Logical fallacies/douchebaggery in commercials.

[EmptySet]

Gillette sell mens razors which give no better shave than womens but do cut you more...

...

On a side note I've been converted to womens razors, they're simply better made, cut you less and last longer.

...really? I've never used women's razors, but I was always under the impression that most of them are exactly the same as the normal ones, except for being pink and costing twice as much. I know several women who just use the regular razors precisely because they're the same thing. I've even heard some girls claim that razors marketed at women tend to perform worse because the emphasis is on making a sparkly pink handle (with glitter! And flowers!) upon which a crappy disposable razor is then stuck as an afterthought.

[Cathy]

It kind of depends. The crappy disposable ones are still crappy and disposable, but my skin is incredibly terribly sensitive to shaving and moving up a dollar/package to a venus plus or whatnot has really truly helped my dermatologic issues.

But really, I have to re-write this because nobody sees it when it's on the last page!

Manly products for manly man-men.

We're men, we're men in tight tight tights...

[HungryHobo]

I've found that my girlfriends venus gives just as close a shave as the best mens razor I could find while cutting me less. They're a little more expensive but last a lot longer, I suppose that when they're made to do whole legs they can't blunt too fast.

My girlfriend tried using my mens razor once but vowed not to ever do so again because of "all the blood"

the really crappy disposable ones like this: http://www.esquire.com/cm/esquire/image ... 737737.jpg are universally crappy be they for men or women.

hers also comes with a cool little holder thing which sticks to the wall of the shower. Why don't mens? As far as I know shaving during your morning shower is the norm for guys so I don't see why they're not included.
Just manly the holder up a little by adding spikes or making it squirt acid in your eyes and it'd sell great with guys.

I just (in much the same way as Angua) feel kinda guilty buying something that says 'not for girls' prominently on the packet.

I feel this is something that the advertising companies will inevitably make a try at sooner or later. I can imagine it now, they'd run a "not for girls" campaign then run a parallel campaign in media popular with the demographic who are bothered by the "not for girls" campaigns featuring a strong independent woman beating the crap out of some patriarchal jerk who's trying to enforce the "not for girls" sticker, taking the chocolate/crisps and shouting "it's not for girls but it is for women!" then taking a satisfying bite or otherwise using the product.

[Grop]

As far as I know shaving during your morning shower is the norm for guys

This is news to me. Also, there is no mirror that I can use from my shower.

[HungryHobo]

Can I diverge slightly to Logical fallacies/douchebaggery in the news? or would I have to start a new topic.

because the recent crap with Jeremy clarkson and the "strikers should be shot" thing in the UK is driving me nuts. it's just so stupid.


Matt Baker [presenter]: Well Jeremy, schools, hospitals, airports, even driving tests, have all been affected. Do you think the strikes have been a good idea?

Jeremy Clarkson [guest]: I think they have been fantastic. Absolutely. London today has just been empty. Everybody stayed at home, you can whizz about, restaurants are empty.

...

Jeremy Clarkson: But we have to balance this though, because this is the BBC.

Matt Baker: Yes, exactly.

Jeremy Clarkson: Frankly, I'd have them all shot. I would take them outside and execute them in front of their families. I mean, how dare they go on strike when they have these gilt-edged pensions that are going to be guaranteed while the rest of us have to work for a living?

Matt Baker: Well, on that note of balancing an opinion, of course those are Jeremy's views.

Alex Jones: Only Jeremy's views.

Jeremy Clarkson: They're not.

and all I see, all I see is news clips and youtube clips of the single "Frankly, I'd have them all shot." quote without the context showing that that's clearly wasn't his actual opinion. And people have been having fits over how they think he hates the strikers. it's just so stupid. the people getting offended about it are so stupid. He's taking the piss out of the BBC's policies on the requirement for "balance" .

This is news to me. Also, there is no mirror that I can use from my shower.

I usually shave by feel, a mirror doesn't seem much use once you're used to doing it on automatic.

[SecondTalon]

As far as I know shaving during your morning shower is the norm for guys

This is news to me. Also, there is no mirror that I can use from my shower.

I do it. And I have Friendly Muttonchops. I just wait until I'm out and can use a mirror for the edging of it, but for the rest of it? I don't need to see myself to shave that.

[pseudoidiot]

Shave after shower, yes. Never shaved in the shower (except for my head when I was bald). And I can't even remember the last time I took a shower in the morning.

[The Scyphozoa]

That whole "it wasn't actually his opinion" thing is like some republican candidate's ad that ridicules Obama for saying, "If we keep talking about the economy, we're going to lose." He was actually quoting McCain when he said that

[podbaydoor]

No, he was quoting a person who was associated with the McCain campaign. So, yeah.

Just manly the holder up a little by adding spikes or making it squirt acid in your eyes and it'd sell great with guys.

From the makers of Sueeve, here are Hyperbole and a Half's Shower Products for Men!

[RoadieRich]

Can I diverge slightly to Logical fallacies/douchebaggery in the news? or would I have to start a new topic.

because the recent crap with Jeremy clarkson and the "strikers should be shot" thing in the UK is driving me nuts. it's just so stupid.


Matt Baker [presenter]: Well Jeremy, schools, hospitals, airports, even driving tests, have all been affected. Do you think the strikes have been a good idea?

Jeremy Clarkson [guest]: I think they have been fantastic. Absolutely. London today has just been empty. Everybody stayed at home, you can whizz about, restaurants are empty.

...

Jeremy Clarkson: But we have to balance this though, because this is the BBC.

Matt Baker: Yes, exactly.

Jeremy Clarkson: Frankly, I'd have them all shot. I would take them outside and execute them in front of their families. I mean, how dare they go on strike when they have these gilt-edged pensions that are going to be guaranteed while the rest of us have to work for a living?

Matt Baker: Well, on that note of balancing an opinion, of course those are Jeremy's views.

Alex Jones: Only Jeremy's views.

Jeremy Clarkson: They're not.

and all I see, all I see is news clips and youtube clips of the single "Frankly, I'd have them all shot." quote without the context showing that that's clearly wasn't his actual opinion. And people have been having fits over how they think he hates the strikers. it's just so stupid. the people getting offended about it are so stupid. He's taking the piss out of the BBC's policies on the requirement for "balance" .

Do you have a cite for that? I've got friends who would be interested.

Edit: found it: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15993558

[EmptySet]

As far as I know shaving during your morning shower is the norm for guys

This is news to me. Also, there is no mirror that I can use from my shower.

Likewise. I was under the impression that shaving at the basin was the norm.

[SurgicalSteel]

Same here. I know plenty of guys who've tried shaving in the shower, and found it difficult and annoying (myself included), but I don't know anyone who does it regularly.

[Plasma Man]

With the Jeremy Clarkson thing: It is not OK to incite murder, even if you go "Lol, just joking" afterwards. Just because he is routinely offensive, it does not mean that he should be allowed to get away with it.

[Ashlah]

My boyfriend shaves in the shower every morning, and finds it much easier than at the sink. The skin gets less irritated when it been under warm water for a while, in his experience. The same is true for me shaving my legs, and I think that's actually why he tried it in the first place.

[Kewangji]

With the Jeremy Clarkson thing: It is not OK to incite murder, even if you go "Lol, just joking" afterwards. Just because he is routinely offensive, it does not mean that he should be allowed to get away with it.

He did it beforehand, though. </anal>

[Ptolom]

With the Jeremy Clarkson thing: It is not OK to incite murder, even if you go "Lol, just joking" afterwards. Just because he is routinely offensive, it does not mean that he should be allowed to get away with it.

Everybody jokes about murder though. It's hilarious.

[charliepanayi]

With the Jeremy Clarkson thing: It is not OK to incite murder, even if you go "Lol, just joking" afterwards. Just because he is routinely offensive, it does not mean that he should be allowed to get away with it.

I'm astonished that anyone takes anything Jeremy Clarkson seriously these days, the guy's a professional troll.

I'm off now to despair over the batch of Christmas ads on TV here this year.

[felltir]

I watched the clarkson thing live, and I got the impression that he wasn't joking, just using hyperbole.

[folkhero]

I usually shave in the shower, because in the shower is more comfortable than not in the shower in general, especially in the winter. I've never much used the mirror when I shaved anyway, so why not shave while that luxurious hot water is falling all over my body? I know it's bad for the environment, but it's a luxury I'm not really willing to give up.

[Menacing Spike]

I'm astonished that anyone takes anything Jeremy Clarkson seriously these days, the guy's a professional troll.

Trolling, in the internet sense, is manipulating someone, usually into anger, by expressing a viewpoint you do not have, or using intentional fallacies, or whatever.

It is not sarcasm, loljewniggers, or satire, or a person you disagree with, or an idiot.

(sometimes I suspect the "lololol i troll u! u mad??" are meta trolls)

[eSOANEM]

I'm astonished that anyone takes anything Jeremy Clarkson seriously these days, the guy's a professional troll.

Trolling, in the internet sense, is manipulating someone, usually into anger, by expressing a viewpoint you do not have, or using intentional fallacies, or whatever.

It is not sarcasm, loljewniggers, or satire, or a person you disagree with, or an idiot.

Clarkson is (in the clip) using a combination of sarcasm and satire in order to troll people (by provoking an emotional reaction from people for amusement). Whilst sarcasm, satire etc. are not necessarily trolling, they can be used by trolls.

[Menacing Spike]

Clarkson is (in the clip) using a combination of sarcasm and satire in order to troll people (by provoking an emotional reaction from people for amusement). Whilst sarcasm, satire etc. are not necessarily trolling, they can be used by trolls.

I mean, he's not deceiving them. It's hopefully clear to everyone involved he's putting on a persona.

[Shivahn]

I usually shave in the shower, because in the shower is more comfortable than not in the shower in general, especially in the winter. I've never much used the mirror when I shaved anyway, so why not shave while that luxurious hot water is falling all over my body? I know it's bad for the environment, but it's a luxury I'm not really willing to give up.

I wish I could, but my hair needs to be in a ponytail to do it, which makes washing hair hard, and our water also turns all mirrors into white surfaces because well water is full of calcium carbonate and other ions that like to be jerks to mirrors and windows.

So that is a couple reasons I can't.

[Magnanimous]

Stay classy, Virgin America.

Spoiler:

[Cathy]

Virgin America douchebaggery. Wow. That's pretty bad.

[Giant Speck]

Virgin America: The official spokesairline of Newt Gingrich?

[SecondTalon]

Nah. There's no mention of how your old airline has cancer.

[ShortChelsea]

I hate the Cuties oranges commercial. Thanks for telling me about the choking hazard from laying down while eating. *tips hat* You've saved me from letting my child die from eating your oranges.

[Angua]

I hate the Cuties oranges commercial. Thanks for telling me about the choking hazard from laying down while eating. *tips hat* You've saved me from letting my child die from eating your oranges.

I've found all of them annoying so far - but I haven't seen the one you're talking about.

[Ashlah]

I thought it was pretty hilarious the first time I saw it. Why not just have her sit up rather than put a disclaimer that you might choke to death on the bottom?

[Shivahn]

This isn't super douchebaggy, but I find it irritating that these cough drops (Halls, though I think many advertise like this) are prominently labeled "Triple soothing action." They soothe sore throat, relieve coughs, and cool nasal passages. Which is fine, but it's sort of misleading since the only thing that's doing any of those is menthol (which is found in basically every cough drop).

Again, not super douchebaggy since it's at least true, but it seems like they're implying that they have more ingredients than the people who aren't labeling their stuff as such. It feels like cereal that's arsenic free.

[Cathy]

Did you know that to label something "trans fat free" all a company needs to do is make sure their product has less than .5gram transfat per serving?

HAY GUIS lets make 17 servings per baggie of tiny thingies! Even if it's one piece per serving it'll still be "trans fat free!"

wtf?

[Giant Speck]

Did you know that to label something "trans fat free" all a company needs to do is make sure their product has less than .5gram transfat per serving?

The same thing goes for other nutrient definitions, according to the Food and Drug Administration:

Calorie-free = Less than 5 calories per serving
Fat-free = Less than 0.5 grams total fat per serving
No Saturated Fat = Less than 0.5 grams saturated fat and less than 0.5 grams trans fatty acids
Cholesterol-free = Less than 2 milligrams cholesterol per serving
Sodium-free = Less than 5 milligrams sodium per serving
Sugar-free = Less than 0.5 grams sugars per serving

I think the smaller the serving size, the stricter these definitions get. For example, I doubt a company could get away with passing a ten-gram serving with half a gram of trans fat as "trans fat free".

[Cathy]

I dunno... it just seems stupid and deceptive. Shouldn't "fat free" "sugar free" and "calorie free" really mean zero? Not 3g if you eat the whole package?

Blah, FDA can blow me.

[Giant Speck]

Unless the food naturally does not contain sugar, fat, or calories, I would assume it would be difficult to process a food to absolutely, completely remove the naturally-occurring sugar, fat, or calories. I don't think it's meant to be deceptive. I think it's meant to imply that per the serving size, any trace amount of sugar, fat, or calories would be nutritionally negligible.

[sourmìlk]

There was a commercial for the PS Vita that started with something like this: "It's the age old question: stay home and play video games, or go to work so your boss doesn't get mad at you. Now with this portable handheld piece of shit you can do both, so long as you hit the boss-key."

It's really dickish that a company decides to market to gamers by assuming that we're lazy bastards who just want to try and get out of doing our jobs.

[PhoenixEnigma]

Did you know that to label something "trans fat free" all a company needs to do is make sure their product has less than .5gram transfat per serving?

HAY GUIS lets make 17 servings per baggie of tiny thingies! Even if it's one piece per serving it'll still be "trans fat free!"

wtf?

That's why "serving size" is mandated and based around the FDA's Reference Amounts Customarily Consumed (and also why serving sizes tend not to relate that well to package sizes). Such trickery is frowned upon.

[phlip]

As explained in one of the Science of Discworld books, you can't be absolutely sure that there's exactly zero sugar, or whatever, in a thing, due to Heisenberg uncertainty... there's a non-zero chance that a sugar and anti-sugar virtual pair could appear at any time. This is why every single food or food-related product sold in Ankh-Morpork must carry a "May contain traces of nuts" label.

Realistically, there needs to be a threshold set, and "sufficiently low that we're willing to let it round to 0 in the Nutritional Information charts" is a good enough threshold for most purposes.

[Steax]

If I ever make any sort of edible food, I'm totally labeling it "most likely contains antimatter."

[JudeMorrigan]

Did you know that to label something "trans fat free" all a company needs to do is make sure their product has less than .5gram transfat per serving?

HAY GUIS lets make 17 servings per baggie of tiny thingies! Even if it's one piece per serving it'll still be "trans fat free!"

wtf?

I'm personally less bothered by this than by egregiously unhealthy things that prominently display their trans-fat free state, as if that's going to fool people into thinking they're healthy. What's this? These Krispy Kreme's are trans-fat free? Well, heck, then. Load me up with a dozen!