Will Ferrell’s family is mourning his memory in a darkly hilarious new series of PSAs advocating that people put their smartphones away at the dinner table.
In the first PSA for Common Sense Media’s #DeviceFreeDinner campaign, a family sit at a table talking about how much they miss their father. In a hilarious twist, it turns out their father is Will Ferrell, and he’s actually right there at the dinner table, glued to a cat filter on his smartphone.
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In another ad, the family has to pressure their smartphone-addicted father into putting his device into a basket, without touching it for the rest of the meal.
In two shorter videos, the “Anchorman” star still can’t put down his phone, liking posts on social media, and then asking for a charger when he notices the device’s battery is only at 2 per cent.
James P. Steyer, the founder and CEO of Common Sense Media, said in a statement, “In today’s tech-driven world, where things are moving so quickly, it is really important to step back and take a hard look at what technology kids are using and how they are using it.”
“It’s no fun to show someone disciplining a kid, but disciplining a parent who happens to be played by a famous comedian? Major fun,” said Jeff Goodby, the founder of ad agency Goodby Silverstein and Partners, which produced the PSAs.
