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We try to ignore everything Stella Foster says, but every one in a while, she has some good news. She says those gross, weird AT&T commercials featuring the Harry Caray impersonator will be pulled from the air March 30.
And not a moment too soon. Those ads are creepy, not to mention annoying and in poor taste, but luckily they're on constantly.
We're hoping this means the billboards and banner ads (like the cropped one here) are also on their way out.
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I'm glad I'm not the only one who found these *really* annoying and a little disturbing.
That "comedian" playing Harry is such a hack. I think his name is John Campanera and he's a hack. Did I mention he's a hack? He's a poor man's Jim Belushi. HACK!
What about them is in poor taste? It's not like he says "Harry Caray here and I'm a dead sumbitch!"
my coworker was just complaining about these not an hour ago. i didn't care for them, but they're a damn sight better than those dishtv commercials with the guy impersonating donald trump and dr. phil. get the fuck off my tv already.
Thank God.
They're on the radio, too, and they make me want to throw things.
whoever decided that this was a good way to advertise should be fired
Dutchie did OK the ad...who's running the Carey empire here? I assume it's not Dutchie handling the day-to-day operations so some idiot told her it was a good idea. I don't really think they're in "poor taste" they're just annoying. The impersonation isn't great and it's really just an impersonation of Will Ferrel's Harry Caray impersonation. Once again, "comedian" in commercial: HACK!
Worst. Commercials. Ever.
This guy was a joke when he was alive and now he's a joke that he's dead. I fail to see the problem.
mike, i'm glad you pointed out the obvious parody of a parody that the campaign essentially was...they should have just hired will ferrel himself.
I liked them. But then again, I'm a dick.
Thank goodness! Those adverts were terrible. Every morning I'd hear them on the radio and sometimes catch them in the evenings. The guy who played Harry Caray looked and sounded like some slobbering drunk on the verge of a stroke.
Every time I heard the radio advert about Lake Michigan/Loch Ness, I died a little inside.
Matilda...really? Seriously? The guy is an icon of radio broadcasting...I don't care if you're a Sox fan, a Cubs fan or even a Cardinals fan, the guy was an icon. He had a unique, uncompromising style and he didn't care who he offended, even though he never set out to offend anyone.
I have to agree with Mike here, Matilda. I have absolutely no problem with Harry Caray, and really, I have no problem with Will Ferrell impersonating Harry Caray. But when a mediocre, ATT-hired comedian starts impersonating Will Ferrell impersonating Harry Caray? Then, I have a problem. That's way too meta, and it's executed poorly.
Nice, dig up the voice of an old dead drunk geezer for a few bucks
I thought this was the epitome of tasteless celebrity impersonation advertising. Then I saw the Dish Network commercials with Frank Caliendo impersonating Charles Barkley. With blackface. Now THERE is a classy commercial.
@ plum
you're quickly becoming my most favorite commentator here. seriously. your comment from the Holy Name post other day (no.dude.maybe.tranny.yes.dude.no) is top 5 ever, for sure.
i must admit, i giggled at the sabre tooth tiger ad. maybe just because mittens is a funny word. but then again, i'm just a drunk classless yuppie who hangs around the Cardinal George and lives in lincoln park.
Mike: I though the guy was a worthless slob on the air, more like a circus act than an insightful announcer, but what do I know, I didn't grow up in Chicago.
Seriously, I think his image has been whored out so much since his death that I am not sure why this commercial--and it is a bad one, no doubt--is so offensive.
Thanks celerysalt, but honestly, I'm a world class prick.
Ask any of my ex-girlfriends.
If you didn't grow up in Chicago I don't think you can say much about Harry...but I don't know many who grew up here who don't like Harry, regardless of where their sporting allegiances reside. Before age and bodily breakdown hampered him Harry was a great technical broadcaster. And then you add to that his unique style. And by slobbish circus act, I hope you're not referring to the myth that he was always drunk on the air because he wasn't. There's a clear difference between Harry pre and post-stroke
and as for image-whoring...the guy was a spokesman for Bud while alive, he had his restaurant which is still going today. His image has never been used like this though, not after his death in such a prominent ad campaign.
@Mike:
He's one of the few things Sox and Cubs (and even Cards) fans can all agree on. He was a good announcer for all of those teams.
I hope Steve Stone goes well for the Sox as well.
Mike: I actually do know a few natives who disliked Harry, but that's certainly not a encompassing survey. But your other points are well taken. No, I didn't think he was always drunk, but I just thought he was a poor announcer, even before his illness. Obviously, enough fans did not, and that's what pays the bills.
Erm, I always thought those ads were more disturbing than annoying.
I won't defend the ads (yep, they're annoying), but I gotta say that John Caponera, who grew up on the South Side, was doing a Harry Caray impression before Will Ferrell made it to SNL. And in this clip -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9s7YhxPATPQ -- Harry doesn't appear to mind.
And like many Sox fans (those who loved him and Jimmy Piersall), I didn't much care for the Cubs version of Harry.
UTV - I know exactly what you're talking about and I thought the exact same thing. The shame of THAT commercial is that Caliendo actually does a pretty dang good Charles Barkley. He guested on Inside the NBA to promote his show and did the imitation in front of Barkley. Priceless. Unfortunately, white actors in black face is not...
How did I know this post would get a gazillion comments....
".....you're quickly becoming my most favorite commentator here. seriously. your comment from the Holy Name post other day (no.dude.maybe.tranny.yes.dude.no) is top 5 ever, for sure...."
I just want to agree with celerysalt here. In fact, I am snickering right now over that Holy Name comment.
Saying John Camponera is a poor man's Jim Belushi is really low.
In defense of Harry (and he does bear a huge shoulder of responsibility for turning Wrigley Field into the beer garden it is today), y'all who only see him as a drunken buffoon should look up his old game tapes when he and Jack Buck called Cardinals games. Those two were quite possibly the greatest tandem ever.
Hell, his White Sox broadcasts with Jimmy Piersall were leagues ahead of his Cubs games.
Hate the ads, but agree with Moopy- Camanera was doing Harry Caray, in front of Harry Caray, long before Will Ferrel did Harry Caray. Still don't make these ads right.
The part of that Stella Foster column that freaked me out was when she got all biblical vengence on the guy convicted to life in prison for killing and beheading a woman down south somewhere. He made a deal to avoid the death penalty in return for leading the cops to the woman's body, and Stella really wants to kill the guy.
I always avoid reading her column, but she hooked me with the Harry stuff (they're opening a Harry Caray's in Wrigleyville? that's a no-brainer, I guess) and I kept going. Guess you can never predict where someone will stand on capital punishment.
@ celerysalt
YOU are becoming one of my favorite commenters of late. and not only because i spewed at the sabre tooth tiger named mittens joke too.
@ Chris F
That death penalty thing freaked me the hell out, too.
The Harry's in Wrigleyville is going in where Hi-Tops is...that's a great two-fer...one less shitty bar in Wrigleyville and one more great restaurant. I'm surprised it took this long.
@ annie -
thanks - i might have even gotten around to witty if i hadn't spent so much premenstrual energy defending my working class honor against a certain illiterate idiot on this site yesterday. hate (hate!) that i took the bait.
my boss really needs to give me more work.
@ plum....not trying to date you, just trying to read you. with apologies to Natalie, the post-donkey show "Michelle L'Amour in pasties" post was another eye-wiper. What can I say - I'm a fan.
"Frank Caliendo impersonating Charles Barkley-With blackface."
You’re kidding right? And if your're not, then lie cause I don't have a TV and most of my friends don't watch theirs, so I'll never know. Ignorance is the American way right?
Thank you for your assistance in advance.
Worst commercial ever, Mr. Peter Francis Geraci bankruptcy info tapes.
I hope the agency that created those commercials are reading this blog because I swear, every time one came on I either wanted to throw a brick through my television screen or locate my remote and change the channel.
I still don't know what they were even advertising.
Horrible, disgusting commercials!!!!
To those who call anything "the worst commercial ever!", you aren't old enough to have seen the "Drink Schlitz or I'll kill you" ads.
Now those were the worst commercials, ever!
@Celerysalt:
Thanks again. I hate strippers. But then again, I'm coming from a state with legal brothels.
And I vomit in terror every time those Walter E. Smithe brothers come on the TV. Hey, remember the one where they pretend to be U2? (Gouges own eyes out)
Not kidding, Spook. And Marcus is right - the shame of it is, man does a mean Barkley.
There is actually a guy that's on 97 FM, the LOOP, that sounds 100 percent better than this other guy.....I know that you guys have heard him. He sounds EXACTLY like the older, more confused Harry!
Regarding the ATT&T ads. When Dutchie gets her cut of the action we will see the ads back on TV. They were great parody of a great man, and no I do not believe that they portrayed the beloved Harry Caray as an idiot, as Dutchie would imply. Nobody can deny that these characatures of him are world renowned and although this particular actor may not have been the best impression of him, it certainly made people stop and watch the commercial and, yes, remember the great man himself;regardless the portrayal. So, give Dutchie her cut and get those commercials back on. And PLEASE, instead, get rid of that annoying Comcast commercial with the singing bi-lines.