It's frightening how much I hate this advertisement. I've never been a big fan of Blockbuster Video and this "Roast a Few Weenies Tonight" commercial is doing nothing to change my opinion. But it's not about the company; it's about how many mistakes you can find in this simple commercial. On the surface it may look like a simple joke that is nothing more than a play on words, but when you dig a little deeper you'll notice that nearly every aspect of this advert is flawed.

For starters, the advertisement is about getting people to the store to rent a next generation console - either the Sega Saturn or the Sony PlayStation - to test out which one they liked better. Yet neither controller pictured is for a next-generation console. The controller on the right is a third-party Super NES pad, and the burnt one on the left looks to be a Sega Genesis controller. If this advertisement was about renting 16-bit games it would be acceptable, but it's clear they are "supposed" to be playing something for the PlayStation or Saturn (the Blockbuster box to the right is a thin CD-style rental case). So why not use the PlayStation or Saturn controller?

Even more confusing is why the person on the left caught fire. The commercial makes it look like the poor sucker burned up due to the other player's superior gaming ... but that can't be the case, since we've already established that the controllers are for two different systems. Just look at where the cords lead, both seem to be connected to completely different consoles, which really muddies up the theory that evil-looking Pearl Jam fan just outplayed man on fire. Plus, I can't get the idea out of my head that it seems like Blockbuster Video is advocating setting your friends on fire while they are sitting on the couch. As a fan of furniture I beg of you not to set your friends on fire on the couch ... try doing it outside where nothing else will catch on fire!

FROM: Saved By the Bad Advertising