This is how far removed I am from non-Discovery Channel mainstream TV: I have successfully eluded (and vice versa) this popular fast food chain commercial that compels everyone to chant “Buger! Burger!” at the slightest mention of good fortune. It is sweeping the country and yet I have never seen it.
Case in point. A sample conversation I overhear at work on a regular basis:
Colleague #1: Mareregular na si (insert Colleague #2’s name here) next month!
Everyone else in the room: Talaga? Pacheeseburger ka naman!
Colleague #1: Burger! Burger! Burger!
Colleague #2: Tse! Wala pa akong pera!!!
Can I just say that to an outsider, this will sound completely absurd. But who the heck cares? People seem to think it’s a funny way of coaxing a free meal out of anyone who’s had a recent run-in with luck. Just your average Pinoy humor I guess. It never occured to me how odd our sense of humor is until I took a shot at translating this joke to a Brazilian friend:
Bebentahan kita ng original Rolex. Brand new! Three hundred pesos lang… Pero Motolite yung battery.
I thought it was funny. She didn’t even wince. Something obviously got blown up in translation there, I don’t know. Anyway, I stopped trying.
May 19, 2008 at 10:10 am
my students greeted me the same way during my birthday last month. it was funny during the first few times, like most inane things, it began to grate on my nerves. yesterday a cousin commented on my new look saying “uy, semi kalbo ka kuya ah! pa-burger ka naman!” my wife had to restrain me from bashing his head with a bottle of beer.kelan kaya matatapos ang kahunghangang ito??????
May 19, 2008 at 4:05 pm
But you can never deny the fact that that particular TV ad is indeed, effective.
May 20, 2008 at 3:38 am
As far as marketing is concerned, the ad is prefectly suited for the masses. Otherwise, it never would’ve reached this level of popularity to a point where it’s becoming really annoying.
I haven’t even seen it and I’m already annoyed. The idea is brilliant!
May 20, 2008 at 5:01 am
My only advice then? Stay away from television sets. You must NEVER see that particular ad. Or else…
May 20, 2008 at 7:51 am
Thanks for the heads up. I will remember to run away at the sight of it. ;P
May 21, 2008 at 1:24 am
youre not alone, jane. i havent seen it… so when my core group chanted “burger, burger” i just thought they wanted burgers haha! tapos may nagkwento na sa akin.
but dont you love pinoy humor? i showed the photo of “slow down fastfood ahead” to a half-pinoy, half-turkish girl and she didnt get it. personally i think those who dont get it miss a lot. (with “it” referring to pinoy punchlines, like the motolite battery hehe)
May 23, 2008 at 6:57 pm
hahaha this really really made me laugh. thanks for making my day =D