Ethos Life "Ghost Dad" Commercial: No, It's not a Skit

 

Seriously, I watched this twice and noted the official Ethos logo on the ad before I was able to convince myself that this was not pulled from an episode of SNL.

First, you've got the creepy kids letting dad know EXACTLY how his dying would impact them- "we'd be HOMELESS" says the little girl in her best Precocious Sitcom Child voice.  Not "we love you and would be devastated."  Just an eyeroll and "come on dad, we like this house and you pay for it so we need you to hang around."

And the little boy with his "I have no one to look up to...."  But you DO have someone to live off of, Dead or Alive, so that's ok?

Second, you've got Mom telling him that "of course we love you BUT we also love our home" in a tone that makes it pretty damn unmistakable which one is the priority.  And then she doubles down- "PLUS the kids want to go to college..." Holy Crap Woman, just call him your freaking meal ticket and get it over with.  You don't just want this guy to get life insurance- you want him to get enough to make sure that if something happens to him, you get to keep the house and the kids get to go college and neither involves you actually getting a job.  And what kind of parent brings her small children into a discussion concerning Our Living Conditions After Dad Inevitably Dies Young?

Now, the guy does respond to all this "honey get life insurance so we can stop worrying about the possibility of one day living in a world where we have to take care of ourselves" by ruining a sheet and acting far less mature than his ghoul kids, so maybe his family is legitimately concerned that Dad will accidentally kill himself in one of any number of ways any day now.  But he must have something going on between his ears to be able to afford that ridiculous estate, scheming bloodless trophy wife and evil children.  Or is it all inherited?  But if that's the case, what's the big deal about insurance?  Are you blowing through this guy's family fortune that fast?  

The mom is Awful, the kids are Awful (and- if they are actual human children- Traumatized,) and Dad is not handling his wife and children obsessing over Life After Him as if it's right around the corner very well.  What a bizarre commercial.  What isn't bizarre is that Comments are blocked.  I can imagine what that thread would have looked like.