On October 20, 2011, I wrote the following post on Chevrolet’s commercial, “Like Father, Like Son”:
My warped decoding of the Chevrolet Commercial, “Like Father, Like Son”
Guess what? Chevrolet changed the commercial. It’s different from the first one and addresses some of the key points I raised.
The doll as big as the house is not blurry because of my photography skills. Her role is diminished in the new version.
In the new version that played during today’s Giants/Packers game, the image of the Lara Croft doll is blurred out and there is no close-up of it. Also, there is a new ending more true to the spirit of the themes innocence, family, Americana, and the commercial’s title, “Like Father, Like Son.”
Now the father comes home, gets out of his Silverado and is greeted by the young boy and a woman I presume is his wife. In the first one he isn’t greeted at all and the closest we get to a wife waiting for her husband to return home is the fantasy Lara Croft at the doll house.
Now this woman is much closer to the woman I married. My wife is brilliant and has an MBA, but doesn't find hot pants and a tank top to be very comfortable or "around the house" clothing.
The new, real wife is happier and dressed in what one might describe as clothing more in line with what the majority of women in this country wear, not the attire of a woman looking for treasure in the jungle. And his wife doesn’t have the rare physique of an Amazon. She is closer to average height and build and complements the commercial’s themes by fitting in, not standing out for the wrong reasons.
As every image counts in a commercial, this one now rings truer throughout. Before, it was a like a good song with a couple of bad notes that ruined it. Now it plays much better and doesn’t hurt one’s ears, so to speak.
Kudos to Chevrolet for this version of the commercial. A big round of applause for them. I’m guessing they read my blog post and changed the commercial. I kid. Others must have had similar reactions to the commercial and voiced their opinions, resulting in the improved version.
And best of all I get a few hours of satisfaction today with the feeling that I was right about something for once. I spend most days thinking about how I’m out of sync with most people and I see the world differently. This is a small victory, I know, but I’ll take it just the same.
Tomorrow I’ll be the same idiot I was before, but I’ll feel like there’s hope for me yet. I can dream, can’t I?
The Unknown Cystic 
Go, you! I love it when I’m right about something, too. Seems to happen less all the time.
I had to go back and re-read your first Chevrolet post as I’m old, decrepit and forgetful. I laughed out loud all over again at No. 4 on your To-Do List. I’m going to try to remember to read it once a month, just for the endorphins.
MAL,
You get it. You get me. It’s such a rare occurrence for me to be right about something I feel like I should celebrate. I need to go back and reread #4. I’ll be right back. (Time elapses) I wrote #4 because I hate Cialis ads and the two bathtub thing confuses me. Is it because the man took so much of the drug the two of them need some time apart after mauling each other? And who buys two bathtubs? If I’m going to take a drug like that, I want to end up in the same tub as my wife, not a different one. What the hell? Oh, I hate that ad. See what you’ve started making me going back and relive #4?
And then there is the one with the two of them riding a ferris wheel. Are they leaving these commercials up to my imagination? I’ll stop here. I should write a post on these stupid commercials.
UC
Dear Mr.Smug of Smugsville
I guess these types of mistakes are common place with American automobile manufacturers? It wouldn’t happen with the ultra uber efficient people from Volvo!
So pleased you finally got something right that is worth bragging about 🙂
Although I sort of agreed with your tweet about the Jacksonville NFL team needing to move to the land of concrete and madmen with paper bags on their head.
Sir Sean of Myownkingdomshire
Dear Serf of Englandshire,
Yes, I did finally get something right. The stars aligned in my favor for once – a once is lifetime occurrence. I can’t believe it myself.
How does Jacksonville have a football team and LA doesn’t? I f’ing don’t believe it. Nothing gets me riled up like that subject. Jacksonville has maybe a thousand people living in that city. We have at least 8 million normal people and 3 million gang members. We could support three teams. Damn NFL.
Yours truly,
Mr. Smug
I’m thinking of trying to get a NFL team here in Cleethorpes because we have obviously got a better chance than you. You don’t have any grass to play on just a billion tons of concrete.
so whats wrong with Lara?
Michael,
Nothing is wrong with Lara. I like her. Just not in the way she was used here. But I get it, or her. 🙂
UC
Thank you for writing this blog! I was swearing that they changed this commercial, particularly the Laura Croft blurring. The first time I saw the new one, I actually Googled the notion only to find no one talking about it.
But after just now seeing the commercial again, and knowing that I am not crazy (well I may be but that is a different google search) I decided to search one last time. Alas I found your blog confirming that I am not seeing things.
Thanks again!
Chris,
I’m really glad the post helped. I was blown away when I saw the updated commercial.
I really appreciate you writing a comment to let me know.
Best to you,
UC
People get a f-ing life! There was not a damn thing wrong with the first version of the commercial. The kid was using dolls to portray family members. They don’t make Susie housewife dolls! If they had a Barbie doll in the first commercial there would have been the same crap from some idiot. Find something worth complaining about and try to get that changed. I found this only because I smelled something fishy when I noticed the change in the commercial and hit google to find … Yep, sure enough somebody with nothing better to do had went and got their drawers in a bunch. There’s are a great deal of real problems in this country. Lara Croft dolls misrepresenting the average overweight American housewife is not one of them!
Damn straight
This is so interesting – this ad ran on the Olympics, and it was the first time I’d seen it. I googled the ad and and wrote a post about it, and the ad that came up when googled is most definitely the original version. Now I’m wondering which version I actually saw during the Olympics. Anyhow, my focus was not their use of female dolls in the original version, but how lovely it was to see a boy playing with pink things as if it were a complete non-issue, which it should be. I like your take every bit as much, if not better. Well done!
Aliza,
Thank you for reading, the two comments, and insight. Interesting point about the boy playing with the two dolls. I hadn’t thought of that. Definitely add another layer to the ad.
Best to you,
UC
I LOVED this commercial. I hardly ever watch commericals but I do remember seeing this one with the warm embrace of the father and son during the Olympics. The original one that you can see on youtube isn’t half as good. I Love how he is playing with a modge podge of toys (just like the movie (Toy Story), I love the expression of the child’s face as he realizes Daddy is home, and the hug with the father and the son, with the mother standing by is priceless. I must admit, it had the intended effect of making me consider Chevy for our future truck.
Joanie,
I agree with you about the second version. I like it too. To me, the removal of the off-key notes and addition of the mother makes it play much truer to the warm-hearted, family theme.
Thanks for the visit and comment. Much appreciated.
UC