College football season is back and with it come the tropes we all know and love. Seeing which mascot head Lee Corso might wear. Waiting for Gus Johnson to go crazy over an insane play. Watching FCS teams rip the heart out of FBS contenders who spent all summer hearing how good they were.
And of course, realizing that that one commercial you are already sick of is going to bore itself into your brain for the entire season and there is nothing you can do to escape its wrath while your favorite team marches towards a mid-tier bowl game and you await your inevitable demise.
Applebee’s, congrats, you are this year’s winner. The casual dining restaurant premiered their new commercial, which features people dancing on TikTok to Walker Hayes’ “Fancy,” a few weeks ago.
https://twitter.com/Applebees/status/1430626295671570437
College football fans found out the hard way on Saturday that this thing was going to be in extremely heavy rotation during ad breaks and, well, they decided to voice their concerns on Twitter.
Not sure I can survive a full season of this singing Applebees commercial…
— SEC Mike (@MichaelWBratton) September 4, 2021
WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO TO BLOCK THE APPLEBEES COMMERCIAL
— Jay Arnold (@CoachJayArnold) September 3, 2021
So my reward for staying home during a pandemic is this Applebees commercial 87 times a day. pic.twitter.com/w6JyxRtc21
— Lauren Elam (@BaylorSays) September 4, 2021
Stop airing this commercial @Applebees. This is bad engagement. I used to not think about you, but now I hate you. Stop the bleeding. Delete the file! Every time I hear it I'll donate to TGI Fridays. Certainly it will roast in the Fire. Relent! Or I'll join the Chilis street team
— Jason Kirk (buy my novel) (@JasonKirk_fyi) September 3, 2021
if you listen to the applebees commercial backwards doug applebees, the owner of applebees, will crawl out of your toilet and then beat you to death with a brick
— Bill DiFilippo (@billdifilippo) September 5, 2021
Since @Applebees decided to make a commercial so bad it enraged the lucrative college football audience, what are better alternatives for fans that want to punish their insolence?
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) September 5, 2021
It should be noted that there are, in fact, four ads featuring the song in the campaign. So let that be a warning to college football fans everywhere that the pain is just beginning.
Also, just because we read this quote, now you have to read it as well…
“For years, my wife Laney and I have been regulars at Applebee’s for date night, and I’ve always wanted to write a song about it,” [Walker Hayes] said in a statement provided by the chain.
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About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.