Alright, Jalops and Jalop-ettes. I wasn't planning on posting a classic ad featuring the "Japander" phenomenon, where a Western celebrity stars in absurd Japanese TV commercials, for the third week in a row.
But after reader Dhalgren01 informed me about these early 1990s Toyota Celica ads starring Eddie Murphy, I just couldn't resist. How ridiculous are they? Let's just say they're everything you would expect from a combination of Eddie Murphy and Japandering.
In these ads Eddie is hawking the fifth generation Celica, the one that ran from 1989 to 1993. That car's looks don't hold up all that well today, but they're a great example of carmakers' abrupt shift from 80s boxiness to 90s streamlining.
The ad was also done at what was arguably the height of Eddie Murphy's career — by 1989 he had done 48 Hours, Beverly Hills Cop I and II, and Coming to America, all of which are fantastic films.
In this series of ads Eddie's quick to point out the Celica's smooth four-wheel steering, 10-speaker audio system, and "supa supa" styling. In New York it's almost as popular as Eddie is, wakata? Anyway, the ads are a bit repetitive, but they get more and more silly as they go on.
Check it out and then tell me: what's your favorite Eddie Murphy movie, and what's your favorite generation of Celica?