Contour Chair Commercial: “I Got the Microwave!”

Here is a real blast from the past! If you watched TV during the 1980s, you almost certainly caught this ad for the Contour Chair, which aired heavily on local stations during the mornings and afternoons.

This commercial may have been hosted by celebrity Art Linkletter, but the real stars were the “actors” who told us which free gift they received with their purchase.

You got to love the happy-go-lucky attitude of the guy who says, “I took the VCR.” That man will soon celebrate by buying everyone a round of drinks down at Archie Bunker’s Place.

Even more memorable is the woman who says, “I got the microwave!” She gives each syllable in MY-CROW-WAVE the respect it deserves. It is as if she is pronouncing this unusual word for the first time and wants to make sure people know what she is talking about. Her grin tacked on at the end is also a very nice touch.

Back during the time this commercial was airing, my mom bought a desk from a used furniture store. Inside were a small puffy apple sticker and a 4-ounce weight (the kind used on old fashioned scales) left behind by the previous owner. For months afterwards, my sisters and I would mimic the Contour Chair ad by saying, “I got the puffy apple sticker” in the imitation of the VCR man and “I got the FOUR-OUNCE-WEIGHT!” in imitation of the microwave lady.

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HT: Brian Boone at The Retroist