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Elaine and I are making our way through 30 Rock on Hulu, which means that we see the same clutch of commercials again and again. As Orin Incandenza observes in Infinite Jest, “With television you were subjected to repetition. The familiarity was inflicted.”
And is.
And so a commercial for Camzyos has come before us again and again. It has four men playing basketball. And each time, I wonder: why is no one even attempting to guard the man in blue as he shoots? If you watch the commercial complete, you’ll see that they’re not just shooting around: it’s two on two, blue and brown vs. lavender and grey. At one point we see grey guarding blue, yet no one even tries to guard blue as he prepares to shoot (and, perhaps, double dribbles). After the shot goes in, lavender appears to be slightly crushed. And blue’s teammate is jubilant. So it’s a real game, with real sorrow and real joy: in other words, consequences.
So again I ask: Why is no one guarding blue? The only reason I can think of is that blue is on Camzyos, but that possibility runs counter to the spirit of the commercial, which is about being back in the game.
One more question: why, at 0:07–0:08, does lavender appear to be practicing a rudimentary dance step?
Watch the commercial to see if you, too, go a bit crazy.
*
November 18: For better basketball, see this commercial for Rinvoq.
Wednesday, August 20, 2025
A commercial that makes me crazy
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comments: 23
This commercial was made by someone like me—someone who has NO idea how basketball is played! I would never have thought of this element of “blocking”. 😄
Yeah, you try to keep the other team from making baskets. Sometimes there are even fouls! :)
This rings a distant bell… ;)
Are you thinking of boxing? Sorry — the world's a mess and I'm taking any chance to lighten things.
I was trying to think of a clever pun to come back with, but I’m down for the count.
Oh well. Maybe next time! (I finally figured out how to make a comment as a reply.)
I googled “Camzyos worst basketball ever” and was gratified to find your post. These guys are playing like they’re 90.
Score! Thanks for letting me know.
Yes, agree on everything about this. It looks like they've never even held a basketball before. Lots of ads and marketing are horrendous bc they don't take the time to research what they're trying to portray. And I find these drug companies make their ads in Australia or South Africa where the parks and landscapes look "similar" but the foliage is very different.
It might amuse you to know that this post has had close to 700 visits. It's fun to know that lots of people find that ad ridiculous.
Yes. Creepy guy in blue has NEVER played or even seen a basketball game. What is the relationship between him and the other rather athletic fellows? Also who is the little girl to him? Why does he fall down on the court? He makes those odd facial expressions. Maybe it’s his girlfriend’s daughter? Later the other guys make those ( for tv commercials only) warm up stretches that you will never see in a genuine athletic event.
My husband commented, "Those guys have NEVER played basketball in their lives!" I laughed and said, "I'll bet there's a thread about it somewhere online!" Sure enough!
I love seeing that this commercial makes other people crazy too. We are not alone!
The guy in blue was traded to Dallas by the Lakers for three first round draft picks.
👍
If playing ball like this is a result of taking Camzy0s, it needs to be added to the list of Adverse Events!!
Agree, this commercial drives me crazy. Think about this: first, a branding company selected this guy as a b-ball player (obvious that he never, ever played ball) and then, second, the marketing lead at the pharma company had to give a thumbs up to this commercial. I am guessing the main actor is the son of EVP of the pharma’s marketing dept
This commercial drives me crazy. He’s never shot a basketball before the day of filming! I found your blog when I was searching a link to show my brother.
I’m so glad to know I’m not alone.
Thanks for letting me know! I made a post today to note that the Google Search Console shows camzyos basketball commercial as the fastest growing search that finds my blog.
This commercial is amazing. Makes me think of this hilarious SNL sketch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUjf1lVOGOo&t=17s
Thanks! That’s very funny.
After complaining about (and mocking) this commercial to my wife, I decided to Google the darn thing. The Youtube link you’ve embedded is actually a less egregious edit of this commercial. The one I’m seeing on Amazon Prime makes it seem as though several of this guy’s buddies showed up on the court to wish him well after some cardiac “incident,” passed the ball around to each other out of sympathy, then couldn’t wait to get to their real game. It’s like watching wheelchair basketball being played by blind morons.
I think we’re seeing the same commercial — beginning with a high five and then playing. It’s the only version at iSpot. But I think you’re being massively unfair to people who use wheelchairs, people who are blind, and people with intellectual disabilities. No need to make those comparisons when mocking this commercial.
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