Is it just me?

There are lots of reasons that I would never buy a Dell computer, but their ad campaign is just one more. I just don't get the deal with this "Stephen." Is it really effective?

I mean, maybe they figure that younger people don't see the similarity (though I would have thought with Nick at Nite that even many Gen X and Yers would also). But to the degree that some of their market is boomers, why in the world do they think that anyone would buy a computer being promoted by Eddie Haskell?

And if people will buy a computer being hawked by Eddie Haskell, does this explain Bill Clinton's success?

[Update]

Reader Stephen Karlson asks:

Only now have you recognized that this kid is the second coming of Eddie Haskell? That's been common knowledge on words-l@uga.edu for a long time.

Yup. Guess I'm just "out of it" (whatever the heck "it" is...)

Will it sell computers? I don't know. Is it any less goofy than the talking cow Gateway are using?

Less goofy? No. But given an endorsement by a cow vs Eddie Haskell, I'll have to go with the bovine recommendation. If it can talk, it's worthy of the benefit of the doubt, but Eddie Haskell...well...

Only now have you recognized that this kid is the second coming of Eddie Haskell? That's been common knowledge on words-l@uga.edu for a long time.

Will it sell computers? I don't know. Is it any less goofy than the talking cow Gateway are using?

Oddly enough, my wife has been convienced that Stephen is Eddie's son (or perhaps grandson)since the very first Dell commercial.

I think sadly it will sell computers, because the commercials do what commercials should do, which is to make the brand name memorable and familier. It doesn't matter that it's being pushed by an annoying deliquent.

There is a very funny running joke about Stephen going on at The Daily Probe, a web based satire site.

The premise of the first two pieces is that Stephen uses his knowledge of PC's to bed the mothers of the dudes to whom he is selling Dell's. The third one veers off topic a bit, but I'm pretty sure the next one will deal with the mild homo-erotic themes in the Stephen as a christmas-elf advert.

First piece about moms.

Second piece documents the cycle.

Third piece, veers off topic a bit.