I mean, we don’t get endorsements from Sarah Ferguson, but we are pretty cool anyway!
I know this seems like a lazy attempt at a theme week, but I have these big commercial blocks, and sometimes, nothing in particular stands out among them, so that’s where these commercial block theme weeks come in. It gives me a chance to revisit some of my older tapes, while highlighting the best parts of the later years of my archives.
This week’s commercials go back to the fall of 2000. Today’s block is from September 11, 2000, taped during an airing of Live With Regis. The date itself is interesting – it was exactly a year before the life-changing events of September 11, 2001. I had just started 12th grade the week before (a year later, it was the second day of my freshman year of college). It was an election year, and holy crap, did it show. Oprah still had a talk show, as did Rosie O’Donnell, Derek Jeter was talking to Regis Philbin about his book, which I bought as soon as it came out, and Sara Ferguson, as you can see, was the Weight Watchers Spokesperson. No more Dutchess of Pork for her!
Included in this block of commercials:
That Disney sequel all the 80s babies did not ask for…
The screenshot I swear I didn’t take!
The prequel to Ghost Rider, when he owned a skateboard!
Oprah, now in her 15th season!
This morning, on ABC!
Groceries!
Sarah, the former Dutchess of Pork, spokesperson for Weight Watchers!
Rockaway Bedding’s spokesmodel, here to sell all the mattresses! (They really do have the catchiest jingle!)
Political ads!
Zimmer, for those who don’t know was a Republican Representative from New Jersey’s Congress who gave up his seat in the House to run for the Senate, but lost by 651 votes (this was a too-close-to-call election, right in step with the theme of the 2000 election).
Riverdance!
Regis!
I remember these pans! I think my mom has/had one. I just remember that distinct red spot!
And that’s not all! We’ve got promos, product placements, celebrities, and several commercials for weight loss programs.
The audio is slightly out of sync at the beginning (it is noticeable, so I figure it needs to be mentioned), but it corrects itself pretty quickly. I do my transfers by way of my VCR (direct transfer from VHS, because that’s how I roll!), by way of the Hauppage PVR connected through USB to my laptop. It is hit and miss with syncing, but it works well for the most part. I do miss the days of transferring to DVD, but the quality is significantly better with the PVR. Audio isn’t always an issue with the transfers either.
Either way, this was exactly one year before 9/11, and it is clearly a different – and much simpler – time in the world. It is a world of Back to School, rock climbers who scale buildings in New York, and the Emmys were the night before.
Click play, and enjoy the commercials!
Tomorrow, Flashback Friday will be along with another big commercial block from the year 2000!
The 1980s need a break once in a while!
Until then, have a great Throwback Thursday!
Thank you for posting this. It’s also appropriate because tomorrow, Kathie Lee Gifford is leaving “The Today Show” after 11 years … and, back in 2000, she left “Live!” after doing it with Regis for more than a decade.
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I knew she was leaving, but wow, that was totally coincidental that I picked this commercial block for today. Seriously, accidental planning!!! 🙂
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It was a coincidence. One day, one of my old teachers had a birthday … and, on that same day, I talked about a disc jockey in a blog post. Ironically, me and this teacher both like the disc jockey in one form or another.
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