this post was submitted on 13 Oct 2025

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Showerthoughts

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A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The most popular seem to be lighthearted clever little truths, hidden in daily life.

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Commercials seem to be normalizing an unhealthy work-life balance more. (lemmy.world)

submitted 15 hours ago* (last edited 15 hours ago) by ZoopZeZoop@lemmy.world to c/showerthoughts@lemmy.world

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I've seen others recently, but the two I saw today are a Capital One commercial and a Progressive commercial.

In the first, the Capital One guy is talking to a couple of people. He is asked what he does for fun, and he does not know what to say. Then, they cut to him getting ready to sleep at the bank.

Another is the Progressive commercial where Flo talks with another woman about vacations. The other woman doesn't seem to know what a vacation is. Flo begins describing what one is. In the end, she says she doesn't really know, gives up, and says she's never been on one either.

I was thinking about them while driving and came to the title thought.

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[–] saltesc@lemmy.world 32 points 14 hours ago* (last edited 14 hours ago) (5 children)

I notice more and more ads just try to be my friend.

They don't advertise anything about their product, I have nfi what they do. They're just trying to align with me in the weirdest generic way.

"This is Sam. Sam works hard every day. Sam likes their family. Sam laughs with their friends. Sam enjoys a movie on the couch with their partner. Sam uses Product1234."

I first noticed this tactic specifically aiming at women. They just show footage of girls doing girl things and the product is there. What does the product do? Why is it worth my money? What makes it better than other ones? Who the fuck knows?

But now that seems to be the same targeting for men just as much, if not more.

Like, this shit is happening and apparently working when it should be making people feel massively patronised and insulted.

[–] shalafi@lemmy.world 10 points 13 hours ago* (last edited 13 hours ago) (2 children)

Old news.

🎵 You know we have more prescription drugs now

Every commercial that comes on TV is a prescription drug ad

I can't watch TV for four minutes without thinking I have five serious diseases

Like: "Do you ever wake up tired in the mornings?"

Oh my god, I have this! Write this down. Whatever it is, I have it

Half the time I don't even know what the commercial is:

There's people running in fields or flying kites or swimming in the ocean

Like: "That is the greatest disease ever. How do you get that?

That disease comes with a hot chick and a puppy." 🎶

As relevant as it was 20-years ago.

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[–] bus_factor@lemmy.world 7 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

Ads don't need to make you explicitly go out to buy the product to be effective. All they need to do is make you feel more familiar with the brand next time they and a competitor are next to each other in the store, and you need to decide which one to pick.

TL;DR: For stuff you'll need to buy anyway, brand awareness is all the ad needs to do.

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[–] Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 2 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

But now that seems to be the same targeting for men just as much, if not more.

sigh

Advertising to men is super easy, barely an inconvenience! Just show a big tittied blond bimbo saying "Hehehehe, guys who drink this disgusting product will get their dick sucked by girls like me!!!"

Sales SKYROCKET!!! Just throw some fine print that guys won't actually get their dick sucked. Their eyes won't be at the bottom of the screen. They'll be in the middle. Watching big boobs in a bikini.

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[–] ripcord@lemmy.world 5 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

Wait, why are you having to watch commercials?

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[–] TheReturnOfPEB@reddthat.com 25 points 15 hours ago* (last edited 13 hours ago)

I think that the repeated use in marketing and advertising of people telling you to make others experience envy for something they are selling is really depressing. Envy is one of the worst human emotions. And to do things to create it is not for the good.

[–] protist@mander.xyz 14 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

Commercials exist solely to convince you to spend money. Turning to commercials for life advice is gonna give you a bad life

[–] NaibofTabr 17 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

This isn't really what "normalizing" means... no one is "turning to commercials for life advice". OP is talking about commercials projecting an unhealthy impression of what normal looks like.

[–] protist@mander.xyz 4 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

Commercials have always done that, though. They exist to lie to you

[–] TranquilTurbulence@lemmy.zip 1 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 9 hours ago)

Their agenda is to make you spend money on their products. Might not be the best product for you, might not even be a decent product to begin with. Who cares, as long as quarterly profits grow and stock holders are satisfied.

Companies will say anything to make that happen. Well, it has to be legal to say that, but borderline legal and grey area claims work too.

[–] sunbrrnslapper@lemmy.world 4 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

Work-life balance is super subjective (what works well for one person may be debilitating for another) - and using it to make weird jokes like this is probably alienating for many in their audience. Poor choice all around.

[–] shawn1122@sh.itjust.works 6 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago) (1 children)

It is individual but its also cultural. Many in Europe and Canada look at work life balance in the US and see it as toxic, for example.

I was shocked to find out many women don't get more than 3 months maternity leave (FMLA) in the US and it may be unpaid. That's a dystopian work life balance compared to other high income countries.

In Canada, women get 9 months paid leave and most end up going back to their old job. In the US I find many women come back in 3 months because they have no choice (accepting the psychological burden that comes with this) or they switch to part time work which can put their health care coverage at risk (extremely problematic since they just had a baby).

I find the American system to be fundamentally misogynistic.

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