 5
Duh Town. Population: you guys.
Score = 1
While you guys were busy arguing over baguettes and getting super frustrated over the mere idea of commercials, you missed possibly the dumbest part of the commercial. In the middle of his important business meeting he's like "excuse me," and then proceeds to pull out a stuffed animal, put it on the conference table, and take a picture of it.
Score = 5
I believe that is the Octomom's nanny. And boom goes the baguette!!!!!!!
Score = 0
this fucking post is at&t's wet dream. we're all assholes for CHOOSING to be in it. videogum, fuck you for making this news in the first place. i suppose the tv shows we watch are no better with their paid placements, but seriously, posting a commercial?
Score = -2
this fucking post is at&t's wet dream. we're all assholes for CHOOSING to be in it. videogum, fuck you for making this news in the first place. i suppose the tv shows we watch are no better with their paid placements, but seriously, posting a commercial?
Score = -3
Like it or not commercials are a part of the media landscape. and it allows us to watch shows for free. there are some commercials i really like a lot. i bet there are some you like too.
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I just want to say the yogurt commercials are hardly the only example of an ad where the guy is a totally whipped moron and the woman is plain and bitchy but the viewer is expected to like her somehow. And there are finally starting to be examples, after a bunch of years now, where the white guy isn't a fucking idiot to the chagrin of an unimpressed black guy. Trust me, I don't watch TV often, but I pick up on these zeitgeist indicators when I see them.
Score = 2
So, guess what? The other day, I was watching "Triumph of the Will" and something about the camera movement struck me as odd. So I was racking my brain all night trying to figure it out, and you know what? I think the whole movie is nothing but a propaganda piece.
Score = 2
Can we all just agree to not have any more posts like this in the future. Seriously depressing.
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The Progressive.com gal's name is Stephanie Courtney--a member of the very prestigious Groundlings comedy group out in L.A. I'm not sure what all the other commercials the original poster is referring to (other than one Glad commercial where she's in a yoga pose), but I've seen her perform stand-up and sketch comedy live and she's HYSTERICAL.
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