Come And Get Your Love
The first thing Esteban said when watching the new Alltel commercial was “The chubby guy is missing!” I almost never pay attention to commercials (unless they contain A)badgers B) childish references to flatulence or C) songs that I love), but he was right. The chubby guy was missing and in his place, a new svelte geekling. I was all ready to get all het up about it, but then did some investigating and found that Michael Busch decided not to sign his contract because he’s got other stuff going on, like his work in LA’s improv group, the Upright Citizen’s Brigade and doesn’t want to be known as “that guy”. In fact, rewatching the Alltel commercials I could find on Youtube, it doesn’t seem as though they ever played Michael’s character as the butt of fat jokes. He was just one of a geek collective and he had quite a following. Wow! Refreshing.
Ok then. This is me getting off the soapbox.
Posted by Weetabix
Filed under: Advertising, Fat Positive, Feel Good Friday, Media, Video
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Yep, in this case it was all good. I mean, sure, he was the “bad guy” but no more so than anyone else in the posse. I doubt anyone thought to single him out as the worst of the bunch.
(Even though the company he represents, Sprint, always seemed to BE the worst of the worst, all cell-phone companies are highway robbers, so it’s really just choosing between many fine rocks and many really well made hardplaces.)
I didn’t know who you were talking about until I got to the vid and went “Oh that guy!” Good to see he’s getting more/different work. Completely off topic, but he’s kinda cute. A little young for my taste, but cute.
I hate those alltel commercials for painting the ‘other guys’ as witless geeks, and the altel guy as sexy and cool. Its just annoying.
yellowhammer, nothing is more annoying than the American Express Blue commercial that seems to last about 45 minutes while the ignorant guy keeps the woman on the phone asking about cruises to nowhere.
I’m not so sure it’s all good. The other three guys also have characteristics making them “less than” in some parts of society. The redhead, the weirdish-looking skinny geek, the geek TRYING to look cool, and what’s left? The fat guy.
I mean, do you really think they would’ve swapped his character with the one playing the Alltel guy? Not likely.
Yeah, Wisconsin girls can’t resist badgers.
I never liked those Alltel commercials because in my experience, phone salesmen are smarmy dudes wearing too much cologne. Sort of the natural successor to stereo and waterbed salesmen. When I go to the Sprint store, I’d be more than pleased to get a salesman like Michael.
whyme63, are you a Wisconsin girl too? You’re absolutely right, I can’t resist a badger either. heh. Never mind that in the wild, they are some of the most ill-tempered creatures out there, and that the “Badger” moniker was originally an insult to Wisconsin miners. (At least I think that’s how it went.) We’ve always been a group who turns our insults into icons, i.e. the popularity of the “cheesehead” hat.
he IS kinda cute…and not too young for MizFit’s taste.
she’s a cougar that way :)
M.
Yeah, he was the one the wizard accidentally vaporized, leaving only his clothes. I guess its pretty funny. They could have just replaced him, but instead they killed him off like a character in a tv series. I think he was replaced with a skinny guy, maybe.
hi, i know this is a bit off topic from your post but i thought ud like to take a look at this article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/05/magazine/05wwln-idealab-t.html?fta=y
its about a formula they are making for obese babies..its quite a bit messed up
I also found it refreshing that he was not the ‘butt of the joke’ because he’s fat. It’s nice that things are looking up for him.