I could never be in any Authority

None

NIKON D70 - 1/160 sec, f1.8 at 50mm

Over the weekend I was reading the decisions made by the Advertising Standards Authority. You can read the 2006 decisions here. Go on, they are amusing for both how stupid the public can be and also how stupid advertisers can be in some cases.

I was astounded at the unbelievably minor things so many people complain about. 83%* of the decisions were ruled that there was no grounds to proceed with the complaint. And looking at the complaints, I can see why. Most of them are so trivial that the complainant should be billed for the time they have wasted.

In one case, the complainant thought they heard the word "shit" in a TV commercial when the word was actually "hit". They wrote a letter and in doing so started the machinations of the huge bureaucratic machine just to tell them there is no grounds to proceed. Although of course the Authority did what ever it is they did, probably involving letters backwards and forwards, meetings, minutes and Hector only knows what else.

If it was me in charge, I'd completely lose it and write very inappropriate letter back to say, look you dicks, he said hit, not shit. Stop wasting our friggen time. Oh and go see a doctor for all that ear wax in your ears.

*Here is another statistic. Did you know that 78.4% of all statistics are completely made up on the spot to prove the point trying to be made? I didn't know that either.

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More foliage, this time from a garden on Running Deer Trail, McFarland, WI.

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Posted: Monday, 13 November, 2006 19:04

Captured: 2006:10:08 19:36:18

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You're telling me. Some obtuse prick complained about the use of our positioning statement in a radio advert a few years ago and we took it as a bit of a joke. It was a complete WOFTAM, and then his complaint got upheld! Fortunately the ASA really has no clout and all they can do is stop you advertising, so you just change your ads. The best one recently was a Sth African guy called Manus Vandevandervan (or something) and he complained about one of the drink driving ad where bro 1 says, "Ahhhh, you Manus", and bro 2 replies, "You're the Manus". I really want this to catch on so that Manus actually becomes a deragotory term then Mr Vandervandervan will be really pissed off.
Rik - Tuesday, 14 November, 2006 8:31
You're a Manus!
Dave - Tuesday, 14 November, 2006 9:27
You're a m'anus
Rik - Tuesday, 14 November, 2006 10:24
if you listen realllllly carefully at the end of the that ad, you can hear him say "well you listen to a'manus morrisette" and i think that is the funniest thing in the whole world.
mike - Tuesday, 14 November, 2006 13:00
Ha, I've never heard that before. I'm going to listen real careful next time.
Dave - Tuesday, 14 November, 2006 14:03

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Spudooli

I could never be in any Authority

Spudooli

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