#543 Postal Elites

·1 hr 5 min·5 clips

Andrew and Genevieve kick off their weirdest show yet with a Subway celebrity voice mystery and a rant about sexist dad-daughter commercials.

Andrew and Genevieve open by describing this as their weirdest show yet, a 'pantry meal' of accumulated segments. They play three Subway commercials featuring a mystery celebrity voice, which Andrew identifies as Andy Richter after giving clues about his podcasting career. Andrew then critiques a New York Life ad for overusing the dad-daughter growth narrative and erasing the mother, leading to a discussion on sexist tropes in advertising. Next, they analyze a 'Ladder' fitness app commercial that depicts a man getting fired and dumped, with the tagline 'motivation is a lie, the plan is the truth,' praising its cinematic quality. Listener Eric sends a six-DVD set titled 'TV Commercials: The Ultimate Collection' with 613 classic ads, though technical issues prevent playing it. Another listener shares a comic strip about Sparkplug the horse from 'Barney Google and Snuffy Smith,' which the hosts find unfunny. They discuss a Steven Singer Jewelers ad with the backstory of 'I hate Steven Singer' stemming from a man's resentment after his wife had a baby. Listener Adam introduces Armed Forces Network commercials, including PSAs about chewing tobacco and securing valuables, which offer a niche look at military-specific advertising. The episode wraps with a jingle for Hungry Jack biscuits sent by listener Corinne and a humorous note that this episode isn't the best introduction to the podcast.

As heard by us

A pantry-raid episode where "exhaustipated," a dumpster-fire Ladder ad, and Hungry Jack biscuits make commercial breaks feel strange.

After These Messages treats commercial breaks like a scavenger hunt, with Andrew Walsh and Genevieve Haas moving from the wonderfully dumb "exhaustipated" to ad counsel, a bumped message, physical packages, and spots that repay close attention.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You get a commercial-break pantry raid that starts with "exhaustipated" and winds down in Hungry Jack biscuit mode.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from After These Messages Podcast