Choosy TV Viewers Don’t Choose Jif

I hate the Jif commercial with the dad showing his daughter how to fold over his peanut butter sandwich. You know the one. It goes like this (synopsis courtesy of Wikipedia):

[Dad’s] about to have a slice of bread with a spread of the peanut butter in a living room when his young daughter walks in, asking, "Hey dad, what are you doing?" He replies, "I'm fixing a snack. Come on, plenty of room", in which she joins him on the couch. After she sees him fold the slice in half, she asks why. He reponds that his father did the same, and he wanted to be like him. She replies with, "That's silly!" She, too, folds her slice, and her father laughs as the two cuddle close enjoying their snack.

So why do I hate it? Is it because I don’t think dads should be involved in food preparation? Nope. Is it because I don’t like people eating on the couch? Not really. Is it because I hate folded bread? Quite the opposite.

I hate how he says “plenty of room.” Ugh. It just bugs me so much. I have to change the channel every time it comes on (which is a lot, especially during the show formerly known as Katie). I can’t explain why that bugs me but it gives me the same feeling as when TV characters say, “Why you little…!” Double ugh.

So whenever I say, “I hate this commercial” and change the channel, Frank says, “I hate it too.” But his reason? “I hate how they’re saying that dads can only make peanut butter sandwiches.” Frank, Jif MAKES peanut butter! What should they say? “Choosy moms (and dads) choose Jif for peanut butter sandwiches but when they’re making more complicated meals like lasagna they choose other products.”

For some reason this commercial came up in a conversation we were having with Thea and she agreed that she hates it as well.

I ventured to guess why: “Because when the dad says ‘plenty of room’ it’s just like nails on a chalkboard, right?”

“I bet it's because they’re saying that dads are stupid and can only make peanut butter sandwiches," Frank suggested.

Neither. She said she hates the face the girl makes when she asks her dad why he folds his bread.

We'll take it.

Can you believe a company can cause this much distress in thirty seconds? It makes me just want to put my hands around the CMO’s neck and say, “Why you little...!”