The Brady Bunch has gotten a lot of play lately. Recently, action star Danny Trejo is Marcia Brady in Snickers ads that will air during the Super Bowl. Why? I'm not quite sure. But on the heels of the "Sure Jan" meme from A Very Brady Sequel taking over the internet and our hearts, this could not be more timely. The juxtaposition just makes it a little kookier and apropos for the occasion.
A behind the scenes video identifies it as being part of the "you're not you when you're hungry" ad campaign. So, the idea is that Marcia Brady is hungry and therefore turns into Razor Eddie until a Snickers bar can calm her down. Sure, Marcia. It also shows how they composited actors to "recreate" the scenes and make them look as though Florence Henderson and Robert Reed, the actors who played Carol and Mike Brady in the original series, are actually there. Pretty high tech stuff for a Super Bowl commercial.
If you weren't a Brady Bunch fan (and let's face it, I wouldn't be if it weren't for Nick at Nite reruns), here are the references you may be missing. Sure, it's shocking and amusing enough to see Machete himself in a muted suburban 1970s living room and bed room. But it might help to have a little bit of the context.
Here's the first ad, that references the elder Brady sister's habit of brushing her hair with 100 strokes — which was also mocked in A Very Brady Sequel.
The second teaser features another classic Marcia Brady moment, and Steve Buscemi? What is this referencing? Only one of the most traumatic moments in Marcia's life, when she gets hit in the face by a football right after making a date with Doug, who is a football player. The irony hurts more than her swollen smeller! At least this makes sense for a Super Bowl commercial.
Here is the original, tragic scene from the fourth season of The Brady Bunch that aired in 1973. That football was heard 'round the world.
The behind the scenes clip explains that they thought the Boardwalk Empire actor could bring just the right amount of angst to the Jan Brady role. Ah, the plight of the middle child. She was never as cute as Cindy or as perfect as Marcia. Here's is Jan Brady's infamous "Marcia Marcia Marcia" meltdown that Buscemi is imitating in the second teaser.
Sorry Jan, but Marcia Brady is pretty fabulous, she always has been, and there's not much that you can do about it. A Very Brady Sequel may be a comedic take on the old family sitcom, but there's no exaggerating how much of a diva this girl was. I wouldn't want to mess with her, Danny Trejo-d or not!
Both of these are "teasers" and seem to be alluding to a longer, possibly full-length Brady Bunch episode to air during the Super Bowl on NBC this Sunday. What else will hungry Marcia Brady get into? We'll have to wait and see, though frankly I'm a little scared. Will any other stars show up?
Image: NBC; chaptertwo-thepacnw; Tumblr
