Yesterday we were driving to Starbucks in the car before school.
Jackson was yabbing away to himself and Zara was singing: “live from Progressive, live from Progressive, call or click, call or click.”
I’d have slammed my foot on the brake if I thought it would have worked.
Isn’t there something suspect with a society in which the most recognizable face is the woman from the Progressive ad.; who seems to be taking over from the Geico lizard as the TV personality with the most airtime.
At least they are easier on the eye than someone else who has been swallowing up a lot of air time lately, Donald Trump.
While it’s true that America has elected some dubious presidents in its time, I have enough confidence in America not to elect someone with a dead fox on his head to the Oval Office, just as I have enough confidence to believe the nation would not elect Sarah Palin, who has the mental acumen of a dead fox.
For the benefit of anyone who has been living in a cave or a mansion near Pakistan’s military academy in the last five years, Flo. Is a nerdy and dangerously enthusiastic Progressive sales person, who was created by copywriter John Park and art director Steve Reepmeyer, according to Wikipedia.
She’s rather unlike most sales people we encounter who merely grunt and give the impression they want you to go away. Case in point – the woman at JC Penney last night when I showed up 15 minutes from closing time, who growled a lot and slammed around boxes before suggesting after my purchase that I take on online survey and rate her customer service skills 5 out of 5.
Sadly my sarcastic side usually deserts me at such times and I nod meekly instead of asking her if there’s a minus category.
Flo is really the actress Stephanie Courtney who isn’t exactly a household name, even though she’s a household face. Nor might she be in real life. It apparently takes an hour to create Flo’s retro hairstyle and another hour to slap on her makeup. Remembering waiting for my sister to put on her new face when I was a teenager to get into the bathroom, I think this represents good value.
The sad thing about all of this is that Flo now has 2.4 million followers on Facebook. In October 2009, the Boston Herald referred to Flo as "the commercial break's new sweetheart," and said that Courtney was "attaining TV ad icon status".
She's so recognizable there's apparently a Flo Halloween costume out there.
This either suggests
A – What's on TV is dire
B – There a lot of people who don’t have a life
C – both of the above.
How sad that a character from an insurance commercial has attained cult status. And, for the record, I preferred the Geico cavemen.
