The Best Commercial on Television
01.12.12There isn’t much going on in the television world this morning, which is nice because it gives me the opportunity to briefly discuss something near and dear to my heart: this commercial. I’ll be honest, I didn’t know who or what Jackson Hewitt was as recently as two weeks ago. My best guess would have been that it was the name of a linebacker from some small college in the midwest who was rising up draft boards after a strong performance in a bowl game. Then one day, while I was watching a crappy movie or food show (probably), I heard the intro to “This Is How We Do It” by Montell Jordan and was immediately captivated. There’s so much to love: the exuberant dancing and flabby slo-mo arms of the main character (Steve), the awesome high-five at the 0:13 mark, the white lady doing the sprinkler, ALL OF IT. It is 30 seconds of pure joy.
As great as the song selection and Steve’s dancing are, though, neither are the reason this is the best commercial on television. The honor goes to the guy in the blue shirt at the 0:19 mark. He shimmies across the screen making a duck face and pointing at the camera, and, in the process, he steals my heart. I bet I’ve watched his four second chunk of the commercial 50 times over the past couple days. Easy. I don’t think I’m being unreasonable when I say that MTV should reboot “The Grind” with him as the host. He’s a goddamn star.
So kudos to you, Jackson Hewitt. I’m still not exactly sure what it is you do because I’m too delighted by all the dancing to pay attention, but more companies should take your lead and feature people dancing to 90s R&B hits. I’d love to see what Blue Shirt Guy could do with “Motownphilly.”


If you’re really curious, what they and other tax prep places do is try to get as many low-income people as possible to come by their office and fill out 1040EZ’s, which take about 5 minutes to complete if you’re capable of tying your own shoelaces. They then tell these folks they qualify for a “refund,” which for many of them actually represents not just a refund but also the EIC tax credit (that is, the government pays low income people to file a tax return). Then finally, they tell them it will take 4-6 weeks to get their “refund” back from Uncle Sam, but hey, we can give you a refund anticipation loan right now. A large percentage of them say OK, because hey, it was just an unearned handout anyway. And the Jackson Hewitts of the world scalp these low income people for a huge percentage of the refund.
Long story short, those firms are predators on stupid, poor people. And the government is complicit in the whole arrangement.
At the end the announcer says, “something, something, see our tax pro.” I thought he said, “see our tax bro.” That would have made it evn grater.
I’d like to see him and Steve Zissou in a dance off.
http://youtu.be/1wMoPSsn2-8
George Lucas has been trying to make this commercial for 23 years, but insurance companies are run by bigoted old white men.
Lucas will release his in 15 years.
And then re-release it with bonus footage and improved CGI 20 years later.
I used to work across the hall from our local “urban” radio station, and I met Montell Jordan once. He is. . .large. (And kind of a jerk.) (But Jamie Foxx is very nice!)
All they said was 6’8″ he stood. And people though the music that he made was good.
But how was he when he was a lower case G?
but now hes a big G, and in the money. $100 dolla bills yaaallll
If you were from where he’s from than you would know!
A different type of favorite… These are allegedly talking enchiladas, but I say they bear more of a resemblance to poops.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xk1-nofuJWc
This may be the greatest thing recorded by a camera.
This is the Odessa Steps Sequence of our time.
There is nothing fun about paying taxes. NOTHING!
/GET OFF MY LAWN
Glad to see Temple Grandin is branching out to commercials
Ha!
You know how when you’re eating hot wings and you have one and you say to yourself, “man these aren’t hot at all,” but by the end of the bowl your shotgunning whole milk because your mouth is on fire?
This commercial was like that – at first I just kind of chuckled, then I giggled and by the time blue shirt rolled through I was convulsing at my desk.