After a long time of not having television, I did a 180 and now have digital cable, HBO and Comcast's OnDemand service (which is pretty cool). I also splurged and picked up a TiVo (which is very cool), so now there's no shortage of vegetation around here. I spent my entire Saturday on the couch. I think the only times I left the house were to go get a Slurpee at the 7-11 up the street, and to go get a burrito and another Slurpee. Slurpees are disgusting and delicous. So are burritos, for that matter.
On the TV tip, I can't believe that I can't find anything on Google praising the unintentional genius that is the ads for local dentist office Jang and Associates. Bay Area folks: have any of you seen these ads? Have you appreciated their brilliance? I don't know if I can even do them any justice by attempting to describe them here. Suffice it to say that Dr. Jang, a middle-aged Chinese guy with a moderately thick accent is your host for the commercial, and he describes the various wonderful services that his office can provide you, each bullet point delivered in blazing-speed English and punctuated -- and this is the best part -- with the fakest, hugest, upper-and-lower teeth-baring grin. It's GENIUS. Like, that grin just pops up out of nowhere, and it's so gigantic and truly fake. If these ads were a SNL skit, they would be unchanged. They're so tweaked, and so perfect. Can anyone back me up on this?
Comments (17)
mos def bk. those commercials are genius. i may have to
become a customer.
Posted by jeff | March 21, 2005 9:10 AM
Posted on March 21, 2005 09:10
i'm a patient of ol' doctor jang. he is as fing funny in person as on tv and throws down the vicodin like candy.
Posted by paul | March 22, 2005 12:09 AM
Posted on March 22, 2005 00:09
Dr. Jang commercials leave me shaking me head, slack-jawed, eyes-popped, and laughing every time. Then later I have Dr. Jangmares.
"WELCOME TO DR. JANG AND ASSOCIATES! GET IN THE CHAIR! HAVE YOU ANY OTHER CHOICE!? SI HABLA ESPANOL!"
*BIGASSSMILEINYAFACE*
See also: those crazy lawfirm commercials that look like they were filmed in 1982. (What's the name?)
Posted by Sunshine | March 22, 2005 11:02 AM
Posted on March 22, 2005 11:02
yes, these are utterly genius, the older ones were actually better and worse in quality. whenever i see them i always wish Eskimo were in the room to give color commentary.
my other favorite low-fi, local commercial i've ever seen was when i was in Phoenix on a biz trip that had a super scraggly-looking guy with unkempt, long hair, an eye patch and a gigantic scar across his whole face shelling for an ambulance-chasing lawfirm.
Posted by jonny | March 22, 2005 11:45 AM
Posted on March 22, 2005 11:45
Those ads have been scaring me for some time now.
And yes,SLURPEES RULE.
Posted by Dirty Jase | March 23, 2005 9:01 AM
Posted on March 23, 2005 09:01
By the way, JIM ROGERS was "the Peoples' Lawyer".
Posted by Dirty Jase | March 23, 2005 9:06 AM
Posted on March 23, 2005 09:06
By the way, BK, Redshifter is the second hit on Google for "Jang and Associates" now. You gotta TiVo that isht and post it up in here.
Posted by JW | March 23, 2005 1:02 PM
Posted on March 23, 2005 13:02
Holy crap. I have to get a video up here. I haven't yet figured out how to pull video from my TiVo to my Mac. Anyone know? From my quick poking around the Internets, it seems that there might be more PC than Mac movement on this front. Any suggestions?
Posted by BK | March 23, 2005 5:35 PM
Posted on March 23, 2005 17:35
I've looked into grabbing video from a Tivo from a Mac. If you have a new Tivo, I think it's pretty challenging. If you have an old Tivo you can open it up, install a network card, and plug your Mac into it, install an SSH server, and SSH to it (Tivos run Linux) to grab the files, but I think it's much tougher with the Series 2 Tivos - not as easy to install the network card.
You could use a cheap video capture device - I think the link below is the one we have - Dana used it to grab video from a VCR, I think it would work the same way with a Tivo - it's real time (equivalent to hitting record on a VCR) but if its just an ad, not too tough:
http://daystartechnology.com/Apple_Mac_Products/XLR8_Macintosh_Products/Mac_USB_Video_Capture_OSX_PS.html
It's 90 bucks, though, but cheaper than most video capture. I feel like we really need to see these ads.
Posted by Matt | March 23, 2005 7:50 PM
Posted on March 23, 2005 19:50
Does the Tivo have normal A/V jacks out to the tele? If so, you should be able to hook any camcorder up to it, and simply dub off the signal in playback - this at least works with the DVR supplied by DISH. Then it's simply a matter of digitizing the vid into thy Apple for maximum exposure. Can't wait.
Posted by Wook | March 24, 2005 4:41 AM
Posted on March 24, 2005 04:41
The TiVo does have regular RCA A/V outs, so you're right -- I can just plug it into my camcorder and record it as needed, then import to my Mac via FireWire. It'd be nice to not have to rip apart my rat's nest of a home theater, but I think that's the easiest way for now.
My TiVo (it's a new 2nd generation model) is networked, however -- I have a cheap USB WiFi adapter plugged into it which it uses to do it's daily content update thing back to TiVo HQ. I fear that pulling a ~1GB video file off of it would take forever over 802.11B, though. Not to mention the hassle of decrypting whatever file format TiVo uses and getting it into Final Cut or iMovie. I think I'll just plug in the camcorder.
First, I have to get lucky and record one of those ads, though. Stay tuned.
Posted by BK | March 24, 2005 9:42 AM
Posted on March 24, 2005 09:42
Do or do not; there is no try.
Posted by JW | March 24, 2005 11:24 AM
Posted on March 24, 2005 11:24
slurpee's, as you know, are known for their extrodinary amount of sugar. sugar is the leading cause of cavities. cavities are the leading cause of tooth decay.tooth decay is the leading cause for Jang's greed-riddled smile.everything's connected, the journey is the destination and the destination is Redshifter...plus those
Mt. Dew slurpee's are of the hook yo!
Posted by campisi | March 25, 2005 12:47 AM
Posted on March 25, 2005 00:47
Campisi's post is the funniest post I've read in a long time. Brilliant, as they say.
Posted by mom | March 25, 2005 7:03 AM
Posted on March 25, 2005 07:03
Inspired by Campisi's everything-is-connected vibe, I put "Redshifter" through an anagram thing. Nothing tooth-related, as far as I can tell, but it did come up with "FRETS HIDER," which is a pretty poetic description of one who plays the guitar, if you ask me.
Posted by JW | March 25, 2005 1:29 PM
Posted on March 25, 2005 13:29
Bob,is this post (or is it not) the one that has the most comments?
It's gotta be this or the scotoma one...
Posted by Dirty Jase | March 25, 2005 9:20 PM
Posted on March 25, 2005 21:20
Long live Jang & Associates...or not. Glad I wasn't the first person to notice the absurdity of these commercials. They top the "Diamond Center"'s ads featuring the head honcho decked out in superman gear, flying through the air, and being carried horizontally by his female secretaries, none of which are very television friendly, and all of which are in desperate need of shedding that 80's wave.
Posted by Finite Patience | October 25, 2005 1:08 AM
Posted on October 25, 2005 01:08