Sunday, June 29, 2008

FYI: 1780 ≠ Medieval



*headdesk*

Will someone please tell Altoids that neither jousting nor "the Black Death" was a big part of the English experience in 1780?* Not a whole lot of beheading going on in England then either (Simon Fraser, Lord Lovat was the last person beheaded in England — he was executed on April 9, 1747).

Oh wait, I forgot. Everything before 1950 is just undifferentiated
ye olde tyme
.

This Altoids commercial features accusations of witchcraft. In 1780.

I know it's supposed to be funny, but you can't tell me there are no 18th century jokes to be made. There's no reason to make it so stupidly wrong, other than to make history teachers' heads explode. Also, isn't the cerebellum in charge of motor control?

*I should note that the TV version of this commercial has a title card that makes it explicit that this scene is set in 1780.

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