Just before implosion, puffing up the housing bubble became more and more absurd, real estate companies such as Century 21 resorted to more and more agressive marketing. This now-vintage ad from 2006 is a classic of the genre.
It's got it all. The doughy husband being pussy-whipped into taking on a mountain of debt by the hostile wife who's lust for real estate outweighs all other concerns. The evocation of the growing children as justification for the husband accepting mortgage servitude. And finally the ghostly voice of Suzanne, the real estate agent, who has been listening in on the couple's conversation via the telephone. She says, "You guys can do this." At which point the husband caves and the wife forgives his "stupidity."
The take-away from the commercial is that in late 2006 the husband is back in the wife's good graces, the children at last adequately housed, and the agent flush with a fat commission.
I remember this scenario well; it's a variation on "my house or the highway" theme of love in the 21st century. A variation immortalized by the late Lewis Grizzard who, when asked after his fourth divorce if he intended to marry again, replied, "Hell no. Instead, every five years I'm going to buy a house for a woman I hate."
Fast forward to today. Where do you think this couple's "relationship" is at today? The men who bought it are in mortgage hell while the men who didn't dodged a bullet.
Lou Minatti has some video thoughts. Dark thoughts.
Posted by Vanderleun at April 9, 2008 10:22 AM | TrackBack"It is impossible to speak in such a way that you cannot be misunderstood." -- Karl Popper N.B.: Comments are moderated to combat spam and may not appear immediately. Comments that exceed the obscenity or stupidity limits will be either edited or expunged.