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why can’t we all just get along?

At the Red House, we can.

The commercial for this furniture store first starting circulating across the Internet seven months ago, but it still makes V-8 juice shoot out of our noses every time we see it. Apparently, it has had a similar effect on the general population as well, who has viewed this spot more than two million times.

The obvious question is, why has it become so popular? It’s unflinchingly lame. Shot and casted unprofessionally. Ugly. And definitely bizarre. And therein lies its genius. After all, when’s the last time you saw a memorable furniture store ad? Never? Exactly! The territory is wide open, and these guys drove a truck through it.

Sure, this is a self-conscious spoof of the many poorly produced and aesthetically atrophied commercials that we’ve all seen advertising local small businesses on late-night television. But it’s also more than that. It’s an anti-racist message that uses race to sell the store. And a wake-up call (we hope) to businesses that produce crappy ads under the guise of creative brilliance. Which is another reason why we love this spot. It isn’t even trying to be good. And in so doing provides more entertainment and pass-along value than most $400,000 spots achieve.

Ironically, the ad has also caused more than a cult following. It’s caused many people to cry racism, despite the message of racial equality throughout the spot. Hmmm. Guess everyone’s got a cross to bear. Today, ours happens to be calling caca on virtually every other furniture store who cuts their messages from the same tragically uninspired cloth. But not so with the Red House. Their spot is about furniture AND racial harmony. And we love racial harmony. Even on the idiot-boy level.

talk to us.