Monday PSA: Disembowel is a Verb

October 30th, 2006

Filed under: Comics

I’ve picked on DC enough recently for their PSA advertisements, so now it’s time to take a look at Marvel.

Verb -- It's What You Do! Click for the full page.

Here we have one of their “Verb” PSAs, in this case the one starring Wolverine. Take a look…

Click on the image above for the full ad.

A Few Thoughts:
1. I like the way it clearly says “Advertisement” at the top — because there’s no way you’d be able to tell this is an ad without that warning — because, you know, it fits so seamlessly in the narrative of The Ultimates.

2. Chopping off arms and gutting oponents with lethal force = playing football.

3. I don’t care if your bones and claws are made of the second-strongest subtance known to man, there’s no way climbing a mountain like that would be possible (especially if you weigh a ton because your bones are made of metal).

4. Diving at someone with claws extended = sliding into home plate.

5. “Wolverine’s way or your way, it makes no difference how you play”. No, it makes a big difference. For one thing, I don’t routinely eviscerate people.

6. “Verb - It’s What You Do.” While this campaign has a valuable message (“Get off your butt and go outside and get some exercise!”), the way it has been written has always annoyed me. It tries too hard to be clever. Let me remind the crafters of this slogan that loafing, sleeping, and gorging are also verbs.

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7 Responses to “ Monday PSA: Disembowel is a Verb ”

  1. Evan Waters
    October 31st, 2006 at 1:38 am

    Wow, Bishi!Wolverine. Never thought I’d see the day.

  2. Juho Salo
    October 31st, 2006 at 5:34 am

    When I saw this advertisement, I thought Verb was some brand in America, like Nike.

    It seemed too aimless to be PSA.

  3. The Tensor
    October 31st, 2006 at 9:49 am

    For one thing, I don’t routinely eviscerate people.

    I gather you’re not a surgeon, then?

    Nostalgia tangent — Verb: That’s What’s Happening

  4. Derek B. Haas
    October 31st, 2006 at 12:15 pm

    My problem with him climbing like that is he aims the edge of his claws that can cut through anything in the direction of gravity. Wouldn’t he jut cut right through the mountain, and land on the ground, all other concerns aside?

  5. Nate
    October 31st, 2006 at 3:03 pm

    Verb, it’s what you do, and what you do isn’t very nice.

  6. Chris M
    November 2nd, 2006 at 8:56 pm

    Aren’t loafing, sleeping and gorging actually nouns? Loaf, sleep and gorge are verbs.

    Please consider this pendantry a compliment - I very much enjoy your informative and interesting site.

    cheers!

  7. Steve Ryan
    November 6th, 2006 at 11:42 am

    “Loafing”, “sleeping”, and “gorging” are gerunds: verbal nouns.
    (If we’re going to get pedantic, let’s get pedantic!)

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