I’m in the middle of a software project and don’t have time for a long post, but I have to comment on some of the ads that keeping showing up in my browser when I stop for a surfing break. Roughly half of them warn us that Homeowners Fail To Refinance! The little bit of text informs us that only 85,000 homeowners have taken advantage of Obama’s refinancing plan. And just look … there’s Obama, obviously disturbed as yet another home goes into foreclosure because the silly homeowners didn’t take advantage of his plan. I’m no fan of Obama, but it’s annoying to see these goofs hijacking his image for an ad.
I’m going step out on a limb here and suggest that if most homeowners aren’t refinancing, they don’t need to. (Some of them may even have this crazy idea that once they sign a contract with a lender, they shouldn’t take advantage of the government’s willingness to step in force the lender to cancel it.) But what’s just plain weird are the pictures the advertisers choose.
This guy, for example. If you see him walking into a bank, your first thought probably isn’t “Now there’s a man who inspires confidence in mortgage lenders.” He looks like he lives in a commune, for pete’s sake. Somebody please explain to me the logic of putting his face on an for anything having to do with finances.
And what’s the message we’re supposed to get from this picture? I can only guess:
- This man is broke because didn’t refinance his home, so now he has to wear the glasses he bought in 1977.
- If this man would just refinance his home, he could stop moonlighting as welder.
- This poor sap spent all his savings trying to prove Harry Caray was his biological father, so now he’s broke and needs to refinance his home.
Apparently believing the picture wasn’t disturbing enough already, the advertisers later decided to Photoshop in some truly strange-looking teeth. Now the poor guy looks positively ape-like. The only way I can reproduce this expression is to pretend I’m Tim Allen doing his “Argh! Argh! Argh!” routine.
I’ve been seeing this one a lot lately too. The text informs us that this Nashville mom found a way to earn $37 per hour working at online from home. I don’t know what she’s doing online, but judging by her expression, it involves taking video Skype calls.
Okay, enough surfing. Back to work. I’d like to buy a house in Tennessee this year, and I don’t plan to need any help from Obama.
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