Brandon

:( - Lindsay Donaghe

:( - imabonehead

:( - Mona N.

Yeah. I will still have hope that it will come back in the Northern summer. - Robert Miller

:( - Mona N. via IM

Don't lose hope! It's a Phoenix. You know what those do.. - Shawn Farner

Yeah but that'll take 500 years, Shawn. :( - Brandon

You guys, this is so sad. :( - Mona N. via IM

I still hope. - Robert Miller

Hahahah I hate them too... - Brandon

Same here. Stupid commercials. - Robert Miller

ZOMG, does he have brothers? - Orphan Spinster Librarian

I swear, those commercials make me ashamed of my uterus sometimes =/ - Stupid Blogger (aka Tina)

Just that Darwin was not fast enough to get those stupid enough to watch and believe those commercials. - Robert Miller

Jared is for gold diggers. - -.- . -. -.. .-. .- -.-

yeah they are a bit degrading / insulting to women, even to people in general.. - Nicholas Kreidberg

Which one is it that has the guy taking the girl to all the special places in their relationship, then takes her to a new place and proposes? That one's kinda cute. But it's not Jared, which are highly annoying. - Jandy Stone

need to try it. there sure are a lot of Video start-ups around. - SnakeDoc

interesting css there: ".fuck_ie" lol - Brandon

hahaha - really? lol - Zee.

Brandon - Haha! - Larry Hudson

oh that is brilliant... - Zee.

"As I pored over the information, visions of people praying amidst boxes of electronics, or reams of cloth and stacks of paper, flooded my imagination. I felt a thrill of anticipation, knowing that some day I would visit these places which had remained hidden and unknown to me after almost a decade of life in New York City. But, in spite of my initial enthusiasm, it took almost two years –and the tragic events of September 11- before the project became urgent, and I attended my first Mincha service." - Anna Haro

Surreal ... At first glance I had thought these pictures were taken in the early 50s. - Brandon

Hey Emma :) How are you? (good i hope) - Brandon

Hey Brandon!! I'm good, thanks ... bit tired but that will be sorted with a strong dose of caffeine! :D You ok? - Emma

Awww ... well let's hope the caffeine works right away. Glad to hear you're doing good, though. ;) I'm good, thanks... really tired, too. This has been the busiest holiday... and completely full of uncertainty, but fun. lol :) - Brandon

Hope the fun continues and for now ... at least we can be tired together! ;) - Emma

Aww ;) - Brandon

Night Emma... I hope you have a lovely day--as lovely as you are. ;) <3 - Brandon

*smiles* Night Brandon, sleep well, sweet dreams and thank you! ;) <3 - Emma

Thanks, Emma! :) Hopefully it isn't too late for me to say good night bc you've already gone to sleep... Sweet dreams, Emma. :D - Brandon

ew - Clay Newton

I wonder if people really made those LOL - Mona N. via IM

Wow. I can cross celery , tomatoes and melon off the dinner list for tonight. - Sean Brady

the melon one looks like Krang HAHA - Mona N. via IM

Mona: LOL, well said! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K... - Nicholas Kreidberg

Now I can't stop laughing. And people are looking at me like I'm crazy. But seriously, it's KRANG. - Mona N.

Jellied Tomato Refresher? Melon Mousse? ... Maybe they're tasty but they look disgusting. - Brandon

Wow, these are real? - Sutee Dee

Check out the Melon Mousse card - it's like... tinted yellow LOL - Mona N.

OMG I laughed out loud for real. So good. - John McCrea

Do they train code words into the dogs to let them (the prisoners) in to your house? Ok ok, that was cynical. This sounds like a great program.. very positive. - Phil Glockner

Funneh Phil . . . on a serious note I saw a documentary about it and it really is a great program. They do a great job. - Lindsey

I bet! Whenever I see a unique benefit to being a prisoner (like this), or going to a prison university, I kinda get mad that all prisoners don't avail themselves. I mean, what else do they do? - Phil Glockner

I have brochures for that program right here! :D Another thing I like that they do in the big womens prison in WA state is have prisoners dictate books onto tape for the Washington Talking Book and Braille Library. Some books are already available on tape from publishers, but the prisoners dictate the books that aren't available. They also do magazines! Then blind people (or other disabled people who can't read regular books) can request the taped materials from the Talking Book Library. - Rochelle

They have a prison just for big women? o_O That's awesome though, I'll have to keep an eye out for those brochures. Maybe if I actually donate ;) - Lindsey

Man... I REALLY like that bed... - Lindsay Donaghe

Lindsay, I'm so with you here...Want - Anna Haro

Is that a birds nest in the middle... and is it heavy??? :) - Tim Hoeck

Yeah that's a nest in the middle... It's made of metal and I'm assuming not aluminum. I'm sure it's pretty heavy, yeah. - Lindsay Donaghe

Wow, that's really cool. Want (also) - Carmen

Whoa... Want ... for the guest room. heh :D - Brandon

Went there last night. mmm animal frys... - Chris W

That is SO NOT FAIR to post that picture...OH WOW...I'll take a Double Double - Animal Style, two fries and a Vanilla shake... :-\ - Live4SoccerVacations

damn l4s! nice order. make mine a diet coke - Josh Haley

Guess where I'm going tomorrow? - Derrick

looks SO GOOD and I'm SO HUNGRY.... - Live4SoccerVacations

I'm seriously jealous, D....enjoy the good eats, my brother.... - Live4SoccerVacations

WHOA . . . even I think this is too much - Lindsey

This is a million times worse than the Motrin ads. I DEMAND OUTRAGE!!!! - Mark Wilson

I think some people just enjoy being angry. I like the ads - Alan Simpson

@Alan, I generally don't enjoy being angry and rarely take offense to anything even in advertising but this ad lacks subtlety and crosses the line. Depression and suicide are far more serious than say the outrage over the Motrin ad. - Lindsey

Alan, I usually don't have a problem with controversial subjects. I do have a bit of an issue with a company using suicide in order to sell a product. In my eyes, suicide is far from a topic to be taken lightly. - Mark Wilson

I agree Pepsi crosses the line w/this ad - who is the target market here? Women - they don't get turned on by suicide? So it has too be teens & 20 somethings. Great idea to suggest to a16-23 yr old girl struggling w/body image. - Ruth Ferguson

The art is interesting, but totally inappropriate for advertising. As individual paintings, I could admire them (though I have mixed feelings about stuff like this), but I agree that as ads, they cross a line. Sucks, because I am a Pepsi drinker. - Cheryl Jones

Funny and dark cartoons, but in my mind the line is crossed when it becomes an ad. I laugh at Johnny the Homicidal Maniac, but wouldn't want to see him selling soft drinks. - Robert Haas

+5 Cheryl and Robert! - Lindsey

Cheryl, I agree with you about the art. I really like the actual artwork. Visually, it's very interesting. The fact that it is an advertisement is what bothers me the most. And I *was* a Pepsi drinker. - Mark Wilson

Well, if I were thinking like the clueless Pepsi ad execs, I think that these ads were chosen because they're edgy, sort of kitchy, and they thought it would appeal to the young demographic that likes stuff like Gloomy the Bear. So in general, I think that Pepsi is just guilty of having really stupid judgment. I don't think that they're intentionally using suicide to advertise their product. I think perhaps someone thought it was worth taking a risk on these ads because overall they look cutesy, and they thought that most people would see the cute edginess and sort of put the suicide part on the backburner. Of course, I feel this backfires in a major way, but I don't think they're trying to be malicious. - Cheryl Jones

Gloomy the Bear: http://www.gloomybearstore.com... It's creepy but cute at the same time, and I admit I like it. Of course, I'm not going to give this to a kid, and that's where Pepsi falls down. - Cheryl Jones

I don't know that I can really comment, given that I have just bought a Bunny Suicides calender... - Stupid Blogger (aka Tina)

Considering my favorite movie ever is Better Off Dead with several scenes of botched suicide, I realize I might be different than many people. Also, I do struggle with depression and have had suicidal thoughts. I tend to think humor in and about the situation makes it more bearable. - Alan Simpson

I am indifferent to this image at this time in my life. A few months ago, I'd probably have been mildly offended at first and then seen the funny side. - Slippy Lane

@Alan Better Off Dead is one of the best movies ever made. - Matt

Alan, I totally agree with you about Better Off Dead being a funny movie. The botched suicide stuff in that movie was appropriate though because it was, and I say this lightly, art. - Mark Wilson

Mark - And advertising can't be art? :-) - Brent Newhall

Brent, ads can totally be art. This ad just really pissed me off. - Mark Wilson

seems in poor taste. Surprised that Pepsi would be associated with it. Seems like it might be offensive to people who have lost a loved one through suicide. Also there is some recent concerns with the economic meltdown that suicides might be on the rise again as they were in the Great Depression. - Thomas Hawk

I find fault in the dumb puns magazines insist on putting in their headlines. "Open a vein" indeed... - Kevin Fox

@Brent -- A good advertiser shouldn't strive for art in ads because art doesn't always sell. I also say it's more that they failed on an execution level as far as taste goes (pun slightly intended, coke ftw!) - Lindsey

Mark, if you want outrage, check out the NAMI Stigmabusters and see if they're already on it. As a suicide survivor (that means me, not a loved one), this is NOT appropriate humor for an ad campaign. And Kevin, you're right - the magazine headline is over the top, too. - Ladybug Heather

Stigmabusters here: http://nami.org/template.cfm?S... - Ladybug Heather

Hmmm .. . I don't see the headline as offensive. - Lindsey

Lindsey, the headline is an oblique reference to the method of suicide where you slash open your veins to bleed out. And every time I see this, I just get angrier. Yes, the pic is cute. But we've GOT to stop making fun of those with brain disorders (or any other chronic illness). Would this be more or less offensive if it were a cartoon about a war veteran missing a leg? - Ladybug Heather

I'm not saying the headline is offensive, just that constantly putting puns or double entendre in headlines takes away from whatever kind of serious tone the author is trying to convey. (Authors rarely write their own headlines) - Kevin Fox

Mark, you did it - you went and got me ALL KINDS of riled up. DAMN! - Ladybug Heather

Heather, I am very well aware of what the headline means. But I see it as drawing more attention to the seriousness of the problem, not making light of it. Open Vein = Serious and what Pepsi did = Serious - Lindsey

Seriously? They opened a room on FriendFeed in what seemed like an attempt to connect with the consumer...and this is the result? Just seems rather un-tasteful for my liking, but it gets people taking about the product. Can't imagine it will be too popular with people who have known someone who killed themselves though. It seems to be in the same nature as the Motrin Moms fiasco where something serious (suicide/motherhood) is degraded to the point where it is borderline offensive. Will be interesting to see what happens with this on the twitterwebs. - Devlin Dunsmore via twhirl

I don't think the Motrin ads are even in the same league as this - Lindsey

A few more thoughts here: http://friendfeed.com/e/f02ea0... - Ladybug Heather

I think these advertisements are amazing. But, I don't believe they are official. The logo for Pepsi Max is not Red and Blue, it's Red and Black, and, it's not sporting the perceived smile. What I think people find most offensive is the character shooting itself in the head and slicing its wrist (btw, the cutting isn't portrayed accurately). Take those two things away and we have the little Zoloft dude cast in the comic, 'Bunny Suicide.' - Brandon

Brandon, I've seen the Bunny Suicide comics and I have no problem with those. That's done entirely in jest. I don't know that Pepsi really thought about what kind of message they were sending to their target demographic with these ads. - Mark Wilson

these make me really sad. seriously. plus totally tasteless - Marshall Kirkpatrick

@Mark I would assume their target audience to be people who aren't so easily offended by their own interpretations of art. It seems to be that a large US audience is offended by this campaign whereas individuals in the UK see it for what it is, art. I don't see these ads any more 'controversial' than many of the movie posters we see today. - Brandon

@brandon it's not smart to alienate a large customer base with offensive ads in the slim hopes of attracting new customers. - Lindsey

Brandon, what if the character in the ads was missing a limb? Had Down Syndrome? Or had an explicitly-drawn brain aneurysm? Would those be inoffensive? While suicide is a choice, it's a choice colored by a brain disorder, which is not chosen any more than diabetes or high blood pressure is. You know Pepsi sure as hell isn't going to advertise its product with a diabetic character who is going blind and losing its feet, though! - Ladybug Heather

Then there is another debate, about art, advertising, & mass production. Art can choose to be challenging and push the boundaries of offensiveness, but for an advertiser to do the same thing is a risky choice. If I find an artwork offensive, I just don't expose myself to it. If I find an ad offensive, it's harder, as we are constantly bombarded with advertising; moreover, I'm likely to NOT give my dollars to the company that offended me with its ad, and to tell other people I know to do the same. - Ladybug Heather

Lindsey perhaps you're right that it would alienate a large consumer base [in the usa]. Pepsi Max's consumer base is not in the United States, though, it's in the UK, Australia, France, Ireland, Italy, and Netherlands. In those countries there is different exposure to and acceptance of art, maybe not the same collectively but overall greater than the US. If this campaign were turned into an animated short I doubt we'd be having this discussion right now. Worse has been portrayed on television and in movies by real people. Major products like Pepsi, Coke, Apple, etc. buy the right to and approve of their product placement in these television shows and movies. Even in kid's films. Rent Ratatouille, there are many adult themes at the beginning of the movie. Does the Disney brand reflect what occurred in these movies, do we associate MACs with Chair Designers that cheat on their wifes (One Hour Photo)?. What do you think Apple's current ad campaign does? -- It alienates Windows users. Apple is pretty successful - Brandon

lol @ Bob's Big Boy :D - Brandon

:P - Anna Haro

Btw .. flickr is being mean to you again with double posts! - Brandon

are you manually refreshing twice? - Matt Musgrave

Bob's Big Boy, ftw! - Derrick

ugh! flickr is gonna get a beat down! - Anna Haro

for reals. very annoying. :\ - Matt Musgrave

lol...sorry, MM - Anna Haro

Hey Mona!! How's things with you lovely? - Emma

Things are good. ;) I'm excited for Christmas! You? - Mona N.

Glad things are good for you! ;) Me? Same as you ... excited about Christmas and I'm really good, thanks! :) - Emma

Thanks Emma. Hi! I am ok now that you're online. ;) -- Just about to go to sleep actually. Enjoy your grande mocha and your day. night. <3 - Brandon

Aww, thanks Brandon! *blush* ;) Have a good sleep and sweet dreams ... night! <3 - Emma

I will definitely have sweet dreams now ... thank you! ;) - Brandon