Oddity Archive: Episode 229 - OA’s Greatest Commercials

[@jobrown95]

14:24 What always kills me about the 1-976-PSYC ad is that the actor is actually pressing all eight numbers despite the three dial tones

[@wowoktv]

unironically want a remastered version of the RB furniture song.

[@bdh70]

She belts out a pretty great cover of The Association's "Windy" that's worth checking out too

[@ViewpointProd]

My god, never thought it was stan bush of all people, i ADORE his work, especially for the transformers movie, total legend!

[@thelyokomemelord]

I've been a huge fan of the local commercial episodes, so seeing all of them come full circle is nice indeed.

[@5roundsrapid263]

24:48 SCTV is exactly what I thought. The guy is a dead ringer for Eugene Levy!

[@themoviedealers]

Crazy Hy's, Phil's Nails, Al Peck's Used Fruit, Tex and Edna Boil, The Guy With A Snake On His Face. Yep. SCTV had a lot of them.

[@BeAGoodDoga]

Dial-A-Chicken is just a regional version of Red Rooster.

[@eascec8374]

According To My Research On _Dial-A-Chicken_ From The Sydney Morning Herald, The Earliest Information Status I Can Find About Dial-A-Chicken Dates Back When The Service Started Their Operation, Listed As *"NEW",* During The Week Of Veterans Day 1987 (Or If Not A Tiny Bit Earlier). This Would Last Until As Late As March 1988 Fading Out Of Advertising Revenue.

[@BeAGoodDoga]

@@eascec8374 lol I was sorta joking anyway. We had Big Rooster here in Queensland btw.

[@eascec8374]

That’s Funny, I Love Your Joke Too Anyway!

[@BeAGoodDoga]

@@eascec8374 okay

[@IBISChannel32]

Dial-A-Chicken and Ribbett's!

[@DurradonXylles]

"Least turkey filled Archive Thanksgiving special to date." Or *most* turkey filled, depending on your definition of the word.

[@otaking3582]

Or they're all equally filled with turkeys, as in they have no poultry.

[@MaxW-er1hm]

@@otaking3582 I think they're very poetic....

[@Bucky749]

I think you’ll appreciate this . I’m watching your show on my phone and this year Mst3k 2021 turkey day marathon on my tv . Have a happy and safe thanksgiving. From all of at Bucky749 to all you at the oddity Archives. And tell Ed and Sergei to go easy on the vodka this year .

[@imrustyokay]

10:58 The SNL episode in question is the January 22, 1977, and was also the first time Dan Aykroyd did his famous knack of doing insane, fast-talking pitchman. A 70s SNL Staple. BTW, RIP to his brother Peter, he passed away last week.

[@VectraQS]

"Nobody 'woos' for furniture!"

[@danmount9462]

Ric Flair: Challenge accepted.

[@maxwestcomics]

I grew up in the New York metro area and remember the Crazy Eddie commercials. All of those were filmed overnight at the Sixth Avenue store in the Village; the Doo Wop commercial was filmed at a restroom by the cafeteria in the Pratt Institute.

[@printo316]

Hope Ben and everyone else has a wonderful Thanksgiving!

[@rebelwrest]

Thanks for the wonderful episode Ben. Actually this episode solved a mystery for me. Another YT channel showed a 1988 nighttime Wheel of Fortune broadcast aired from Anchorage, AK, and one of the commercials was for Cal Worthington Ford. I was wondering if Cal just bought a national commercial to be aired within the episode (although he did have the money to do it). Because of your episode, I know now he had a dealership in Anchorage. Thanks???????

[@syferdet]

I was responsible for ordering my brother's PPV events (wrestling) or my own PPV movies. The 16 YO me loved just being able to call an automated order line.

[@GabrielleCenter2000]

A Thanksgiving upload indeed, listening while cleaning. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! :)

[@rwdplz1]

Listening/watching while making stuffing

[@GabrielleCenter2000]

@@rwdplz1 sounds good.

[@heidifedor]

The lead singer of the band Dire Straits was inspired to write “Money For Nothing” after overhearing a couple of workers at a Crazy Eddie’s complaining about how they work hard while rock performers “got money for nothing, and chicks for free.”

[@mightyfilm]

Stan Bush may have sung for that Dial a Freak commercial, but you could say that Freddy just didn't have "The Touch." (Someone had to say it and or reference the Transformers movie)

[@ChuckD79]

Glad to see Crazy Eddie, the Italian Dance Party album and "Why rent it?/You got it/Pay-Per-View!" ads all made the cut...as a native NYer, I don't think you could turn on your TV w/o seeing a commercial for CE during the late 70s through the mid-80s, so I distinctly remember them and hyperactive pitchman Jerry Carroll, plus the catchy jingle on those two PPV spots (my family never ordered anything from said service, either! LOL) and seeing the IDP ad's always a treat. 😀 As for Alexander's, no wonder they were trying to expand their offerings during the early 80s...over the previous decade, they were losing business to the competitors mentioned in that one commercial, which pretty much set the stage for its eventual demise some 10 years later.

[@FlamingoPulse]

I will say, those Dial-A-Chicken chickens look pretty amazing. The jingle is also pretty catchy & fun

[@JSSMVCJR2.1]

As cursed as they might be, Chickens with Breasts are, definitely, something we ever knew we needed.

[@battra92]

I grew up in a wrestling household. We totally recorded the PPV and recorded the free replay after the first run. The second tape was often sold to another fan at school. Alternately they were good currency in the tape trading market.

[@noneofyourbusiness4616]

I'd tell you why I had to resign my position as secretary treasurer of the International Luie Luie Fan Club, but it's a bit of a touchy subject.

[@astrosci8864]

I have to admit that I have always loved Cal Worthington. He was a class act ----- for a car salesman...

[@CJODell12]

Thank you Ben for giving us an episode on Thanksgiving Day.

[@redracer1985]

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone at the Oddity Archive :D

[@derelictfields]

We used to go to the Franklin Mills Mall when I was a kid (late 80's, maybe very early 90's). I remember the Ben Franklin head speaking a few times early on, but it seemed to usually be out of service. What I mostly remember about this mall was the incredible arcade, which included a full size carnival Gravitron ride and a two-story carousel. Then the space where the arcade was became a Burlington Coat Factory or something else depressingly boring. I haven't been to Franklin Mills since it truly became a dead mall but I still have some nostalgia for it from when it was at its peak.

[@bree9272]

It's not Thanksgiving anymore without an OA episode. BTW, I voted for the Crazy Eddie disco ad with Italian Dance Party. I honestly love disco, good and super cheesy.

[@pokepress]

31:30 this clip reminds me of the "list" section of Weird Al's "Hardware Store" song.

[@Launchpad05]

I remember seeing Crazy Eddie commercials on WOR 9 when it was on our cable package.

[@djackmanson]

OMFG Lounge Discounters! Those ads were ALL OVER the TV in Adelaide as well as Melbourne. The original catch phrase was "What's the time? IT'S FREEBIE TIME!". This was well-known enough to be a common joke answer to questions about the time.

[@Hobolore]

I remember crazy Eddie’s from a Disney movie. Maybe Oliver and Company?

[@fixman88]

Oliver and Company came out in 1988, so entirely possible.

[@keithrawlings7633]

Hi Ben! I love your channel and have been following it for years. Your content is so unique. But I sometimes find the subtitles are not up long enough for me to read before they disappear. Old age? Maybe. Anyway, keep up the good work.

[@dangerouslytalented]

LOUNGE DISCOUNTERS! Here in Melbourne there were furniture stores with great ads all up and down Sydney Road.

[@mrmonty86]

I like the local commercial episodes.

[@feltongailey8987]

There was a "urban" clothier in the Atlanta are that used the Electric Slide tune during the late 80s. It was cool!

[@mainstreetsaint36]

Nice to know Stan Bush still got the touch!

[@luisreyes1963]

Those Cal Worthington car lot ads are considered Dadaist Art for television.

[@adambell9188]

All I had to see was the thumbnail to start singing "DEEECOOORATE A NURSE!" Also we had a warehouse where I used to work that was referred to as "Big B" and that damned Grocery Store jingle was in my head all the time

[@michaellee8816]

The RB Furniture song remains an absolute banger Also, yes, no wonder Terry Miller looked terrified.....

[@singinglawnchair]

Happy Turkey Day to everyone! Currently watching while tackling a pumpkin pie from scratch. lol

[@SteveStalzle]

Back to the roots of the old original OA episodes. Bravo.

[@coreym162]

10:36 That is the most heavenly masculine singing voice I have ever heard.

[@Flamingbro69]

Happy Thanksgiving Ben and thank you for this Blessing! 🦃

[@googaagoogaa12345678]

I kid you not when the greyhound motors bit came on 2 dogs started barking and stopped when the bit did. Like I had to rewind and make sure it wasn't part of the ad

[@ZXRulezzz]

11:03 That's an Akai GX-265D in the upper right corner if I ever saw one :)

[@Code7Unltd]

I'd assume the "Franklin Slide" is no different from the Electric Slide. The song in the Franklin Mills ad is modeled after Marcia Griffiths' "Electric Boogie", as is evident to anyone that listened to it in the early '90s.

[@OddityArchive]

I thought the Electric Slide was an early 80's thing.

[@itme999]

@@OddityArchive I was in junior high in the early 90s and did Electric Slide then. 🤷‍♀️ EDIT: I was wrong! "Electric Boogie" came out in 1976. According to wiki, a remix came out in 1990, so evidently what were doing in the early 1990s was a resurgence.

[@Code7Unltd]

@@OddityArchive I meant "Electric Boogie". Anyway, the song was released in 1983 never topped until Marcia Griffiths released Carousel in 1990, containing a remix that caught on better.

[@millsyinnz]

Another great video from Benjamin. Hope you had a great Thanksgiving. - Brendon, from Waitara, NZ.

[@zetametallic]

Loved this one! The Italian Dance Party, Franklin Mills and Crazy Eddie got in there which I was pleased about.

[@Moneytane1976]

What not the ad on the cartoon singing Junk cars and old tyres with Grizzly Adams? Or Platos playroom for open minded adults?

[@MrScottbot101]

The owners in the Levine’s ad were husband and wife??? I always thought it was a grandmother and her awkward, nerdy grandson.

[@OddityArchive]

I initially thought they were mother and son...or at least much older sister and much younger brother.

[@MrScottbot101]

It’s probably because the wife looks like a senior citizen that dyed her hair black trying to fool people, and the husband is wearing his best “high school sophomore at the debating team competition” outfit.

[@RawRealRetail]

To be fair, the abandoned Walmart you showed at the end moved over to the mall. Walmart is now the anchor tenant that used to be Boscov's. Just a teeny bit disingenuous to say the mall pushed out Walmart because exactly the opposite happened.

[@OddityArchive]

It was intended more as a joke, but, point taken.

[@rabbitsrefuse]

9:38 makes the two of them look like they’re about to drop the hottest mix tape the world has ever heard.

[@SnabbKassa]

RB Furniture used 'til instead of the non-word "TILL" and for that they have my thanks.

[@meikollekschn6470]

Love your quirky Videos! Greetings from Berlin, Germany

[@copperhamster]

I work at a cable company. We have about 25 different types of descramblers for various satellite channels. So a standard there never was.

[@TheKnobCalledTone.]

I love these Thanksgiving episodes and I'm not even American. As for local commercials, Geoff Winter is responsible for some of the most iconic local commercials in my part of the world (Adelaide, South Australia). IMO Geoff's best work was in his Cunningham's Warehouse Sales ads in the '90s. Sadly, Geoff became quite ill with cancer, and had to step down as a pitchman (although the guy who replaced him in the Cunno's ads did a pretty good job). After going into remission, Geoff kept making commercials, but as a director. If you want to see some of his later work, check out the Mr. Bankrupt and Designer Direct ads (the former literally screams "local commercial"). Speaking of which, I look forward to the next OA Local Commercials episode.

[@danmount9462]

That disco Godfather remix sounds like 🔥🔥🔥

[@RickinBaltimore]

21:37 - and by God, Ben did cover him!

[@SNARC15]

I swear every time I see Lounge Discounters, I keep thinking that's Stuart Minkus from Girl Meets World with a really bad mustache.

[@summerlaverdure]

dial a chicken was 🔥 before the zoomers even existed

[@DonaldRilea]

Could be wrong, but believe Cal Worthington's adverts inspired the Firesign Theatre's Ralph Spoilsport parodies of his ads.

[@psychospacecadet]

Well hope you get that Tickle Me Elmo you wanted in the Black Friday battle!

[@armron94]

Gimbels the first store ever to sell the slinky

[@DanZero77]

Scary Logos brought me here, the episode with the Freak Phone ad made me a subscriber and I've enjoyed the local commercial videos! Too bad BIG B'S from Baltimore didn't make it! The Paramus Alexander's stayed for nearly 10 years after it closed and became an IKEA - it was famous for a mural constructed in 1961 that consisted of hundreds of indvidual tiles - as of September 2021 it will be re-assembled at a soon to be built new hospital in the area. NOBODY WOOS FOR FURNITURE!

[@jimmyhatley2129]

Always great!

[@richardthefox3412]

What’s with all these local businesses closing in 1992? Was it the bubble crash?

[@rwdplz1]

There was a small recession that started in '89 and peaked in June '92

[@hollingsworth_hound]

If you want some funny local commercials from the 70s and 80s, New Orleans had some real classics like Frankie and Johnny's ("See the Special Man!") and Seafood City. There's a compilation or two on YT.

[@SeinenNinja]

Taping Wrestling PPV events? How did you think I got into wrestling back in 2000? Step dad's parents taped the PPVs and then gave them to me after. I had no cable till 2005.

[@armron94]

Dial a chicken is a good idea. Dial chicken I'm thinking like pizza delivery. Before you say Uber Eats and doordash. Where I live doordash or ubereats is not available

[@chrisfish6032]

"Peter Lemongiello mold"... I heard what you did there.

[@feltongailey8987]

SNL should've called it Crazy Freddie's.

[@bvs56]

All of a sudden I want a new couch, and a beef n cheddar.

[@jenniferbourne1053]

Is there a link to the clip of the RB furniture commercial where the person's doing the eye make-up? I remember seeing something similar when I was little- and not quite getting the context. Didn't she put on or take off the wig at some point?

[@OddityArchive]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/d2e1YYWEYq6WfsU There may very well be a longer version out there.

[@jenniferbourne1053]

@@OddityArchive Thanks. Now I'm wondering if the RB ad and what I saw were both using some sort of stock footage. That being said, details I "remembered" from a half century ago might not be on the ball.

[@wilikerdinkles100]

I’m gonna have to Dial-a-Turkey, hope they deliver. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

[@bethdibartolomeo2042]

Huh, interesting that Cal Worthington was named after the then-Vice President-elect when he was born.

[@ThePhantomSafetyPin]

"Never worry, never fear - Pussy Cow!" :D

So what is this thanksgiving you speak of? I hadn't realized it was July 4th. I must of been asleep for 7½ months. Have I gone back to the future, or forward to the past?

[@emmeryncariglino4983]

anyone know what the whistling music is in the videocipher II ad?

[@sutorippuwebmaster8783]

Those poor cabbages... all in the name of a disco rendition of the Tarantella...

[@astrosci8864]

I guess Santo Gold couldn't be considered a local ad phenomenon?

[@-Deena.]

Stop it. I've just bought Disco Italiano from Discogs. You get me every episode. $5 in NM the 1978 Sunrise first press...but I'm in the UK so $20 including postage and tax. I will probably play it alone 'ironically' for about 30 seconds then feel guilty, tainted and dirty because I secretly like it. 🧡

[@armron94]

So Crazy Eddie is actually dead

[@MissingLinx]

Did you get a bigger box?

[@soundminedd]

❤❤❤

[@artistwithouttalent]

I'm deeply disappointed in myself that I didn't realize Dial-a-Chicken had to do with food. Until I watched this video I thought it was a 976 number with a particularly odd gimmick.

[@zetametallic]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/epOkh4Z6gJyEh6c This was a minor UK hit in 1979. The lead singer sounds like the person who sings the Crazy Eddie jingles!

[@ms.cynthia5055]

I grew up in Los Angeles, and never want to see another Cal Worthington or RB Furniture ad again. the Italian Dance Party album is useless without "Prisencolinensinainciusol."

[@miniskunk]

oh and the full version of Cal Worthington's "Go See Cal" song kzbin.info/www/bejne/h4DWfZeKadifqc0

[@BrianMadolid]

Phreddy Phreaker…

[@michaelcarpenter2498]

I miss a lot of the local commercials and their nonsecular humor

[@QueenSephy2002]

LETS GO

[@JL-sm6cg]

Do you have a show on nothing but car dealer ads? If not, you should.

[@Rumtar]

it would be best to recorded wresting, back then because today they are now part of lost media.

[@EddieMillerStudios]

Uh Ben? Isn't it illegal to tape things off pay-per-view?

[@OddityArchive]

You'd have to consult an expert. Far as I'm concerned, as long as you're not copying it, etc, it's a non-issue. That, and if it is, there's a whole lotta people out there that ordered wrestling and such that were (probably inadvertently) bootlegging. Of course, Pay-Per-View is pretty well out the door these days (streaming, ya know).

[@fixman88]

I know this is a little late, but recording something to watch later is called 'Time Shifting' and was/is perfectly legal, so long as you don't make copies and give/sell them to people (like Ben said).

[@ichigokarasu]

"Fresh, Hygiene, Quality" Yikes.