“A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs. It’s jolted by every pebble on the road.”Henry Ward Beecher
If you like to laugh, you need to meet Toby Jones, urban entrepreneur. WARNING -those without a sense of humor should stop reading now.
Toby is an interesting guy. Involved with many creative business interests, here is his personal bio - copied word for word from one of his many enterprising websites.
“Tobias R. Jones, ‘Toby’, grew up idolizing his favorite hood rapper Pokey Da Hot Spitta. He followed his idol’s life and gained employment as a Street Pharmaceutical Sales Rep in 2003. Toby held that job for a year before he saw his Distribution Manager get shot. Toby realized that the street life was not for him and wanted to become an MC. He entered a contest to try to get his lyrics heard on 88.5 WHKP. Toby won the contest but never got his lyrics published. He became a roadie for a rap group The Famous Boys, all the while trying to make a name for himself with other artists. While on the road, Toby learned about real estate auctions and decided to return home to try out yet another line of work. He found a large warehouse on the south side that was going up for auction the next week. Toby was able to buy that warehouse for $1.00.” And thus, Toby’s entrepreneurial pursuits began.
Toby’s first business was Jones Big Ass Truck Rental and Storage. He is also responsible for Jones Cheap Ass Prepaid Legal and Daycare Academy. He is most famous however for Jones Good Ass BBQ and Foot Massage.
Jones Good Ass BBQ and Foot Massage is obviously a fictitious business, but the video ad starring Toby Jones is arguably one of the greatest low-budget commercials ever created. To date it has garnered over 15 million views on YouTube. The video is an intentional parody of a hard-sell low-budget commercial that you might find on a local cable TV station. Toby Jones is portrayed by comedian and actor Robert L. Hines, and is the creation of Pedro and Romero Castro, core members of the Big Dog Eat Child sketch comedy group.
The Castro brothers had previously created a parody cereal commercial for YouTube, but another idea was percolating in their heads. They just needed
someone to play the role of a fake shady business owner who was boisterous and unprofessional. The three men met by chance when Robert was doing a stand-up set at a coffee shop. The brothers pitched their idea to Robert and Toby Jones was born.
Their first collaboration was for Jones Big Ass Truck Rental and Storage. Filmed in a local junkyard, Toby encouraged potential customers to “store all your stuff my way.” The ad featured a working phone number and website, and Toby was soon inundated with calls from potential customers wanting to store everything from slabs of meat to dead bodies. After this unexpected success, the trio were inspired to create another parody commercial.
Their second commercial was the classic Jones Good Ass Barbecue and Foot Massage. Filmed inside an old Harold’s Chicken Shack building (Harold’s was a popular chain on the south side of Chicago), the ad is wet-your-pants funny. Toby promises to fry anything you want, with the added foot massage option for willing customers. At the time it was produced, their website featured a stomach-churning online menu which included the following: Alabama Free Range Biscuits, Homemade Soup-Soaked Fries, Super Star Carrot Bread, Tossed Catfish, Beer Battered Bacon, The Triple Fried Grab Bag, and Fried Pie. Note – In 2016 the parody gained pop culture status when Steph Curry, of Golden State Warriors basketball fame, hilariously adopted the dance that Toby does in the commercial and began using it as part of his unofficial pre-game ritual.
One final commercial was produced after their BBQ video. Toby woos his potential clients with these words, “In today’s broke ass society you need things cheaper.” This ad was for Jones Cheap Ass Prepaid Legal and Daycare Academy. It is hilarious as well. If Toby can’t get you out of paying child support, he offers childcare services instead.
There was an attempt to develop a TV show based on the Toby Jones character, but that did not come to fruition. Toby’s commercials are still popular, however. For a good laugh, watch them on YouTube.
© 2024 Jody Dyer
typewriterweekly.com