The "Get a Life" factor of the mid 1990s

[Arran]

It's deep and philosophical. Not exactly a subject usually discussed on a nostalgia website.

A dark corner of nostalgia!

[George 1978]

I always try and be cautious of dark corners!

[Arran]

This discussion shines light on notions of normality changing over the decades.

[George 1978]

Indeed.

[George 1978]

I thought of this thread again when I saw an old Maxwell House advert from its "blue jar" era of the 1990s which I had forgotten about. Cue a rather beige and brown looking man wearing National Health glasses and a Mr Bean-alike voice, exclaiming: "the couple next door..." (Cut to a "modern" couple enjoying themselves in the garden). "The seem like our sort of people..." (Cut to couple next door celebrating further). "Could changing their coffee be responsible for this distressing transformation?" (Cue man "riding" his lawnmower while wife looks on with blue mug in hand...) "Why don't like change do we, Deirdre?" The end of the advert shows "Deirdre" holding a blue jar of Maxwell House above her husbands head as if she is to plonk it onto the top of him and knock him out, Prisoner: Cell Block H-storyline-style.

Deirdre makes me think as a character more in the vein of Hayley Cropper, rather than Deirdre Barlow (who I assume the latter was in her Samir phrase in the Street). They did an advert spin-off around the same time with a competition of winning a car linked to Noel's House Party and Noel Edmonds also appearing in the advert, almost looking as if he is to knock the man out with the full coffee jar. Another of those mid 1990s "look at him, he's boring" cultural phase.

Oh, if you must... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQr0ZLPhalA