David Pescovitz is Boing Boing's co-editor/managing partner. He's also a research director at Institute for the Future. On Instagram, he's @pesco.

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  • http://boingboing.net/ Rob Beschizza

    My favorite character is the woman behind the smiling man

     – third from the left. I like the way her smile slowly fades, then drops completely: “Oh, it’s you.”

    • http://www.xeni.net/ Xeni Jardin

      hahahhaha

    • http://www.gyrofrog.com/ Gyrofrog

      She’s somehow like Susan Dey combined with Jan Smithers

    • http://www.facebook.com/marko.raos Marko Raos

       yeah, you know, she’s like still got a soul

  • http://www.bauartcreative.com/ Bauart

    I used to work in broadcast design and do the promotional packages used by TV stations across the nation. Part of the deliverable package we ALWAYS had to create we nick named the, “Spin & Grin”. You line up the stations on air personalities, individually and together, and have them rotate toward camera [spin] while going from a calm face to a smile [grin]. 

    Once you see this effect in practice, you’ll notice it EVERYWHERE.

    • http://www.matthewpetty.com/ Matthew Petty

      Like the “nod shot”

      • petertrepan

        I’m currently caressing my chin and nodding appreciatively at my satisfyingly close shave while breaking into a handsome smile.

        • http://www.matthewpetty.com/ Matthew Petty

          Is your girlfriend coming in and kissing your cheek spontaneously? Or is she too busy laughing alone with salad?  http://thehairpin.com/2011/01/women-laughing-alone-with-salad/

          • petertrepan

            She is actually smiling accommodatingly as she wipes an entire cup of spilled grape juice off the counter with a single paper towel.

          • http://www.matthewpetty.com/ Matthew Petty

            Meanwhile I’m driving at 80mph through deserted nighttime city streets, hands at 10-to-2 on the wheel, smug fucking expression on my face

          • http://www.gyrofrog.com/ Gyrofrog

            Thank you for that. Bless you.

          • Antinous / Moderator

            On a related note, Catalog Living documents the lives of Gary and Elaine, who live in a reality where there’s always a vintage propeller in the kitchen and a basket of starfish under the bed.

    • http://www.gyrofrog.com/ Gyrofrog

      Is this anything like that Herman Cain ad?

    • http://www.facebook.com/marko.raos Marko Raos

       working in media kinda does open your eyes, doesn’t it

  • http://www.tavie.com Tavie

    Dammit, for a brief, shining moment, this comment thread was just 2 Boingers laughing amongst themselves over the antics of a third Boinger, and it felt like we were secretly in a cool, imaginary Boinger private email thread.

  • http://www.matthewpetty.com/ Matthew Petty

    I thought the post read “shock video” at first, and I was waiting for a monster to jump out. Then I realised the monsters are right there! Corporations amirite?

    • http://bradhicks.livejournal.com/ J. Brad Hicks

      It’s not just you. My reaction to that video was not, “Oh, look at all the welcoming, friendly (and extremely white) people.” My reaction was, “ah, this is what a wounded herbivore feels when it sees an entire pack of predators turn all at once to look at it.”

      • http://www.matthewpetty.com/ Matthew Petty

        Yes! Some real reptilian-brain fight-or-flight stuff going on right here.

  • David J. Weiner

    There’s an incredible music video by the group Ratatat that makes use of similar stock footage to creepy effect. The song is called “Drugs”: http://youtu.be/KhrteSZXFzM

    • http://twitter.com/dichotoman Max Meyer

      You beat me to it. Mandatory viewing. :)

  • Halloween_Jack

    Third from the left is so stoned that she makes Ellen Feiss (from the Apple Switch ad) look straightedge.

  • foobar

    From orbit/it’s the only way to be sure.

  • Laurent Dubois

    Does anyone feels like this is a scene from “Children of the corn”… like they all grew up and are smiling to fool you… creepy…