Century 21 Fills Me with the Rage
The geniuses behind their new ad campaign just don't get it.
First, they infuriated millions with an execrable commercial that featured an extremely aggressive woman browbeating her fiscally responsible husband into buying a house they couldn't afford.
It's hard to pinpoint what was worse. Is it when the wife sneers, "What? WHAT?" to her husband when he tries to articulate his reasons for concern? When she stabs her chin at him with an expression of utmost disdain on her face? How about when we discover that the realtor has been stalkerishly listening in on this argument, ready to jump in and tell the husband how she knows more about his finances than he does? Who wouldn't want a realtor who, with her eye on a juicy commission, pushes you to spend more than you can afford?
Century 21 wisely pulled that ad.
Only to replace it with more condescending, paternalistic dreck! One commercial features a family arriving from China at the airport with all their worldly belongings. Up comes the Century 21 agent, who apparently is such an idiot that it took him five hours to memorize a simple Mandarin greeting. He's there to immediately show them houses! Ah, yes, that's just what I want to do after a 14-hour international flight. I guess Century 21 thinks we're all so incapable of tending to our own needs as competent adults that we need a frigging realtor to hold our hands throughout our everyday lives.
Then there's another one in which an older couple is selling the home they raised their family in. As the couple sits in their car preparing to pull out of the driveway for the last time, the husband discusses his mixed feelings. Suddenly, the view pans to the realtor, who in true Century 21 fashion is intruding on a private moment, hanging her body through the car window. And what does she say? "You get to take your memories with you." Gee, thanks for that patronizing soundbite. So glad you care. Apparently it makes hubby happy, because he drives off.
Then the realtor, revealing that she is a heartless, soulless, sale-seeking beast straight out of the sulfur-stinking depths of hell, strides purposefully over to another couple who is there to view the home. It is distasteful and disrespectful to the highest degree, hinting at an ethos that discards the elderly in favor of the young who joyfully feast off the older generation's still-steaming remains.
Exactly how is any of this supposed to make me want to use Century 21 to buy or sell a house?
Aren't you happy that I've had so much free time lately for watching TV?
