Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Two Things That Have Nothing To Do With Each Other

First, I want to know what you thought of this:

image

 

I can see the point they were trying to make, but IMHO, done in poor taste.

Moving on.

I first heard about a 96 year old man named Fred on the news last week. Fred entered a song writing contest with lyrics  he wrote for his wife, Lorraine, of 75 years who had recently died. He didn’t win, but his song was recorded for free and has made the top 10 on iTunes. I bet Lorraine didn’t see that one coming!

If you can’t make time to watch the full 10 minutes,
be sure to go to the 6 minute mark where the song begins.

Yeah, stuff like this keeps Kleenex in business.

In this age of technology, busy-ness and bad news, it was such a simple, innocent, and sweet sentiment.  I was reminded how precious it is to share a lengthy history with someone, be it a spouse, a child, a parent, a friend or a sibling. You don’t always know it and recognize it when it is happening, but when the time has gone by, you see the beauty and wish you could do it all over again.

I’d like to tie this to running or fitness, but I don’t really feel like it and there is no obvious connection to me at this moment.

I just liked the video and Fred.

I guess at the “end of the day” (an overused expression I kind of hate, but am using here anyway), all of the training, races, paces, goals and new shoes mean a hell of a lot more with people you love to share it all with. But, then again I was never much of a loner to begin with.

Sweet Lorraine really was fortunate. So am I.

 

The Pearl Izumi ad. Over the line or just fine?

When was the last time you teared up watching, reading or listening to something? I choked up while doing a moment of silence at 6:46 a.m. (MDT) today and thinking about where I was when it all happened 12 years ago.

SUAR

45 comments:

  1. I agree that the ad is not tasteful...at all. I'm a HUGE dog lover, as well as a runner, and I'm just not sure I want to run in shoes that outlive my dogs. Not a fan of the ad.

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  2. The ad is way over the line. It's hard to believe someone thought it up and approved it. Oh, I tear up all the time - I'm a big wuss. Any story that pulls at my heart strings instantly brings tears to my eyes.

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  3. I don't think the ad is THAT big of a deal. People get crazy over nothing. Obviously the dog wasn't dead. Lighten up!! It's in poor taste for sure but...
    A recent ad that had me laughing until I cried is for Bud Light (I think?) about a guy tailgating and cooking a quinoa burger but he keeps saying "QUEENO" and it's hilarious. I'm not doing it justice so you should definitely google it!!

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    1. Agreed and agreed. And my carnivores wife was even more amused by the quinoa ad than I bc she could mock me as a veggie burger eating football fan who is superstitious when it comes to watching football games.

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    2. I have a chocolate lab that I love (almost wrote "love to death!") We are collectively losing our senses of humor as a society when we get upset about stuff like this. I have never tried Pearl Izumi's but will now for sure. Thought it was a very funny and eye catching ad.

      Loved Fred's song too and bought a copy....Go Fred!

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  4. I don't find the ad too bad...at least it depicts a caring owner, one that loves to run with his dog and is obviously trying CPR. It would be a whole different ad if it showed the person running on leaving the dog lying there. I am a rediculously big dog lover so I am a bit surprised I'm not offended more by the ad, but I see the positives and I rationally know its only fiction.
    I plan on listening to Fred...got the Kleenex ready...

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  5. I am appalled at the ad, so much so that I will not support the company. I realize that my purchases or lack thereof will not make or break a company, but the ad is disturbing to me and reason enough in my mind to justify my personal decision not to buy their products. I agree with Beth above who questioned how someone could approve that ad. It has to go through so many channels and approvals, how could someone not realize the impact it would have on customers?!

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    1. I have to agree...I always run with my dog Muji but I pay very close attention to her condition and will stop to give her a rest or water/food if she needs it. In the winter I rarely worry about her, she can and often does run me into the ground but even early morning runs in the summer she can reach her limit before I do. The thought that someone would run their dog past exhaustian just because of their shoes is offensive to me. I only own own piece of Pearl Izumi gear and it will be my last....they can't buy my forgiveness with charity.

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  6. I started to try and listen to the song at work but old people pull on my heartstrings too much i was instantly in tears. Once i got home i was free to cry openly. What a wonderful story!

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  7. I was out in public when I was about to click on the video. My husband was like "DON'T DO IT! I've seen the video and you'll be boo-hooing." So I watched it at home and yes, I'm boo-hooing.

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  8. What a beautiful story and couple. In an age where half the marriages end in divorce and people bail as soon as something goes wrong, I think their marriage is an incredible testimony to what is it really all about...love is a choice, not a feeling. Thanks for sharing.

    Incidentally, today is our wedding anniversary. I know it's a somber day in this country, but we have a reason to celebrate every year.

    Oh, and the Pearl Izumi ad....maybe not the best taste, but there are a lot bigger issues out there worth people's time and attention than getting worked up over a fake dead dog.

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  9. Incredible story. I tear up pretty easily watching sentimental/emotional things. Also got emotional today like you, thinking about 9/11....I still remember everything about that day.

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  10. The ad missed the point that products should make you well up with happiness - whether it's the Budweiser beautiful horses or a cleanly designed Apple laptop or someone Just doing It with Nike. An ad should not make you feel nauseous because a doggy died while running.

    As for Fred's song, I only made it a minute into the video before I started crying so I never even heard the song, so I will trust that it was awesome.

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    1. Excellent points about the ad, well stated.

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    2. Excellent points about the ad, well stated.

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  11. Oh, Fred's song is one of the best things ever. Lorraine and Fred were both incredibly lucky in finding and sticking with each other.

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  12. Lots of tearing up today. Just seeing men in fatigues and naval uniforms today - walking downtown on their lunch break - brought tears to my eyes!

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  13. Ehhh, on the ad. Fred and his song - AWWWWWW. Teared up several times today. First, during the moment if silence. Remembering where I was and my immediate phone call to my friends mom to see if he was ok. Thank heavens he was late to work and was in the lobby. His co-workers were not so fortunate. Then agaun when I put on my wear blue: run to remember shirt to run and finally when I saw the flag on the fire truck over the road.

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  14. I haven't seen the add, but I run a lot on the mountain and in Summer it can be hot here in Cape Town. Now the number of times I see people walking up the mountain with their dogs as I'm coming down, this wouldn't be bad, but i can see they have no water and I know there is no water on the mountain. Now those people think they are doing good by walking their dogs, but....

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  15. I personally don't like the ad and imagine that most don't. I could think of nothing worse than your dog dying whilst running with you. But then again the ad did what it was supposed to do I guess, get publicity.

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  16. The dog ad is in poor taste. There's just nothing funny about a dead pet. How does crap like this get approved in a meeting?? Was everyone stoned, asleep, hung over?

    (dog lover, runner, occasionally speed up walking pace to a trot so doggie will get a wee bit of exercise, then pause immediately when he sits down. We have matching running styles!!)

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  17. No Fair! You aren't supposed to post things that will make me cry at work. :)

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  18. meh...the dog ad. I love my dogs, but seriously...it is an ad. They didn't really kill the dog.

    Crying though - I cry at EVERYTHING (except, apparently, fake dead dogs in ads). My dad sent me a text this morning that made me cry, I cry at all the corny, dumb sentimental stories passed around on Facebook, etc., Publix commercials, all of it. And, when my kids perform (sports, on stage, class presentation, etc.) - oh man, do I lose it!

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  19. The dog ad -- I don't like it because there are some dog owners who do not have the sense to realize when they are running their dog too far and/or on too hot of a day, and many of them will keep going until they can't. Poor loyal pups.

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  20. I don't need more things in the world to make me sad, and dead dogs make me sad. I have some Pearl Izumi armwarmers that I love but now I'm afraid every time I look at them I'm going to think about dead dogs. Way to go, Pearl Izumi.

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  21. I didn't think the ad was bad. I mean, the dog is obviously NOT dead...it's a joke, that you can outrun your dog. Which, if anyone has every tried, is a pretty ludicrous suggestion. All the dogs I've had couple absolutely outrun me!

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  22. I don't have time to listen to/watch the good story right now so all I can offer is:

    WTF Pearl Izumi! Maybe I am just too "soft" but the thought of my animal dead on a run with me (and the accompanying image) is too much.

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  23. I watched this ad the other day and it gets me all the time. As runners I am sure you will appreciate it:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JnYcuRW_qo

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  25. That ad is the Miley Cyrus of ads. No one would have even seen it if it hadn't gone viral. It was published in Canada.

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    1. I disagree. When a large company such as PI makes a blunder I think you will hear about it, especially for those of us in Boulder where PI is headquartered. And Canada is a pretty large population...

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  27. I'm saying we heard about it because of the blunder. Regular ad... not a big deal. But we are talking about it.

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  28. I love that video! Fred's reaction to the song melted my heart, so sweet:) Wow that ad is over the line definitely. Nobody want's to see that.

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  29. I think the ad was a mistake because it offended so many. I'm not really offended - I just think it's poor taste to joke about the death of a pet.

    And I cry all the time - I had watched the first 3-3:30 min of the video earlier this week and lost it so I was glad someone else watched and could tell me where to start so I could hear the song. Now I'm hoping Fred makes a tiny bundle from selling it on iTunes.

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  30. Love Fred and Lorraine. What a moving thing for the production company to do for him. Hope he does make a bundle and lives out the rest of his life in extra comfort.

    I think ads are meant to be creative and catch attention. Clearly this one did; whether folks are offended or not, I don't care one way of the other. I think there are much bigger things to worry about in life and messages such as Fred and Lorraine's that are so much more important. Laugh, take offense, move on...

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  31. Its an ad about how you could outrun the king/queen of running, the canine. Its a powerful message and obviously a joke message. The dog....It's a FAKE dead dog! For those of you mouthing off about how offended you are by it why don't you stop at the ASPCA today and adopt a REAL dog who is homeless and will soon be a REAL dead dog before he's euthanized because no one will take him home. Or at least volunteer one day a week to make sure he's got the best chance to be adopted and not killed. No? I didn't think so. Boycott PI, but drive right past the shelters.

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  32. Love the Fred and Lorraine song - my best friend showed it to me and we were almost boo-hooing

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  33. I think the ad is a clever ploy, designed to create an online dramatic frenzy to attract attention. There's probably many, many people who have never heard of that company until there was a huge hullabaloo about this ad. As a friend of mine says, 'people love drama' and these guys got their name out there.

    I like ads that make me feel good. The death of my dog last year was devastating and this ad made me think of that. So no, not my cuppa tea!

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  34. Very well said! I'm the girl who cries at those P&G Proud Sponsor of Moms commercials -- I didn't dare watch the whole video, so I FF'd to the song, which was so charming and sweet. I've been married for 26 years and I wouldn't trade one minute of it, good or bad. We always say how hard it would be for either one of us to have to remarry because after all this time we share the same language, history, and inside jokes so the new spouse would never understand what we were talking about!

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  35. The ad bothers me as a veterinarian, because I see too many people running with their dogs in the heat. Death from heat stroke is a real thing, and that is what I see in that ad.

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  36. I believe the ad was not very tasteful. Pearl apologized so I won't let it detract from my future running shoe shopping though.

    Happy Friday the 13th! haha.

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