the Marlboro Man was ignoring that persistent cough, Madge was dumping unsuspecting hands in Palmolive, Mrs. Olson was barging in on housewives distraught about the quality of their coffee (and marriages), and the Ty-D-Bol Man was gamely sailing through life in a toilet rack.
Back then, normal schlubs were role models. Today, yes, the Maytag Repairman is still hanging around —a younger version of him — and Palmolive has snagged Doris Roberts of "Everybody Loves Raymond" as a part-time pitchlady. But think about most of the spokespeople you see: Good-looking celebrities, Little Sprout edging out his aging mentor, the Jolly Green Giant, and the Brawny Man going metrosexual. No one with any real character is left.
"The Brawny Man used to be a macho guy, but they turned him into a wuss," the head of Virginia Commonwealth University's advertising program, Kelly O'Keefe, said. "And they've softened up Mr. Clean, too." Early on, the earring-wearing clean freak looked like a sailor who'd been around the block (perhaps with another sailor). Now he looks like a PBS cartoon.
