Holiday commercial where man fakes death to get family home

[lovin'fl]

http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2015...mercial-Man-Fakes-Death-to-Get-Children-Home/

What are your thoughts?

 

[lynxstch]

Sad that he had to resort to that to get his family there. Also reminded me of a Little House on the Prairie episode where a woman faked her death to get her children to come home

 

[georgina]

I wouldn't think it would make me shop at the store the commercial is for.

If I was that guy's kid I wouldn't be happy with him for that stunt, however we are hauling our kids 200+ miles to spend Christmas Eve and Day with my MIL who is in a nursing home, so my parent wouldn't be in that position.

 

[GaryDis]

This is a variation of the Thanksgiving Divorce Joke, which can be found on multiple sites with a web search. But I think changing it from divorce to death is in poor taste.

 

[lovin'fl]

This is a variation of the Thanksgiving Divorce Joke, which can be found on multiple sites with a web search. But I think changing it from divorce to death is in poor taste.

I agree. I am not a fan of the commercial.

I guess it bothered me to see this commercial because my dad died young, at age 54, and suddenly in 2001. I have had dreams where he's come back to life...not dreams of when he was alive but dreams where it was clear he was dead and came back to life. I wake up an emotional wreck. This commercial kind of gives me that same feeling.

 

[Teresa Pitman]

My father died on Monday. I came back from his funeral Wednesday night, and the first thing I saw on TV Thursday morning was that ad. I cried and cried. With my grief at losing a parent so fresh (and my mother died five months ago), this ad seems unbearably cruel.

 

[plutotek]

Guess I'm not very thin-skinned as I found it to be very funny.

 

[AppleDumpling]

My father died on Monday. I came back from his funeral Wednesday night, and the first thing I saw on TV Thursday morning was that ad. I cried and cried. With my grief at losing a parent so fresh (and my mother died five months ago), this ad seems unbearably cruel.

So sorry for your loss, Teresa.


I just watched the commercial video and it is very sad. Also, I couldn't even tell what the ad was supposed to be for. I guess it's just trying to send a message, and has a happy ending but still... kind of inappropriate, especially at Christmas. My first thought was, if none of this man's children could make it to visit him because they couldn't take off of work or whatever, why didn't they invite him to their home for the holiday, knowing he would be all alone?

 

[cijay]

I think it's brilliant.

Not in a 'good' way and yes, it is painful to consider that Christmas when someone who was there last year isn't there this year but it illustrated the 'desperation' that people who are alone feel.

 

[scrapquitler]

people actually watch commercials??

 

[lovin'fl]

people actually watch commercials??

Not me usually. But they talked about it on The Talk today and showed the commercial. They all said it was moving.

 

[Sabeking]

My father died on Monday. I came back from his funeral Wednesday night, and the first thing I saw on TV Thursday morning was that ad. I cried and cried. With my grief at losing a parent so fresh (and my mother died five months ago), this ad seems unbearably cruel.

I'm sorry for your loss Teresa! I lost my mom on Sunday and each day has been a roller coaster of sorts! I will be thinking of you in the coming months as the holidays are here. Hugs!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

So sorry for your loss, Teresa.
My first thought was, if none of this man's children could make it to visit him because they couldn't take off of work or whatever, why didn't they invite him to their home for the holiday, knowing he would be all alone?

Yep.

Plus let's be real, he really could not fake that.

 

[lovin'fl]

Toughts are with you guys, Sabeking and Teresa. It gets a little easier with time. This month, though, is tough for me. My dad would be 68 today. The 19th is the anniversary of when he was diagnosed with lung cancer and the 31st is the anniversary of his death. Christmas 2001 sucked and it's been hard to get back into it. So, yeah, that commercial was NOT funny to me at all.

 

[mjkacmom]

I'm sorry for your loss Teresa! I lost my mom on Sunday and each day has been a roller coaster of sorts! I will be thinking of you in the coming months as the holidays are here. Hugs!

Hugs to both of you. I lost my mom last month, after a quick and horrible battle with an aggressive cancer. She lived a mile from me, so we were very close. Unfortunately, she was my dads caregiver, so now I'm responsible for him (doctors appointments, grocery shopping, paying bills, home repairs, etc.). Just trying to fake my way through the holidays for my kids.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

My father died on Monday. I came back from his funeral Wednesday night, and the first thing I saw on TV Thursday morning was that ad. I cried and cried. With my grief at losing a parent so fresh (and my mother died five months ago), this ad seems unbearably cruel.

I am so sorry for your loss.

I don't think the commercial was aimed at you per se.

Far too often, we see the elderly get neglected.

I know that I had wanted to go see my grandparents before they passed. We had tickets and everything. But circumstances beyond our control required cancelling our trip. I knew the risks, but we simply could no longer afford the trip. And we never had the opportunity again. My (step) grandmother passed the month or two after our trip would have taken place. My grandfather passed a year or two later. And while we has a vacation in 2012, it was one we could drive to and did not have to pay accommodations (aside from annual fee for DVC).

I do kind of wish we took the original trip. But at the time the decision had to be made, it was unknown what our financial situation could have supported it. (Husband lost his job and had to be fully available for interviews and starting a new one.)

This commercial resonates with me because we just never know when it will be our last opportunity. It is a bit awkward, but I don't think it is cruel. At least any more cruel than being persistently put off for something else.

What doesn't seem so realistic to me is the lack of anger from the family members for having been tricked. But I think the add is a campaign specifically for not neglecting the elderly.

 

[ronandannette]

My father died on Monday. I came back from his funeral Wednesday night, and the first thing I saw on TV Thursday morning was that ad. I cried and cried. With my grief at losing a parent so fresh (and my mother died five months ago), this ad seems unbearably cruel.

Sincerely sorry for your loss, Teresa Pitman.

Personally though, that commercial and the Thanksgiving joke actually make me chuckle (in a laugh or cry kind of way). My DDad is gone now but he suffered for years with a very unstable terminal illness. My DMom just turned 99 and is in a dementia-care facility. We have made countless emergency trips (500 miles one-way) to be with them on their "death-beds" over the past 20 years. Our family joke is that it's now Mother's 14th Annual "Last Christmas". FWIW, we do not hesitate to book off work and jump in the car every time one of those calls come.

 

[Kellykins1218]

http://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2015...mercial-Man-Fakes-Death-to-Get-Children-Home/

What are your thoughts?

My first thought was "this was on an episode of Little House on the Prarie decades ago."

 

[Teresa Pitman]

I think what distressed me about the commercial is I know the pain of grieving the loss of a parent. I think it would be a terrible thing to cause someone that kind of pain as a "trick."

 

[NewRVLady]

i saw it....

question-WHAT was the product it was for????