Everybody involved in media is slowly learning that, in order to survive, you need to get into some other business lines, because just writing snarky blog posts or making silly cat videos isn’t enough. Even the seemingly-successful Funny or Die is pulling in some beer money as a custom ad shop, producing videos for various corporate clients. In the past they’ve been semi-funny at best, probably because of the teams of management stiffs and their sycophantic consultants who get jittery at anything that might offend. But a new video the FOD people produced for Norelco is actually funny, and quite a bit edgier than anything I’d expect from a multi-zillion dollar conglomerate. It stars Adam DeVine of Workaholics, which I love, and follows the "Special Units Unit" as it cruises around, COPS-style, looking for dudes that, well, don’t trim their junk well enough. How did they get away with this? I’d say the Norelco marketing team grew some well-groomed balls. Good for them. 

The video goes like this: DeVine and his partner patrol the streets of Los Angeles until they spot an improperly-groomed man, who happens to be sporting short shorts and an exposed belly. They confront him about his grooming violations, and he takes off running. A chase through several backyards ensues, until the dude tries to climb over a chain-link fence, and gets stuck by his overgrown pubes.

I won’t ruin the climax and denoument for you, you should just click and watch. While you do, though, keep your ears open for a few terms I never thought I’d hear in a consumer-product ad: "happy trails," "crotch foilage" (sic), "his man-bush got snagged on the old fence", and "maybe that young perp will find a ladyfriend and she’ll want to play with his boom box." I think that’s a euphemism for genitals. Which way to the fainting couch? 

In any case, if this is the direction marketing is going, I can live with it. It’s sure beats getting a Just For Men Gel jingle stuck in my head. 

[More by Victor Ozols; Follow me on Twitter]