BAD HAIR

There are many things I don’t know – a few things I do.

I know advertising. Not only because like most everyone I’m bombarded with it in various forms literally hundreds of times daily, but also because I’ve been directly or indirectly involved in the advertising and marketing industry for many years. Contrary to popular belief that does not make me a major scumbag. That I attribute to my sparkling personality .

I also know hair, or more accurately, it knows me. I’ve battled a most fucked up head of hair most of my life. It’s been every length, style and color one might imagine, each a unique challenge onto itself. One day everything falls into place and I’m a modern day Samson . The next it looks like the bed-head monster has permanently cursed my stupid dome . Whatever. I deal with it, even though what I’d really like to do is simply shave it all off. Unfortunately I’d look like a thumb with ears, so I have to keep coming up with creative hairstyles to maintain my fashionable male model-like image.

This being the end of the year, most of the ad industry takes an extended break. The daily newsletters are filled with recaps of the best and worst ads, billboards, campaigns, ad professionals and the like, (Bonehead was selected as the most aggravating sales rep with a mullet in 1988, and most irritating copywriter with a ponytail in 2007 by Ad Rage Magazine). I’ve been surprised to find that a particularly annoying television ad I’ve been seeing all too frequently recently has not made it onto anyone’s worst list thus far.

The advertiser is Jeep - perhaps you’ve seen it, I believe it’s national. The commercial features two spoiled women waiting "months" for a hair appointment and spending "hours" in the chair for their cut, color and whatever else would cause them to spend hours in a chair - then saying that's not as important as driving their jeep. These two assholes obviously dropped some serious time and coin getting their quaff just right, then they climb into their jeep, toss back the top and tear off down the highway with their expensive new hairstyle blowing in the wind for that “just got my dumb head stuck in a blender look”. And yes, I fully understand the hypocrisy of lending additional views to this claptrap, but as always, lending a service to my readers to enhance your Bonehead experience is of vital importance to me, so….

Who is supposed to identify with those spoiled children, especially in today's economy?

My hair is always a project, yet I still look for an affordable non pretentious option other than hacking at it myself with a bowie knife. I assure you, if I’m spending some scarce dollars on making myself presentable; I’m not jumping into a convertible and racing down the road. I’m not even opening the windows; no matter how badly the inside of the car smells.

What are they trying to sell us here? The fact that a jeep is so affordable, you can be frivolous with your money on other things? The fact that jeep is the preferred vehicle of women who like to waste money? It’s really petty, I know – but it’s also irresponsible for an advertiser to glorify the wasting of money on one product or service to sell their own unnecessary product.

So there you go, another hair raising Boneheaded observation. If you’ve seen an ad this past year that you think really sucked – why not share it with the class?

Two old related Bonehead observations on advertising that also suck:

See You Next Tuesday Nuggnuts

Shine On You Crazy Sausage