Where can I find a commercial for Dean's Home Furniture with the "I doubt it!" line?

April 5, 2008 8:15 AM

[Boston Filter] Where can I find a commercial for Dean's Home Furniture? The one with the (in)famous "I doubt it!" line.

I lived in Boston for a while, and the Dean's Home Furniture commercials were ubiquitous. They are so annoying, but are amazingly memetic. Every time I hear someone say "I doubt it" I have to say "I daaudit!", but no one where I live now has any idea what I am talking about. More on Dean's commercials previously, but basicially, MasonDixon sums it up in that thread: "For those unfamiliar, "I doubt it" was delivered in an outrageous Boston accent by the completely wooden Dean in public access quality commercials." I have searched youtube, google, google video etc. and I can find the 1993 commercial, but this is pre-"I doubt it!" HELP!

posted by laminarial to media & arts (6 comments total)

Can't find the "I doubt it!" commercial, but I think you're talking about Bob's Discount Furniture. Come on down!

(first link is to his MySpace...I can't log in, but he says he has videos there)
posted by landedjentry at 12:38 PM on April 5, 2008

...but I think you're talking about Bob's Discount Furniture.

No laminarial is right.

"A Boston-area commercial for Home Furniture, before the chain became better-known as Dean's Home Furniture. At this time [1993], Dean used the slogan "Come on Home", but within the next few years, as his name was added to the store's identity and he began to appear on camera, the catchrphase became a more famous one: "Think you can find a better price at their stores? I DOUBT it!"

In the early 2000s, Dean was exposed to have scammed many customers out of countless home delivery orders; the case rocked New England so bad that Dean went into hiding, and the company found it could not recover, or keep track, of all the promised items not delivered. In 2003, with customers avoiding the chain at all costs, Dean went out of business."

Who can forget hearing "Two armchairs, an end table and a lampshade for $699. I Doubt It!" during a televised Red Sox game?
posted by ericb at 1:47 PM on April 5, 2008

Oh and there's the ever present ear worm: Bernie & Phyl's: Quality, Comfort and Price. That's Nice! Oh, make it stop!
posted by ericb at 1:50 PM on April 5, 2008

Found this:

"As they once pronounced on the ad for Dean's Home Furniture: 'I Doubt It!' I found one YouTube link for Dean's Home Furniture, but its missing the good ole "I Doubt It!" audio. Apparently they were a shady, scamming furniture chain and closed shop in 2003. No wonder I haven't seen the commercial in years!....I am SO glad that you mentioned the tie between Dean and the 'I Doubt It' catch phrase (said, phonetically: I dow-oot it!). I have had arguments with people who think that Bob of Bob's Discount Furniture originated this, but he STOLE it after he bought out Dean. Disgraceful....You're right about the catch phrase, but honestly, Dean deserved it after playing the ol' Fake Going Out Of Business fraud game. I bet Bob picked up Dean's phrase when he bought Dean out and expanded into Boston and environs. He's been a fixture of Connecticut and Western Mass. television since the 80s, but his old catch phrase "Come on dowwwwn!" is strictly Ernie Boch's territory around here."^*

posted by ericb at 1:58 PM on April 5, 2008

I live in Malden MA, and I watched the Dean's Home Furniture Headquarters building being demolished just a few months ago. It's now a parking lot.

Bob was also accused of stealing Ernie Boch Jr's "Come On Down!". I think that one might still be in court.
posted by jozxyqk at 4:23 PM on April 5, 2008

pleck! still no luck finding the "I doubt it!" commercial.
thanks for all the reminiscing, folks, but it looks like we will all have to suffer through a world without this most memetic commercial
posted by laminarial at 9:56 PM on May 1, 2008