I Have Been Commerically Brainwashed
May 10th, 2004
I have been fully, 199% commercially brainwashed.
I don’t know if you have a Six Flags Amusement Park anywhere near you in the United States, but if you don’t…just know that it’s got rollercoasters and a ton of other rides and it’s just like the amusement park vision you have in your head when you read the words “amusement park.”
That’s all fine and good.
But the retired government scientists who used to use their talents at brainwashing prisoners-of-war and erasing the memories of undercover agents with other government’s secrets locked in their heads have now spent some time creating a television commercial that I cannot stop watching. You should check it out now, before you continue.
There is an old man who is the main character in their commercial. Yet he is not a frail old man, he is a crazy dancing fool of an old man. He walks into a sleepy little neighborhood, waits for the techno music to start, then starts running around like crazy. I can’t stop watching. I can’t stop trying to see the young man in make-up behind the dark glasses and wrinkly skin.
I can not stop watch ing.
Everytime I see the commerical I find myself entranced. Mind you, it doesn’t make me want to go to Six Flags Amusement Parks but it does make me stop everything and stare mindlessly at the television screen wondering about this crazy old techno-music dancing fool of an old man and the fact that I’m spending time thinking about him makes me insane.
Insane enough to write about it to make sure I’m not totally alone.
I am so glad to know I am not the only one that is completely fascinated by that commercial! And like you, I still have no desire to go to Magic Mountain.
Comment by Hilary — May 10, 2004 @ 8:55 am
You wanna know how not alone you are? I downloaded that stupid song from itunes!!
Comment by Randi — May 10, 2004 @ 11:50 am
What’s the song?
Comment by Pauly D — May 10, 2004 @ 1:20 pm
We Like to Party by The Vengaboys.
Comment by Randi — May 10, 2004 @ 1:43 pm
Dude, that commercial freaks me out!!!! That bald guy with the Haray Caray glasses dancing around is just disturbing- he looks like a deranged child molester.
Comment by Kristi — May 10, 2004 @ 1:51 pm
sweetie you are so not alone. i even dance to it. i can stop now because they’ve changed it at least here. they show just one family and the dancing is different. i don’t like it as much. i too keep staring to see the face of the dancer.
what drove me insane about it initially is that the make up makes him look like uncle jr from the sopranos. i had to throw their photos up on blog. it was driving me nuts.
my 2 sentence post minus links: The Six Flags dancing guy looks not as much like Freddy Krueger (as I initially thought) as he does Uncle Jr. from the Sopranos. Uncle Jr., however, still does resemble Larry David.
Comment by Enigma — May 10, 2004 @ 1:51 pm
I’m with you! This commercial has made my favorites list. It’s between Kevin Smith’s Recordable DVD’s commercial and that car commercial where the guy hugs the car and it looks like it’s hugging him back.
Comment by Will — May 10, 2004 @ 2:23 pm
OhmyG*d! THAT ad! Yes!
It’s mesmerizing — I’ve even slowmo’d it to see if there are any subliminal messages that cause me to get so engrossed.
Maybe it’s because the dude looks so happy.
Comment by C(h)ristine — May 10, 2004 @ 4:39 pm
it’s the idea that you, too, even old-brittle-boned-dusty-smelling-denture-havin’-myopic you, can twinkle your toes when you get the notion to do so.
it is reassuring in a *specific* mesmerizing, brainwashing kind of way. absolutely.
Comment by madeline — May 10, 2004 @ 8:40 pm
What drives me even more crazy is the radio spot they are running! You hear the music, they talk about the dancin’ freak of a man but you can’t see him. Crazy! I tell you!
Comment by Robbie — May 10, 2004 @ 8:53 pm
I hear the commercial was produced by Phillip Morris.
Comment by Diann — May 10, 2004 @ 8:59 pm
I sat in a trance as I watched it. I couldn’t decide whether to feel creeped out or enchanted with the soothing voice of, “There’s a time for play….”
Can I ride the bus?
pretty well executed commercial
Comment by Kathleen — May 11, 2004 @ 11:33 am
I’m glad I’m not alone … every time I’m flipping through on the TiVo I actually stop and watch it (unless someone else is in the room - I dare not admit that I am fascinated by it). I’ve been trying to figure out if it was a real guy and the damn music is a virus in my brain!
Comment by cybele — May 11, 2004 @ 2:49 pm
….when I hear the music on the radio for that ad…
I actually SEE him.
gah.
Comment by C(h)ristine — May 11, 2004 @ 7:52 pm
That commercial is amazing. I am in awe of the creative genius behind it. I can remember for hours on end the ad and everything about it except what it is advertising. There was millions of dollars well spent!
Comment by Jeff A — May 16, 2004 @ 12:27 am
where can i get that commercial i want too lear how to dance like him cool; commercial,,can you help tony
Comment by tony adams — May 19, 2004 @ 7:59 pm
I believe it is Ellen doing those commercials.
Comment by randy — May 30, 2004 @ 3:25 pm
I just had to find this guy, i searched google and this poped up. glad to see i’m not alone.
Comment by Andrew — June 15, 2004 @ 11:21 pm
this “guy” was on Good Morning America yesterday (6/22/04), but I had to get to work so I missed the last 15 minutes of the show and can’t find anything listed on the GMA site….
Comment by Pam — June 23, 2004 @ 2:43 am
I missed the interview on GMA as well, does anyone have any info on it. I tried to find it on GMA’s website, but no luck.
Comment by reeta — June 23, 2004 @ 9:52 pm
I love this song! I love this commercial!! I dance to it every time it comes on t.v. I downloaded it from the internet! Woo hoo!! Party down y’all!!
Comment by Sandy — July 1, 2004 @ 8:21 pm
In Canada, where I am anyway, we only get to see 30 seconds of the commercial, so this was the first time I got to see the whole thing. We don’t have Six Flags parks in Canada and the commercial has never entranced me into wanting to cross the border to visit Six Flags.
How is it a stranger in a get-up carts away families in a magical red party bus and doesn’t go to jail? He looks like he’s on K.
It hasn’t been stuck in my head and I don’t ever have the urge to dance when I hear that song and now I don’t ever want to visit a Six Flags park, so I’m safe.
WHEW!
Comment by Christine — July 1, 2004 @ 10:37 pm
CAN ANYONE SEND ME THE SONG FROM THE COMMERCIAL OR TELL ME WHERE TO GET IT THANKS
Comment by JOHN — July 10, 2004 @ 6:56 pm
I dunno. Everytime this commercial comes on it makes me want to change the channel. That pretend old man creeps me out. And seriously, just because I don’t like this commercial, I may never go to Six Flags ever again. At least…until they get a new commercial going and I happen to like that one…
Comment by groovebunny — July 11, 2004 @ 3:11 pm
I think the commercial is great!! I laught out loud!
Comment by Alex Del Rio — July 16, 2004 @ 8:19 pm
That commerical is OUTSTANDING. period
Comment by Chris — July 22, 2004 @ 3:03 pm
What is the name of the song
Comment by rich — August 5, 2004 @ 1:23 am
Oddly enough, this commercial as well as the song has entranced my entire percalc class for weeks now. It has almost become an anthem for us. We have even offered money to one teacher who was wearing a suit to do the dance while we played the song. Life would be rather bland with out this type of marketing genius.
Comment by Jamie — November 12, 2004 @ 1:01 pm
who is the guy from the six flags commerical im dying to know!
Comment by danielle — January 8, 2005 @ 1:14 pm
The old dude is awesome, end of story. I have continuously annoyed everyone I know with that song, and I’ll most likely keep doing it until I die. Or until I’m physically restrained…
Comment by Jimbob — February 24, 2005 @ 1:45 pm
well…i personally think that the dancing dude and the geico gecko should do the robot together…now thats a commercial
Comment by pinky — February 24, 2005 @ 7:41 pm
I’m so relieved to find I’m not alone. I can’t stop watching him. I don’t want to stop watching him. If only I was 60 years older….
Comment by Veronica — April 14, 2005 @ 8:14 pm
(Taken from adtunes.com)
“1. Six Flag’s Dancing Fool
If there was ever a “most memorable” commercial for the year, it is the Six Flags bald pied piper moving to an infectious (for better or worse) tune. Featuring a few looped seconds of the Vengaboys song “We Like to Party” (iTunes), the campaign stars a strange dancing old man (called “Mr. Six” by the company), ready to bus unsuspecting families to a Six Flags theme park. We can still hear the song just thinking about it.”
This is the link
http://adtunes.com/archives/2004/12/27/top_10_ad_music_of_2004.html
This info is all the way at the bottom of the page.
Comment by Mr. Orange — April 22, 2005 @ 2:07 am
Some reason the end of hte link got cut off, so here it is again.
If it gets cut off, then the end of it is 2004.html
http://adtunes.com/archives/2004/12/27/top_10_ad_music_of_2004.html
Comment by Mr. Orange — April 22, 2005 @ 2:10 am
This site has (a little) more info on the beloved Mr. Six
(and with the help tinyurl.com, this link SHOULD NOT get cut off this time)
http://tinyurl.com/dlq7t
Comment by Mr. Orange — April 22, 2005 @ 2:16 am
That song is awsome!!!!!!!!!!!! I wish I could listen to it!!!!!!!!!
Comment by Benjamin — May 5, 2005 @ 3:40 pm
Comment by lyrics — May 15, 2005 @ 8:12 am
I spend many nights wondering who is the old man. I must find out more about the dancing 70 yr old the and creative team
behind him.I would like to see him
battle {Matt Hoffman.. bmx God} on bmx bikes. Lets see how young this
pretend old man really is.
Comment by alex Lifeson geddy jr. — May 26, 2005 @ 4:20 pm
I did a web search on “Six,Flags,Theme,Song” and all kind of sites came up. You should check it out. One of the best ones I found was http://www.tvacres.com/admascots_mr_six.htm
I work in a local bar where we have a cutomer who looks JUST like “Mr. Six”. He’s got the out-fit and the song. He’s going to act it out at a Baltimore Raven’s Roost parade this week-end in Ocean City, Maryland. How can you not like the commercial - it’s HALARIOUS!!
Comment by Kim — May 30, 2005 @ 11:15 pm
I’ve read conflicting reports. Is Mr six an old man as he appears, or is it a younger person in costume. Either way, he’s too cool !
Comment by Clifford Asbury — July 15, 2005 @ 11:29 am
This seems to be a very upbeat posting on Mr. Six. I think its great he can have so much fun and make money too. The interesting part about it is the inovative use of the tux. P.S. Not every body over 60 is Dormant,Have fun and Party Hearty
Comment by Pat Cain — August 8, 2005 @ 9:50 pm