actors Jake from State Farm

[sfoster]

This dude Jake from State Farm became a viral sensation a decade ago.

I saw they replaced him with a younger hotter fitter Jake, that made me a bit curious so I looked up why -- This is the official word from State Farm.

Thanks for asking! The original Jake did great at delivering his famous line, “uh…khakis.” However, this expanded role is very demanding and is best filled by a professional actor. ~LM

https://twitter.com/x/status/1885361461242794312

OMG They burned him!?! they implied he's talentless and unprofessional
Was that really necessary to say that he isn't good enough to be in commercials??

 

[Spike]

Bummer about Jake--classic show biz story of betrayal, lol.

It's always struck me as odd, that some of the funniest things on the you tube are insurance company commercials. i still get a kick out of this one;

(Ke-ah-no, lol)

Then there's the surrealism of Emu and Doug. WTF?

And Flo-who-sells-the-in-surance, who I have kind of a crush on -- kind of a Monica vibe. Flo's family:

(he thinks the ham is clam chowder, lol)

There's Dean Winters, a pretty good TV comic actor, as Allstate's "Mayhem" guy--some pretty funny stuff.

And re. actors, how is it that A-List guys, like JK Simmons and Morgan Freeman are, with no irony or embarrassment, insurance company pitch-men? Easy money, I suppose.

Is it a competition among the ad people, bringing out some unusual comedic quality? This might be a phenomena worth some study. Then again it might not.

And...Is it possible to hear this and not immediately sing it?

 

[sfoster]

I saved 15% in just 15 minutes

 

[AcousticAl]

OMG They burned him!?! they implied he's talentless and unprofessional
Was that really necessary to say that he isn't good enough to be in commercials??

The original Jake, real name Jake Stone, is (was at the time) an actual State Farm employee. It’s entirely possible that, while he was perfect for that role in its original form, not being an actor meant he wouldn’t be able to adapt to an expanded and changing role.

 

[sfoster]

The original Jake, real name Jake Stone, is (was at the time) an actual State Farm employee. It’s entirely possible that, while he was perfect for that role in its original form, not being an actor meant he wouldn’t be able to adapt to an expanded and changing role.

Okay show me one of these oscar worthy performances in the new challenging commercials.

 

[AcousticAl]

Okay show me one of these oscar worthy performances in the new challenging commercials.

Not looking to trade insults here, dude.

Reality: have you ever worked with someone who was perfectly comfortable just being themselves, but the moment you try to direct them to do anything else, they freeze up and can’t function? I have, many times. In fact, I still work regularly with a couple of folks who are fine in front of the camera just doing what they always do, but have a really hard time being fed lines, handed a script, or directed to swerve off their normal path even just a little.

I can totally see how this shift happened. All he had to do was say, “Uh… khakis,” in his normal, midwestern accent. But the scripted ads that have come out since, with comedic delivery, are more than that. They don’t have to be Oscar-worthy to be more than a non-actor can deliver.

 

[sfoster]

All he had to do was say, “Uh… khakis,” in his normal, midwestern accent. But the scripted ads that have come out since, with comedic delivery, are more than that.

'Uh... khakis' ***is*** a scripted line with comedic delivery.

I really have no idea what you're talking about, honestly, beause I almost never see commercials
Only saw new jake once - Please can you link this awesome funny comedic delivery of new jake you're talking about?

I love funny commercials!

This whole thing reminds me of that family guy episode, where the show takes off because it has REAL PEOPLE the audience can relate to, but then once it takes off they replace them with focus-group approved cookie cutter fakers instead.

 

[AcousticAl]

Yes, it was a scripted line. But it was two words, and again, was likely exactly what he was able to deliver in a way that worked 100% for that particular spot.

While this ad campaign isn’t as consistently “funny” as what Progressive has had going the last several years, this does take some acting skill. And he often plays the straight man to a celebrity “funny man” (or another actor playing the comedic part), but even playing the classic “straight man” is a comedic talent.

 

[sfoster]

He did a great job in this one. His look at the end had me laughing.
Thanks for taking the time to link it.

 

[Spike]

I really have no idea what you're talking about, honestly, beause I almost never see commercials

This is kind of interesting. Back in the day, i remember, watching TV with friends and family, and every 10 minutes or so, just stoping for, often just staring through, a commercial. Then came TIVO, watching everything on delay, and fast forward through the commercials.

Then the streamers. TV no longer free, but in compensation, freed from network restrictions, some unheard of, for TV, quality. And no commercials.

And now, they started playing them anyway, giving you the paid-for gift of "limited interruptions."

And the you tube. At first something new, revolutionary, a way to create that completely bypassed the gatekeepers. And then, of course, once established, once kind of indispensable: commercials, frequently breaking into, mid-sentence, whatever you are watching. I give them the first five seconds, but rarely more.

And it occurs to me that this might not be all negative. Commercials were references that virtually everybody knew, part of the cultural zeitgeist. (Where's the beef?) And this might be, to some degree, returning, now that they've found a way to make exposure unavoidable.

Like, I kind of assumed, above, that most people have heard, at least once, the "Liberty liberty liberty liberty" jingle. Is this true?

And (and wandering a little here; sorry) about that jingle: I admire the confidence that they just went with it--no tune, no text, just the catchy minimalism of liberty liberty liberty liberty. Anyway.

 

[AcousticAl]

He did a great job in this one. His look at the end had me laughing.
Thanks for taking the time to link it.

There are some great spots in that campaign over the last 5 or so years. Playing the “straight man” can often be the difference between make or break for the success of the project. If you want a monumental reference point, please see Michael Caine in “The Muppets Christmas Carol”. His decision to play Scrooge as if it was a serious retelling of the Dickens tale, was the most brilliant decision in that production.

But also, playing straight for dark comedy can be make-or-break. Here’s an ad campaign I worked on (production sound), shot back in December. This is the first spot, but scroll up in their IG feed to see the rest.

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

Richard really nailed it.

 

[Spike]

Yup. New Jake kills it

 

[AcousticAl]

This is kind of interesting. Back in the day, i remember, watching TV with friends and family, and every 10 minutes or so, just stoping for, often just staring through, a commercial. Then came TIVO, watching everything on delay, and fast forward through the commercials.

Then the streamers. TV no longer free, but in compensation, freed from network restrictions, some unheard of, for TV, quality. And no commercials.

And then, they started playing them anyway, giving you the paid-for gift of "limited interruptions."

And the you tube. At first something new, revolutionary, a way to create that completely bypassed the gatekeepers. And then, of course, once established, once kind of indispensable: commercials, frequently breaking into, mid-sentence, whatever you are watching. Now I'll give them the first five seconds, but rarely more.

And it occurs to me that this might not be all negative. Commercials were references that virtually everybody knew, part of the cultural zeitgeist. (Where's the beef?) And this might be, to some degree, returning, now that they've found a way to make exposure unavoidable.

Remember when Superbowl commercials were consistently the best part of the advertising year? When beer commercials had all the best Superbowl ads? When so many people watched the game with zero investment in either team, but were ready to talk to folks the next day about the commercials?

Yeah, ads used to be central to pop culture, going back to the beginnings of ads on radio and then television. A catchy slogan, an ear-worm jingle… it sunk in and became part of people’s everyday lives and conversations.

“Plop, plop, fizz, fizz…”
“The best part of waking up…”
“I’d like to buy the world a Coke…”
“Double your pleasure, double your fun…”
“Get your skis shined up. Grab a stick of Juicy Fruit…” (The taste may, indeed, move you, but only for the first 15 seconds or so.)

Commercials built the industry. They were why people built careers, why studios and networks spent money. People wanting to “cut the cord” and get rid of commercials, well… that’s why the economy of the production industry is faltering. Ad revenues just aren’t what they used to be, and streaming subscriptions don’t come close to making up for that.

HBO never had commercials. It was always an add-on subscription tier above basic cable tiers. Same with Showtime and Cinemax.

But yes, Tivo was part of the beginning of the end. So was YouTube, but that’s no longer ad-free. Funny enough, while paid streaming platforms have been struggling to keep up and to attract subscribers, do you know what’s seen consistent growth? FAST platforms. Free Ad-supported Streaming Television. People are coming back to commercial-driven programming to avoid all the monthly subscriptions, to some extent.

Like, I kind of assumed, above, that most people have heard, at least once, the "Liberty liberty liberty liberty" jingle. Is this true?

And (and wandering a little here; sorry) about that jingle--I admire the confidence that they just went with it--no tune, no text, just the catchy minimalism of liberty liberty liberty liberty. Anyway.

You should check out a podcast called “Twenty Thousand Hertz”. They’ve done a few episodes on the changing tide of commercials, from classic jingles to nowadays with sonic logos, and other sound design principles that have changed.

Ep. 49, Sep 4, 2019 -“Jingles: How they hooked us and why they vanished”
Ep. 71, Jul 15, 2019 - “Soundmarks: AT&T, United Airlines, and inventive sonic branding”
Ep. 116, Feb 24, 2021 - “I’m Lovin’ It: How ‘Ba da ba ba ba’ took over the world”
Ep. 166, Mar 22, 2023 - “Why insurance jingles never die”
Ep. 181, Nov 1, 2023 - “Sounds That Sell: How companies entice us with sonic candy”

It’s a great podcast overall, and gets into a LOT of fascinating stories about the sounds around us.

 

[sfoster]

while paid streaming platforms have been struggling to keep up and to attract subscribers, do you know what’s seen consistent growth? FAST platforms. Free Ad-supported Streaming Television. People are coming back to commercial-driven programming to avoid all the monthly subscriptions, to some extent.

This is the reason I'm finally seeing commercials after a decade - pluto.tv
It's the only place that I can stream the Drew Carey show and they don't offer a commercial-free streaming plan

Stream DREW CAREY free on pluto

Apparently this has something to do with all the music used in drew carey, and how Netflix/other streamers refuse to pay royalties for music

TV and Film Composers Say Netflix, Other Streaming Services Insist on Buying Out Their Music Rights

At the end of October, close to 90 composers and songwriters from around the world traveled to Budapest to discuss a contentious issue: streaming services’ efforts to upend how composers are compensated for their work.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

 

[AcousticAl]

This also happens with professional actors. Someone is cast in a role, it becomes clear that they aren’t the right fit for that role, and they are replaced with someone else.

Just ask Eric Stolz.

 

[indietalk]

What about when an actor is replaced and no one notices. I've seen people baffled when they find out Crispin Glover was not in Back To The Future 2 and 3. "Wait. That wasn't him??? Are you sure?"

 

[sfoster]

What about when an actor is replaced and no one notices. I've seen people baffled when they find out Crispin Glover was not in Back To The Future 2 and 3. "Wait. That wasn't him??? Are you sure?"

What about when the actor ISN'T replaced.. but nobody recognizes them cause they lost weight and grew a mustache

 

[sfoster]

This also happens with professional actors. Someone is cast in a role, it becomes clear that they aren’t the right fit for that role, and they are replaced with someone else.

Just ask Eric Stolz.

Thats true but they usually don't slam the person by saying the fired them because they weren't talented enough

 

[Spike]

What about when an actor is replaced and no ones notices.

Or no one cares:

Do i remember a joke, where somebody was reincarnated as the original Darren on Bewitched?

Edit: actually, to say nobody cared is untrue and a bit cruel of me. Original Darren was a big part of the show's success, reportedly battled chronic pain for as long as he could, and his departure was implicated in a drop in ratings for the last two seasons. I remember being disappointed when he disappeared.

 

[AcousticAl]

Thats true but they usually don't slam the person by saying the fired them because they weren't talented enough

I seem to remember several interviews and articles about Back to the Future, saying outright that Stolz wasn’t a good fit. That’s not throwing anyone under the bus. It’s just honest.

I think you’ve read a lot into State Farm’s statement that may or may not actually be there. There are so many realistic and legitimate reasons for the decision to replace him, but you’ve honed in on only one possibility and are stuck on that idea.