120 Mom Jokes That Are Sure to Make Your Mama Smile
Knock, knock. Who's there? Adore. Adore who? Adore you, Mommy! Motherhood is hard. Sure, it is one of the most rewarding positions we moms will ever have, but sometimes we just have to laugh so that we don't cry. And as it just so happens, there are plenty of jokes and puns that are sure to make any mom smile! In honor of moms everywhere, we have rounded up a collection of 120 mom jokes that are sure to put a smile on your mother's face. This list has you covered with kid-friendly knock, knock jokes, clever one-liners, tongue-in-cheek mom puns, and silly Q&A jokes that any mom will love. Take a gander at our list of 120 jokes about Mom and pick out your favorite wisecracks to share with Mom over brunch. There are plenty of jokes that the kids will be able to include in a hand-made Mother's Day card and even some hilarious quips that would be perfect to use as a Mother's Day Instagram caption for a family photo in honor of Mom on her special day.Related:
1. "It's spicy' is a universal mom code for 'I don't want to share.'
2. Son: 'Mom, can I have $20?'Mom: 'Does it look like I am made of money?'Son: 'Well, isn't that what M-O-M stands for?'
3. What kind of flowers are best for Mother's Day? Mums.
4. What did the baby corn say to the mama corn? Where's Pop-corn?
5. What did the panda give his mommy? A bear hug.
6. Don't wake up Mom! There are at least seven species that eat their young. Your mom may be one of them.
7. Why is a computer so smart? Because it listens to its motherboard.
8. Why did they have to rush the mommy rattlesnake to the doctor? She bit her tongue!
9. Why did the mommy cat want to go bowling? She was an alley cat.
10. Why did the cookie cry? Because his mother was a wafer so long!
11. Why was it so hard for the pirate to call his mom? Because she left the phone off the hook.
12. What are the three quickest ways to spread a rumor? The internet, telephone, and telling your mom.
13. Why is Mother's Day before Father's Day? So the kids can spend all their Christmas money on Mom.
14. What makes more noise than a child jumping on mommy's bed? Two children jumping on mommy's bed!
15. I asked a police recruit during an exam, 'What would you do if you had to arrest your own mother?'He said, 'Call for backup.'
16. What color flowers do mama cats like to get? Purrrrrrrple flowers.
17. Cleaning with kids in the house is like brushing your teeth with Oreos.
18. What do you call a short mom? A mini-mum.
19. I bought my mom a mug that says, 'Happy Mother's Day from the World's Worst Son'.I forgot to mail it but I think she knows.
20. What did the lazy boy say to his mom on Mother's Day when she was about to do the dishes? 'Relax Mom… you can just do them in the morning.'
21. What sweets do astronaut moms like? Mars bars.
22. I don't want to sleep like a baby. I want to sleep like my husband.
23. How do you keep little cows quiet, so their mommy can sleep late? Use the moooooote button.
24. There are two amounts of pasta moms are good at cooking:Not enough and enough for 3,000 people.
Related:
25. Mom: 'Look at that kid over there; he's not misbehaving.'Son: 'Maybe he has good parents then!'
26. What did the mama tomato say to the baby tomato? Catch up!
27. Mommy: 'Mommy will think about it!'Narrator: 'Mommy never thought about it. She knew it was 'no' all along and just wanted everyone to STFU.'
28. Knock, knock.Who's there?Howard.Howard who?Howard you like breakfast in bed, Mommy?
29. What was Cleopatra's favorite day of the year? Mummy's Day.
30. Silence is golden. Unless you have kids, then silence is suspicious.
31. Why did the baby strawberry cry? Because his mom was in a jam!
32. Licked a dark smear off my finger, and then thought, 'Phew it's chocolate.'
33. What did the mommy spider say to the Baby spider? You spend too much time on the web.
34. I hate when I'm waiting for mom to cook dinner, and then I remember I am the mom, and I have to cook dinner.
35. What did the mother broom say to the baby broom? It's time to go to sweep!
36. Mom: The amazing ability to hear a sneeze through closed doors, in the middle of the night, three bedrooms away… While daddy snores next to you.
37. Never doubt a mother! She can carry a screaming toddler, two gallons of milk, talk on her cell phone, and still slap the snot out of you for looking at her crazy.
38. Boy: 'My mom is having a new baby.'Girl: 'What's wrong with the old one?'
39. Nothing is really lost… until mom can't find it.
40. Whoever wrote the song 'Easy Like Sunday Morning' did not have kids.
41. There is a legend that if you take a shower and scream 'Mom' three times, a nice lady appears with the towel you forgot.
42. Knock, knock.Who's there?OmeletOmelet who?Omelet Mommy sleep in today.
43. Motherhood is fun and all, but have you ever had the house alone on a Saturday?
44. Please excuse the mess. My kids are making memories. Of me yelling at them. To clean up the mess.
45. At my age I'm no longer a snack; I'm a Happy Meal. I come with toys and kids.
Related:
46. My Mom told me I'd never amount to anything because I procrastinate too much.I said, 'Oh, yeah? Just you wait.'
47. A toddler can do more in one unsupervised minute than most people can do in a day.
48. Knock, knock.Who's there?Llama.Llama who?Llama Llama, I love my mama!
49. When your mom's voice is so loud, even your neighbors brush their teeth and get dressed.
50. Son: 'Mom, what's a weekend?'Mom: 'I don't know, sweetheart, I haven't had one since you were born.'
51. Baby snake: 'Mommy, are we poisonous?'Mommy snake: 'Yes, son. Why?'Baby snake: 'I just bit my tongue!'
52. Yes, please get a new cup every time you need water — said no mom ever.
53. You know you're a mom when you understand why Mama Bear's porridge was too cold.
54. Knock, knock.Who's there?Yo mama.Yo mama who?Yo mama who knows you didn't throw out the garbage like I asked you to.
55. They say women speak 20,000 words a day. I have a daughter who gets that done by breakfast.
56. Knock, knock.Who's there?Justin!Justin who?Justin time to say Happy Mother's Day!
57. You know you're a mom when picking up another human to smell their butt isn't only normal, but necessary.
58. Mom's recipe for iced coffee:Have kids.Make coffee.Forget you made coffee.Put it in the microwave.Forget you put it in the microwave.Drink it cold.
59. Mother to son: 'I'm warning you. If you fall out of that tree and break both your legs, don't come running to me!'
60. My housekeeping style as a mom can best be described as 'there appears to have been a struggle.'
61. Why was the house so neat on Mother's Day? Because Mom spent all day Saturday cleaning it.
62. Knock, knock.Who's there?Ivana.Ivana who?Ivana give you a kiss for Mother's Day!
63. Why did the bean children give their mom a sweater? She was chili.
64. My nickname is Mom. But my full name is 'Mom Mom Mom Mom Mom.'
65. Roses are red,Violets are blue.My mom's jokes,Are funnier than you.
66. How many moms does it take to screw in a lightbulb? One, obviously, and she has to do it or else it won't get done.
67. What kind of boat is barely staying afloat, yet somehow manages to function? The mother ship.
68. Kid: 'What's a man?'Dad: 'A man is someone who is responsible and cares for their family.'Kid: 'I hope one day I can be a man just like mom!'
69. Before having kids, every mom thinks she'll be a super-chill mom.That's because, at that point, we had no idea they'd break all our stuff, make ridiculous demands, and take roughly 10 years to get out of the car.
70. Knock, knock.Who's there?Gladys.Gladys who?Gladys Mother's Day!
Related:
71. My kids asked me what it was like to be a mom.So, I woke them up at 3 a.m. demanding to know where my lucky sock was.
72. She believed she could, and she almost did…But then someone asked her repeatedly for a snack and she totally lost track of what she was doing.
73. What's the fastest land mammal? A toddler who's been asked what's in their mouth.
74. Night Mom: 'Tomorrow, I'm going to get up early before all of the kids, pack their lunches, go for a run, cook a healthy breakfast, and enjoy 20 minutes of silent 'me time.''Morning Mom: 'Hahahahahaha. Nice try.'
75. Motherhood: When changing from plaid flannel PJs into black yoga pants qualifies as 'getting dressed.'
76. I love my kids. Not enough to flip the fish sticks halfway through cooking, but I love them.
77. Son: 'Mom, stop making jokes. You're not funny.'Mom: 'I made you, didn't I?'
78. Knock, knock.Who's there?Bacon.Bacon who?Bacon brownies for Mother's Day.
79. Why don't they have Mother's Day sales? Because mothers are priceless.
80. What's the difference between Superman and Mothers? Superman's just a superhero now and then. Moms are superheroes all the time.
81. Everything you do is so mom point.
82. What three words solve Dad's every problem? Ask your mother.
83. Mom, thanks for providing me with womb and board for all of these years!
84. Yoda best mom. Love you, I do.
85. I whale always love you, Mom.
86. Why do Mothers have to have two visits to the optometrist? Because they also have eyes in the back of their head.
87. A mother's sacrifice isn't giving birth. It's nine months without wine.
88. Why did Mom get a plate of English muffins on Mother's Day? Her family wanted her to feel like a queen!
Related:
89. Knock, knock.Who's there?Alec.Alec who?Alec to give mommy Mother's Day kisses
90. Parenting is buying a bounce house and swing set just so you can sit on the patio and drink wine in peace.
91. Children: You spend the first 2 years of their life teaching them to walk and talk. Then you spend the next 16 years telling them to sit down and shut up.
92. 1st baby: You begin wearing maternity clothes as soon as your OB/GYN confirms your pregnancy.2nd baby: You wear your regular clothes for as long as possible.3rd baby: Your maternity clothes are your regular clothes.
93. What did the digital clock say to its mother? Look, Ma! No hands!
94. I'm going to donate these bags of clothes to Goodwill. But first, I'm going to drive around with them in my trunk for four months.
95. What do you call a mom who can't draw? Tracy.
96. Happy Mother's Day, Mom. Thanks for puddin' up with me.
97. I would write a book about parenting, but it would just be filled with rants about doing everything myself. And cocktail recipes.
98. Knock, knock.Who's there?Al.Al who?Al give you a hug for Mother's Day!
99. You're a souper mom.
100. What kind of candy do moms love for Mother's Day? Her-she's Kisses.
101. Not to be cheesy, but you're a grate mom.
102. Motherhood is a constant battle between going to bed to catch up on some sleep or staying awake to finally get some alone time.
103. Why did the boy put the Mother's Day cupcakes in the freezer? His sister told him to ice them.
104. Son: "Dad, do you know the difference between a pack of cookies and a pack of elephants?"Dad: "No."Son: "Then it's a good thing Mom does the grocery shopping!"
105. There is no butter mom than you!
106. Why did the Mother's Day gift arrive the day after Mother's Day? It was chocoLATE.
107. Mom, I donut know what I'd do without you.
108. What did the hermit crabs do on Mother's Day? They shellabrated their mommy.
109. Knock, knock.Who's there?Abby.Abby who?Abby Mother's Day!
110. Olive you, mom.
111. Where do baby Transformers come from? Opti-mom Prime.
112. What did the banana's mommy get on Mother's Day?
113. You mean a waffle lot to me, Mom.
114. What was the mommy cat wearing to breakfast on Mother's Day? She was still in her paw-jamas.
115. Sunday School Teacher: 'Tell me, do you say prayers before eating?'Student: 'No, ma'am. I don't have to. My mom's a good cook.'
116. What kind of coffee was the alien mommy drinking on Mother's Day? Starbucks.
117. What kind of flowers do yellow jacket mothers like for Mother's Day? Bee-gonias.
118. Why do mother kangaroos hate rainy days? Their kids have to play inside!
119. To the woman who rosé me right.
120. Why did the mother cross the road? To get some peace and quiet!
Up Next- -
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
an hour ago
- CBS News
Jonathan Joss murder investigators consider whether actor's sexual orientation played a role. Here's what to know.
Tributes pour in for actor Jonathan Joss after shooting at San Antonio home | What's Trending Tributes pour in for actor Jonathan Joss after shooting at San Antonio home | What's Trending Tributes pour in for actor Jonathan Joss after shooting at San Antonio home | What's Trending While it remains unclear what prompted the fatal shooting of Jonathan Joss, a Native American voice actor best known for his work on the animated television series "King of the Hill," police say they are looking into whether his sexual orientation played a role in his death. Joss' husband has claimed it was a hate crime, saying the person who killed the actor yelled "violent homophobic slurs" before opening fire. Initially, San Antonio police said they found "no evidence whatsoever to indicate that Mr. Joss' murder was related to his sexual orientation." But on Thursday, San Antonio Police Chief William McManus walked back that statement, saying it had been made prematurely and whether Joss' sexual orientation played a role in the shooting "is part of the investigation." In this image taken from video, Jonathan Joss, an actor best known for his voice work on the animated television series "King of the Hill," talks to reporters following a fire at his San Antonio, Texas, home on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. KSAT via AP Since Joss' killing, friends, actors Joss worked with and fans have honored the actor's memory with tributes and fond remembrances. Here's what to know about Joss, his career and his shooting: Who was Joss? Joss, 59, grew up in San Antonio and graduated from the communications and theater program at Our Lady of the Lake University in 1990. Joss was best known as the voice of John Redcorn, a Native American character on the popular "King of the Hill" animated series, which ran for 13 seasons from 1997 to 2008. A reboot of the show, which Joss had already worked on, is set to start in August. Joss also had a recurring role on the television show "Parks and Recreation," playing Chief Ken Hotate. He appeared in two episodes of the series "Tulsa King" in 2022. What was Joss doing in the months before his death? Joss' childhood home, where he still lived, burned down in January. He lost all his belongings, and his three dogs were killed in the blaze. A GoFundMe account had been set up to help Joss and his husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, get back on their feet. "We may have lost our home, but not our hope. We're moving forward with love, humor, and a little elbow grease … and we're incredibly grateful for every ounce of support," Joss said in a May 14 Facebook post in which he indicated he was in Los Angeles looking for a new home. By the end of May, Joss was back in Texas, and on Saturday, he took part in a live music performance in Austin, located about 80 miles northeast of San Antonio. Who is accused of fatally shooting Joss? Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez, 56, is accused by police of confronting Joss and his husband as they were checking their mail at the burned-down home Sunday night. In a statement, de Gonzales alleged that when Ceja Alvarez opened fire, Joss pushed his husband out of the way and saved his life. When police arrived, officers found Joss lying near the roadway, police said in a statement. CBS affiliate KENS-TV reported Joss had been shot multiple times. Ceja Alvarez was charged with murder. He is free on a $200,000 bond. KENS-TV captured video of Alvarez walking out of the Bexar County Jail on Wednesday afternoon after posting bond. Candles, flowers, and notes make up make-shift memorial for voice actor Jonathan Joss who was recently killed, Tuesday, June 3, 2025, in San Antonio. Eric Gay / AP Ceja Alvarez's attorney, Alfonso Otero, has not returned multiple calls or emails seeking comment. Robert Rios, a friend of Joss', told TV station KSAT that Joss and Ceja Alvarez were neighbors and the two had argued for years. McManus said police had been called to Joss' home and his neighborhood about 70 times over the past two years related to "neighborhood type disturbances" and that sometimes Joss made those calls and other times neighbors had called to report Joss. How is Joss being remembered by friends, actors? Actor Chris Pratt, who worked with Joss on "Parks and Recreation," fondly remembered the actor in an Instagram story on Monday. Both actors had also appeared in the 2016 remake of "The Magnificent Seven." "Damn. RIP Jonathan. Always such a kind dude," Pratt wrote. "Sad to see. Prayers up. Hug your loved ones." Nick Offerman, who also worked with Joss on the show, told People in a statement that the heartbroken cast had been "texting together about it all day." "Jonathan was such a sweet guy and we loved having him as our Chief Ken Hotate," Offerman said. "A terrible tragedy." In a Facebook post, San Antonio-based Our Lady of the Lake University, Joss' alma mater, called him "a trailblazer in his field. His work and advocacy have left a lasting impact, and his legacy will continue to inspire." "His voice will be missed at King of the Hill, and we extend our deepest condolences to Jonathan's friends and family," the show's creators and producers - Mike Judge, Greg Daniels and Saladin Patterson - said in a statement on the animated series' Instagram page.
CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
A memorial grows for Jonathan Joss
A family who moved to a south-side San Antonio neighborhood roughly six years ago said that they were warned right away about an eccentric man who lived across the street. They were told, they said, that Jonathan Joss would play drums on his roof at all hours of the night and would yell obscenities and racial slurs at people outside. They said that, when confronted, Joss would often say that he was rehearsing for a role. He really was an actor, though. He played the role of John Redcorn in the animated show 'King of the Hill' for more than a dozen seasons, including in the show's upcoming revival. Another neighbor, Daniela Ruano, 19, said she lived next door to Joss her entire life. He would yell racist slurs at her family, she said, honk his horn in the middle of the night and threaten to hurt them. The behavior, she said, had accelerated. 'I'd say like the last two years have been the worst with him. He started breaking down my fence from the back,' she said. 'We would call the police on him a lot.' Two years ago, she said, Joss threatened another neighbor's brother with a crossbow. Police reports confirm that officers responded to the incident, but did not find a crossbow on Joss when they arrived at the scene. Earlier this year, Joss' family home was destroyed in a fire. But he still came by, neighbors said. In a video Ruano took of the actor on June 1, he is seen walking around the neighborhood and yelling; he is carrying a makeshift pitchfork. At one point, he said he is 'rehearsing a scene.' That day she took the video, Joss, his husband Tristan Kern de Gonzales and another friend were there to pick up mail. The group had just returned from Austin, de Gonzales said, where Joss had participated in a fan meet-and-greet event. Joss, 59, arrived in the usual manner that his neighbors said that they had grown unhappily accustomed to, makeshift pitchfork included. Then, Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez – the neighbor whose brother said he had been threatened by Joss with the crossbow two years ago – drove up behind Joss who was parked in his driveway. He got out, the two exchanged words, witnesses said, and seconds later, Joss was dead. 'I shot him,' Ceja told police, according to an incident report. Ceja, 56, was arrested and charged with murder. His bond was set at $200,000, which he posted on Monday. He was released from jail with GPS monitoring on Wednesday afternoon and is due to appear in court on August 19, according to the Bexar County Sheriff's Office public information officer. When most people think of an actor's life, they tend to imagine gleaming houses high in the Hollywood Hills. For years, Joss lived in the modest house his father built in the 1950s. This week, a makeshift memorial for Joss began growing at the property's fence. A man pulled up in a truck with a royal blue memorial cross adorned with ribbons and flowers. He tied the cross to the fence above the growing memorial. The man, Adrian Reyes, told CNN he had known Joss since high school; they were both in the class of 1984 at Dillard McCollum High School, which recently held its 40th year reunion. 'We're very, very close with him in that class. We track him everywhere,' said Reyes. 'We helped him financially. We helped him get to his events when he didn't have transportation.' 'It's a shame that people are learning about him now that he's gone rather than when he was alive and how talented he was and what a talent we lost,' Reyes said. 'He was a different kind of guy, but he was the life of the party.' Neighbors said there were years, maybe even decades, of disputes, particularly between Joss and Ceja. San Antonio Police logs show numerous calls to both addresses over the past year. 'Me and Jonathan had all these fun little side projects where we were coming up with these little scripts, most of them just for fun to make ourselves laugh. And we would be acting them out in the yard and I guess to the outside world maybe it looked a little crazy,' de Gonzales told viewers on Instagram Live. He did say that although they would sometimes walk around the neighborhood with things like a stick or pitchfork, they never 'threatened' or 'pointed any weapons at anybody.' Police were called to Joss' residence nearly 50 times since January 2024. In some instances, officers were dispatched multiple times in a single day. Neighbors said Joss' behavior turned more erratic and harassing as the years went on. Some said they saw him throw trash and wine bottles onto a nearby property under construction and damage that neighbor's mailbox. 'He went over there and yanked the mailbox off the top, and it was in a brick casing. So he yanked off the door and beat it up where our neighbor had to go replace it,' said one neighbor, who spoke to CNN but asked that their name not be used due to the attention the killing was bringing to their street. 'Jonathan and I had no weapons. We were not threatening anyone. We were grieving. We were standing side by side. When the man fired, Jonathan pushed me out of the way. He saved my life,' de Gonzales said after the shooting, about their trip back to the burned-down home site. De Gonzalez said that the person who killed Joss yelled 'violent homophobic slurs' before opening fire. 'He was murdered by someone who could not stand the sight of two men loving each other,' de Gonzales said. (CNN has attempted multiple times to contact Ceja and also reached out to his lawyer.) The San Antonio Police Department issued a statement on Monday rebutting this. 'Despite online claims of this being a hate crime, currently the investigation has found no evidence to indicate that Mr. Joss's murder was related to his sexual orientation,' the department posted online. But, on Wednesday, as the police department was sharing a Pride Month community forum event, they also released a new statement saying they were continuing the investigation. 'Although we arrested a suspect, our homicide detectives continue to follow every lead to fully understand what led to this senseless act.' On Thursday, San Antonio police expressed more regret. 'We issued a statement the day after Jonathan Joss's murder that was way, way, way premature,' SAPD Chief William McManus told CNN affiliate KENS on Thursday. 'We shouldn't have done it. It was way too soon before we had any real information and I will own that.' He echoed similar sentiments at a forum hosted by San Antonio Pride and the SAPD on Thursday evening, explaining that a judge can attach a hate crime to charges later on. He said they will gather all of the facts leading up to Jonathan Joss' death and will present the case to the District Attorney's office to make that call. He added that police are also investigating the January fire at Joss' home. Joss had told everyone that he was going through a lot. Online, he said he was fighting an uphill battle with financial difficulties. In November, Joss spoke about the difficult living conditions he and his then-fiancé were facing. He said that their home lacked basic utilities such as gas and electricity and described using a fire pit to heat coffee. Despite the challenges, he expressed hope about 'getting through some rough times.' There was one bright spot: his marriage to de Gonzales. Still, Joss also talked about using a stove to heat up water for a hot shower. On Instagram, he showed the poor condition of his house, revealing several holes in the walls and ceiling. In January, Joss experienced two house fires. The second destroyed the house and his car and killed his three dogs, according to social media posts from Joss and his partner. 'Everything I owned… gone. My memories, my keepsakes, my family, my comfort in this world lost in the flames,' he wrote on Facebook. In the months that followed, Joss frequently took to social media to ask fans for financial support. He regularly shared a GoFundMe link started by a fan, which has now raised over $20,000. He sold autographed photos, personalized video messages, t-shirts and '$1 wisdom sayings.' He also posted about marrying his partner on Valentine's Day. In one post with de Gonzales, Joss wrote: 'We shall endeavor to persevere together.' He frequently tried to secure transportation and financial support on Facebook to be able to make celebrity appearances at conventions. Just two days before he was killed, Joss showed up at a 'King of the Hill' Revival Sneak Peek event at the Paramount Theater in Austin, Texas – although he had already written on Facebook that he was not invited to attend. Attendee Brandon Robinson said Joss walked up to the Q&A mic and started 'ranting.' Robinson originally thought Joss' speech was planned but said he soon realized it wasn't. After making some references to his character in 'King of the Hill,' Joss said: 'My house burned down three months ago because I'm gay.' The panelists then announced Joss as the voice of the show's character John Redcorn, prompting applause from the audience. Joss spoke about feeling ignored at the event in one of his final interviews, which took place on 'Bwaaa! A King of the Hill podcast.' But he also said he'd loved his life as an actor. 'I've just been really lucky to have really decent parts. I mean, I never had a – I've never done a bad thing when it comes to acting,' Joss said. Another family showed up this week to remember Joss at the site of the shooting. Paul Gonzalez and Tiffany Zurita said that they lived nearby, but never knew Joss lived in the area. 'We grew up watching the cartoon, you know, me and my wife when we were kids – so just shocked by it,' Gonzalez said of the killing. They brought a pinwheel to place at the memorial, explaining that it helped their own family when experiencing loss. It was something 'to kind of bring that little life back in,' Zurita said. 'You know, the wind's blowing, you see it blowing in the wind, and it just, you know, kind of reminds you that that person's still here,' she said. 'It's a symbol of peace and serene surroundings.' They both said prayers for everyone involved in the tragic incident – and for the neighbors as well. 'I hope they all find peace in time,' said Gonzalez. CNN's Lisa Respers France, Dianne Gallagher, Devon Sayers, Andy Buck, Jeremy Grisham, and Leah Thomeer contributed to this report.
Fast Company
2 hours ago
- Fast Company
This corny ‘conservative credit card' ad signals a very scary future for AI
A fresh glimpse at our AI-filled future arrived this week, in the form of an unmemorable ad by a company most people have never heard of. The ad is kind of flat and will probably scan as goofy to everyone outside its target demo, but don't write it off just yet: It could signal the beginning of some very big (and scary) changes. The upstart fintech company Coign claims to be a 'conservative credit card company,' a distinction that boils down to the founders' pledge to never donate to liberal causes and candidates. And while that self-definition raises some questions, it pales in comparison to the actual ad. The 30-second clip is a patriotic parade of red-blooded, red-voting Americans boasting about recent Coign-fueled purchases such as deer-hunting gear, a stack of cartoonish gold bars, and the 'biggest American flag' available. But here's the most striking thing about the ad: All of those situations, and all of the actors, were created by AI. There's something a little off about Coign's ad, to be clear. The pacing of the phony satisfied customers' movements feels too jittery at times, and there's an eagle at the end that is not exactly natural looking. While the ad is spiritually the same AI slop as Shrimp Jesus, it doesn't carry the same overtly synthetic visuals. In that regard, it's a lot more casually AI-generated than many of its predecessor ads. When Coca-Cola released an AI-generated holiday spot last fall, it sparked an uproar. Creatives were livid about such a monumentally successful company neglecting to splash out on an all-human production, and even casual observers noticed the glaring flaws in the video: The truck's tires glided over the ground without spinning, Santa's hand was bizarrely out of proportion with the Coke bottle it gripped, and the entire ad sat squarely in the 'uncanny valley.' The same goes for the ad Toys R Us released last year using OpenAI's text-to-video tool Sora: The kindest thing one could say is that its human characters looked marginally more lifelike than the unsettling, motion-captured Tom Hanks from The Polar Express two decades earlier. So far, AI-generated ads have been rare enough and mostly the domain of heavy-hitter companies, making them lightning rods for attention and backlash just about every time a new one is released. The simple fact that they were AI-made has been enough to generate headlines, even before factoring in the slop. But maybe not for much longer. If the Coign ad is any indication, there may be an entire class of AI ads coming that will be subject to far less attention—and far less scrutiny. We're at a precarious moment with AI, collectively feeling out its least objectionable uses through trial and error. So far, uncanny ads from massive companies have triggered backlash, but when lesser-known brands dabble—especially without obvious visual glitches—they often escape notice. Advertising legend David Droga once noted the existence of a ' mediocre middle ' in marketing and entertainment, and that may be exactly where AI quietly thrives: in ads from companies too small to spark outrage. Advertising, after all, is already the most disposable and least emotionally protected form of media—expensive to make, widely avoided, and largely unloved. That makes it the perfect Trojan horse for AI—slipping past scrutiny not because it's good, but because few people care enough to notice. On a moral and economic level, the advertising industry should not be diving headlong into a technology that makes large swaths of professional workers expendable. And on an aesthetic level, just because AI technically can create an ad doesn't mean it can create a good one. Once a seemingly harmless use case eases people's minds about a given technological breakthrough, it's only a matter of time before the more flagrantly objectionable use cases take hold. The facial recognition tech that first allowed Facebook users to tag their friends in photos was eventually used to strengthen the surveillance state and threaten privacy everywhere. Today's drones that make aerial photography easier become tomorrow's drones that mistakenly blow up weddings in other countries and threaten to displace delivery workers. Obviously, AI is going to play some role in humanity's future. The size of that role, however, is not yet set in stone. As machine learning creeps into all creative fields, workers need regulations to ensure the technology doesn't spread too far too fast. The good news is that a majority of Americans seem to want AI regulation. Although the House of Representatives recently passed a major tax and spending bill with a provision forbidding state governments to regulate AI over the next 10 years, that clause is getting bipartisan blowback. According to a recent poll, 81% of voters agree that 'advances in AI are exciting but also bring risks, and in such fast-moving times, we shouldn't force states to sit on the sidelines for a full decade.' Even the CEO of generative AI company Anthropic is a full-throated advocate for stricter AI regulation. The people have spoken. Whether they are listened to is another matter altogether. A single, silly credit card ad may seem an unlikely step toward a dystopian future of unfettered AI and full unemployment, but if we laugh it off now, the bill may still come due later.
