I know a number of our readers work in the restaurant industry so I'm looking for your opinion here.

A US restaurant association has expressed their concern over a Nationwide Insurance commercial starring Kevin Federline, which is set to debut during Super Bowl. In the ad, Britney's ex- is dreaming about being a rap star, but when he snaps back to reality, the scene shows him working in a fast food joint. A representative from the National Restaurant Association believes that it conveys the image that working in a restaurant is unpleasant and demeaning.

Personally, I think a Nationwide Insurance official said it best: "We're not making fun of anybody, except maybe Kevin Federline." What do you think? Does this ad sound like it conveys the image that working in a restaurant is demeaning, or are people taking it a little too seriously?

Last year, Sun-Maid's iconic mascot, the Sun-Maid maid, got a makeover so the brand would have a new look. Her overall appearance remained very similar, but she was digitized. The newly three dimensional character talks, does yoga and promotes California raisins, but even though she was one of the first ad icons to undergo this overhaul, she isn't the only one. Orville Redenbacher has recently been digitized so that he can continue to convincingly promote his famous popcorn brand over ten years after his death. The first ad to use digital Orville will air during the Golden Gloves and will depict "Redenbacher [pitching] popcorn while jiving to his MP3 player." A preview clip can be seen here.

With the amount of technology that went into the ad, it is the company's most expensive ever, but as we have seen from the movie industry, an expensive venture doesn't always yield blockbuster results. Opinions vary on whether this was a good idea or a bad one. Some, including Redenbacher's grandson, see it as a way to remember the man and even feel that he would have loved the idea himself. Others think that there is "a certain creepiness" to the revival of a long-dead man.

Click past the jump for a vintage Orville Redenbacher commercial.

If you thought that eating sugary cereal could be hazardous to your health, just try starring in a commercial for it. The star of this recent Frosties cereal ad (the name for Frosted Flakes in the UK), a 15-year old gymnast from Johannesburg, South Africa, has actually gotten death threats as a direct result of appearing in the ad. Apparently, people just find the jingle to be so irritating, that they have said things like "He's a revolting despicable child - he deserves to die." Kellogg's put a stop to just about all the interviews with the star, just to be on the safe side, but spokespeople say that the ad is actually quite popular with viewers.

Having seen the commercial in the video clip above, I have to say that the viewers of this ad must be a very lucky bunch because this is by no means the most irritating or disturbing ad on TV - Skittles and Burger King already have a head start in those departments, and the recent Folger's ad is in its own category of weirdness. Death threats? It's just breakfast.

Who misses the McDLT? Ah, for those long lost days of oversized styrofoam packaging. Fortunately, I can relieve the glory days with this fantastic Jason Alexander commercial.

Cruising YouTube is a good way to pass a few minutes (or hours) when you have nothing better to do or simply can't be bothered to get on with your work. You can discover all kinds of interesting video clips - such as commercials from the 1980s. Granted, the commercials were irritating when they first aired, but they have a certain amount of appeal now. It's hard to say whether it's the fact that most of them have jingles/music or that they're simply hilarious. Here are a few more favorites, all worth reliving:

I miss the Cadbury bunny. This isn't the first time I've mentioned him, but I will repeat that the persuasive and adorable clucking bunny is one of the factors that made me want to purchase Cadbury Creme Eggs. How can you resist a treat that comes from the Easter Bunny, after all? It is even more difficult when you are an impressionable child and the cute bunny is offering you chocolate. This is an example of good food advertising (in all its retro glory), with a likable icon and a simple, tasty presentation of the product - a stark contrast to some of the disturbingly creepy ads that companies are using to promote their products nowadays.

The full commercial is after the jump.

We already know that creepy ads must sell more burgers, but can they sell candy, too? Skittles newest ad features a man with what appears to be a magical beard. The several foot long beard moves of its own accord, picking up Skittles and popping them into the mouth of the hirsute beard-owner. As disturbing as that image is, the worst it yet to come. The whole scene takes place during a job interview and when the man doesn't get the job, his beard feeds the woman interviewing him a Skittle and then strokes her face. The image of a mangy, hairy mass feeding Skittles to a woman is, quite unfortunately, now imprinted onto my brain. Good job, Skittles. This ad beats out the creepy king ad.

The entire video of the commercial is after the jump.

In America, bigger is always seen as better. This is perfectly exemplified by the food industry, where simply getting a taco at an establishment might mean loosening your belt buckle a few notches. It always seems like fast food enterprises are trying to outdo each other--either through quantity or eye candy. I found a very hilarious short video that truly exemplifies the banal side of restaurant portions. I really couldn't stop laughing at this one.