I admit it: I hate commercials, and if I have a show taped on a DVR, I will fast forward through them so fast the pitchman won’t even have a chance to say, “Buy this!” In the online world, I hit “skip” as soon as humanly possible when I’m watching some YouTube video and an annoying spiel for the latest pharmaceutical pops up.
But there are ads that can move you. There are bad ones—think Bud Light and Dylan Mulvaney—and there are good ones. Anyone who is old enough to remember “where’s the beef” knows that it became a catchphrase throughout the ‘80s, deservedly so, IMHO.
The good:
And the bad:
There are many commercials over the decades that we could discuss—both terrific and terrible—but my wife sent me one Sunday that maybe sort of touched my cold, hard, toxic-masculinity-filled heart just a little bit. The spot, for Coca-Cola, brilliantly sums up both the joys and trials of parenthood in the modern age. Yes, little kids are bundles of joy—but yes, they also will test your stress tolerance and bring you to the edge of exhaustion in ways you never thought possible.
Watch, and if you’re a parent, pretend to look out the window and scratch that non-existent itch in your eye.
Remember, @Bob_Hoge_CA?
— Roxanne Hoge (@RoxanneHoge) May 19, 2024
The ad is not new; in fact, it's over a decade old, and it wasn't even intended for American audiences—it played in Argentina. But X/Twitter user Joshua Steinman posted it Sunday to the social media platform, where it has received over 5 million views. Influencer Peachy Keenan reposted the video and wrote about her now seven-year-old daughter. "She's seven now and the greatest gift I have ever or will ever receive," she wrote.
As one user noted, "It's interesting that countries outside the US are sent advertisements that celebrate life." Good point.
I’m not a crying man—call me old-fashioned, but I don’t like seeing dudes bawling, and I never want to be that guy. Fine, I’m a Neanderthal—insult happily accepted. But I’ve experienced loss in the last few years—both my mom and my pops left the world much sooner than I was prepared for (if you can even prepare for such events)—and I admit that perhaps I’ve gotten a little more “feeling” than I used to be.
Sometimes I pretend to look away during movie trailers, sue me.
Yes of course I remember. Wasn't that just a few weeks ago?
— Bob Hoge (@Bob_Hoge_CA) May 20, 2024
I sorta lost track of time after I turned 30. I think that might have been a couple of years back?
Watching this young couple going through the incredible moments of life—the first profound realization that they're no longer just people on an island, they're parents—reminded me of just how incredible life’s journey can be.
An aside to those who don't have children: you can still find meaning by fostering or adopting or simply being in a child's life—this isn't meant to say that only biological parents can find something deeper than themselves.
Now, I was away with family when my wife called me and said, “Sit down.” She’s a bit of a drama queen, so I took it with a bit of salt. “Yes, dear,” I said.
“There’s a heartbeat,” she said.
I quickly adjusted. We already had two wonderful kids and were very happy despite the myriad challenges. We had thought about a third, but that didn’t seem to be in the cards, so we’d gotten used to the fact that we were to remain the parents of two. Whoa, OK, so we would now have a third. My mind processed the new development. Awesome. We could handle this.
“But there’s more,” she said. “There are two heartbeats.”
Now the next few moments are a blur in my memory, but family legend has it that I literally fell back into a chair with such a profound look of utter shock on my face that they were concerned I was having a coronary.
My life was changed forever.
My twin girls have been an utter blessing and, like their brother and sister before them, have brought joy into the world. But I’m not going to tell you it’s easy raising four children in a big city these days, especially when COVID hit and Biden came along and decided to destroy the country.
I get it—some will say, this is just a soda commercial, get over yourself. But I do think they captured the magic—and tribulations—of parenthood.
I one thousand percent related to the look on that guy’s face as he realizes he’s bringing another life into the world—he’s full of terror, but also joy. Been there, pal, and although there will be some turbulence ahead, I hope it enriches your life as much as it has mine.
It’s just another ad, but it’s a damn good one.
Don’t miss: RedState Deputy Managing Editor Susie Moore talks about her own family journey in a moving piece: I'll Be in the Kitchen
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