Commercials aren't meant to be complicated. Say a little about what your product can do, slip in a little joke or talking gecko to keep things memorable and get out of there before you piss anyone off. And because they're so brief and don't have time for complexity, commercials often have to rely on shortcuts, especially when depicting characters. Archetypes and stereotypes are common: We know that when we see a fireman in an ad, we're dealing with a tough hero sort; that when we see someone wearing a lab coat, we should trust them implicitly; and that when we see a cartoon rabbit, we're dealing with a serial cereal thief.

A very common stock character who's attracted a bit of attention lately is the "dumb dad." You may already know what I'm talking about, but if you've been skipping television ads for the last several years using the Power of Technology, I'll explain. These ads typically feature a dad or husband figure blundering around the house, seeming baffled by basic human activities. Here's a typical example, where some idiot gets confused by the idea of flavored yogurt: