We recently made some purchases at Old Navy. They have changed their shopping bag. The bags now say: FIT IN STAND OUT all over them. Is this not one of the saddest campaigns? Can you really have it both ways? I mean, I guess it's honest. Maybe most people are just trying to fit in and stand out in a way that they still fit in. But gosh.

I once saw an ad that said forget all those crunches and time at the gym - instead, just buy our car. Who cares if you are out of shape if your car is smokin'? It's like a guy on a motorcycle who somehow thinks he isn't fat, just strong or "stocky".

I heard an ad for Ethan Allen furniture the other day where they set this dream scenario: Prince Charming buys you a truckload of Ethan Allen furniture to update every room in your house. But wait, the dream is threatened because Prince Charming thinks he can't afford it. All-New-Credit-Financing saves the day! Prince Charming and Lady Love are now blissfully happy with their new divans, armoires, ottomans, chaises and an infinity of monthly payments. When I told David about that one, his response, "That is pure evil." Yes. Yes, it is. (Not that a house full of Ethan Allen furniture is evil. The folks who work at Ethan Allen need jobs, too. But, encouraging massive debt is wrong.)

I think the worst - and funniest - ad I've heard on the radio went like this:

Are you 100% totally completely happy? Come listen to [Schmuck-Motivational-Speaker] this Saturday!
[Schmuck-Motivational-Speaker:] "If your finances, love life, and health feel out of your control I can put you back in control. All of these things are a direct result of your attention and in-tention. Everything I am talking about is the result of leading edge thought and leading edge science. This is quantum physics."

These guys are thinking, with an ad campaign like this, how can we lose? No one is 100% totally completely happy, right? People will be all over this. Yes, all the sheeple will be eating it up like a delicious snack.

Have you seen the new "NO LATE FEES" ads by Blockbuster? How many people actually think there are no late fees? At the bottom of the screen, in teeny tiny print it says that after 7 days the rental is converted to a sale. So, you have to BUY the movie. Which to me, is much, much worse. It goes on to say that if you return the movie the sale will be reversed, but you will be charged a re-stocking fee. Uh, don't you mean a late fee?