My family deserves a break. It’s not easy living with me and my AAA personality and Italian heritage. Even though, under the advice of my physician, I make sincere attempts to control my emotions, I fail to do so just about every day.

Sometimes, I just explode.

I’m not proud of that, but I can blame it on the DNA.

What is making me explode is the television advertising from my dear old friend, the Car Dealer.

I ranted about them back in May. The complete and total lack of respect for their audience is driving me up a wall. Back in the spring I cited examples of the ignorant and misguided attempts at car dealer advertising that runs daily in my market. Dealer after dealer throws away their ad budgets on ill-conceived, poorly-produced, and completely off-the-mark attempts at being a spokesperson for their brand.

Last night’s TV viewing set me off again.

“I’d like you to come on down and visit us and look at our cars…” spouts a local dealer who bears a strong resemblance to The Grinch That Stole Christmas. Really, would you like me to do that? How about giving me ONE COMPELLING REASON to “Come On Down”? No, he just wants me to.

Another entry in the amateur spokesman hall of fame comes from a dealer who actually has a positioning: “No Haggle–One Associate“. Think about that — he’s telling us all that they won’t negotiate prices, the one thing every consumer expects a dealer to do, and that we will only need to deal with one of their salespeople. And THAT’S the reason to do business with you?

Strategy? Positioning? Unique Selling Proposition?

None of the above. Just arrogance. What else do you call it when someone casts themself in a TV campaign that has no hope of being successful other than to hear their family and friends tell them how good they look on TV? I can picture these guys hunched over their set in their dark living room at 3:00 AM just waiting to see themselves again during the next break.

Back in May, I asked if there was a car dealer somewhere with some self-respect. As of today, 150 days later, the question still stands.

If anyone can show me an example, I’d love to see it.