MetaChat - The strange allure of the Progressive insurance girl

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04 December 2008

The strange allure of the Progressive insurance girl

post by: pieisexactlythree at: 17:22 | 30 comments

I haven't seen the commercials yet, but at least part of it is due to false eyelashes. Recently I was commenting about how insanely powerful false eyelashes are. They totally transform a woman's face. They're over the top, yet really striking if you can pull it off. false eyelashes rock and I'm glad to see them making a (sort of) comeback.

posted by Miko 04 December | 17:34

She is sort of annoying, but also alluring. She's got sort of the Manic Pixie thing going on, which is mega-popular nowadays, but she's not a waif.

Also yeah, fake eyelashes are incredible - I wore some at my wedding and I hardly recognized myself. Also, the red lipstick - it's back in a big way right now.

posted by muddgirl 04 December | 17:44

She's 38??????
Sweet.

posted by Thorzdad 04 December | 17:50

I haven't seen the commercials yet...

!!!

Your TV must run on magic.

posted by Atom Eyes 04 December | 18:01

She has about as much allure for me as the Geico cavemen.

I guess I just have a prejudice against fake insurance spokespeople. :(

posted by mudpuppie 04 December | 18:16

And now that I think about it, I'll add the Geico gecko to my list of annoying insurance shills.

That Dennis Haysbert is okay, though. He makes me feel calm and immediately forgetful of all the shitty things that Allstate has done to black people.

posted by mudpuppie 04 December | 18:18

Pup, no love for Erin Esurance?

posted by pieisexactlythree 04 December | 18:19

I'd forgotten about her. But no. Not feeling any love.

posted by mudpuppie 04 December | 18:24

Oh lord, I hate those Esurance commercials.

posted by muddgirl 04 December | 18:24

In buffalo exchange there is a poster with a young woman winking and going "psssst!" with some sort of announcement. . .she reminds me of this person. . .(looked for an image, didn't find anything)

posted by danf 04 December | 18:31

She is cute but the joke about the "big tricked out" (or whatever she says) name tag is not funny.

posted by LoriFLA 04 December | 18:34

FLO! We love Flo! (We say it louder.) And her big, tricked-out name tag.

I think we like the character because she seems to really like what she does in a totally fun, over the top way. I like seeing people who're happy doing what they do.

posted by eamondaly 04 December | 18:45

I have often found myself wondering if she likes it in the butt. At first it was a coin toss between her and Erin Esurance, but I think the weird noises she makes put it over the top.

Plus, no way Erin lets you stick it up her butt.

posted by Eideteker 04 December | 19:12

She's like Phoebe on Friends. To a guy, I think that "manic pixie" thing translates into "I will do sexual things with and to you that your last girlfriend, you know, the one your mom liked, would never dream of doing!"

posted by Doohickie 04 December | 19:18

There is nothing strange about her allure. I protest. I have totally thought the tattoo thing, too.

posted by middleclasstool 04 December | 19:51

ROLF@Eideteker

posted by MonkeyButter 04 December | 20:00

I find Erin Esurance very alluring. It is unnatural considering she's a drawing. But I put her in league with my other animated loves: Judy Jetson and Betty Rubble.

posted by birdherder 04 December | 20:08

It is unnatural considering she's a drawing.

I have one word for you:

Japan.

posted by pieisexactlythree 04 December | 20:11

I like Flo. She has that weird "I live in my own universe" thing going on, but she's not annoyingly flaky. Also, I saw these commercials for months at work with the volume down (the TV in my edit bay has the sound off and closed captioning on most of the time), and when I finally saw these commercials with sound, I liked that she had a normal voice and not a squeaky kewpie doll voice, which is what I had feared.

I have no idea why I've thought about this so much, except that these ads run every 30 seconds or so on my network.

posted by BoringPostcards 04 December | 20:16

On non-preview:

It is unnatural considering she's a drawing.

I have one word for you:

Japan.

I just about snorted beer out my nose.

posted by BoringPostcards 04 December | 20:18

She's cute, they dress her up with some style and the charcter comes across as smart and charming. I don't see that allure as all that strange.

posted by jonmc 04 December | 20:45

My roommate says she looks like me. He drinks a lot, though.
(also, progressive raised my insurance by $5 a month for no reason when I renewed. Which pissed me off, but not enough to change it or anything)

posted by kellydamnit 04 December | 21:23

Esurance? I'm supposed to buy "esurance" now? Good fucking luck with that. I'd rather do internet banking with Iceland.

Both the drawing and Flo are cute. They've both got me dialed right in.

posted by DarkForest 04 December | 21:25

"She's like Phoebe on Friends." That's an interesting comment as I would put them at opposite ends of the spectrum. And yeah I like Flo too.

posted by arse_hat 04 December | 23:26

I watched a few of them on YouTube and I think the Pheobe comparison is pretty close, myself. There's the same very sudden changes of expression, as if spontaneous, unfiltered thoughts govern the actions.

Anyway, I feel like I'm obsessing in a creepy way now. She's cute and looks like a nice person. Glad she got such a good gig.

posted by Miko 04 December | 23:32

mudpuppie,

I'm with you on this one!

posted by lukemeister 05 December | 00:10

Esurance? I'm supposed to buy "esurance" now? Good fucking luck with that. I'd rather do internet banking with Iceland.

the roomie has esurance. they gave him a better price than geico and progressive. But, he has a van he paid $100 for, so it's pretty minimal coverage. They haven't accidentally canceled him or anything. I don't know anyone who uses them who has had to make a claim, though

posted by kellydamnit 05 December | 00:22

progressive raised my insurance by $5 a month for no reason when I renewed.

It was the "Flo Tax."

posted by drezdn 05 December | 08:17

Whenever I saw her I couldn't help but think how uncomfortable that hair must be.

I wish I could find it now, but I saw a commercial for what amounted to hair bustles. You'd lift up part of your hair, tease it some, then put this plastic crescent down on the rest of your hair and cover it with the teased bit. I couldn't stop laughing for five minutes after it ended, mainly because it was just so .... Southern.

I've been bemused that ever since I cut my hair short, the big news is that Big Hair Is Back

the money must flo!

posted by lysdexic 05 December | 15:01

Thanks to the magic of Tivo I get to avoid all the commercials. And I emphatically deny rewinding the Victoria Secret ads.

posted by trinity8-director 05 December | 19:45

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