---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have to match wits with the ads. Like…"
description: "\"I have to match wits with the ads. Like, there's pop-ups that, like, move around and you have to chase them like it was a video game or something. And ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c32/terry-gross-9637_absorbing_i-have-to-match-wits-with-the-ads-like-t_2390325.jpg"
---

#  I have to match wits with the ads. Like, there's pop-ups…

![“I have to match wits with the ads. Like, there's pop-ups that, like, move around and you have to chase them like it was a video game or something. And then there's ads where, like, you know, the X to, like, close the ad screen is so kind of small that you can't find it and you have to actually go…” quote by Terry Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c32/terry-gross-9637_absorbing_i-have-to-match-wits-with-the-ads-like-t_2390325.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c32/terry-gross-9637_absorbing_i-have-to-match-wits-with-the-ads-like-t_2390325.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c32/terry-gross-9637_absorbing_i-have-to-match-wits-with-the-ads-like-t_2390325.jpg)

> “I have to match wits with the ads. Like, there's pop-ups that, like, move around and you have to chase them like it was a video game or something. And then there's ads where, like, you know, the X to, like, close the ad screen is so kind of small that you can't find it and you have to actually go looking for it. And so I spend all my energy - instead of, like, absorbing what the advertiser wants to communicate to me, I spend my energy trying to figure out how to defeat the ad.”

[Terry Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gross/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Advertising tactics force users into a game, diverting attention from the message itself.

**In simple terms:** Ads turn information into a chase.

Key Takeaway

Design ads that respect user attention.

Themes

advertising attention design

Mood

iritative concerned

Type

practical observational

When to use this quote

- web browsing
- mobile apps
- digital marketing
- user interface design

Key Concepts

user experience psychology media literacy

Questions to Reflect On

- What design changes would improve ad clarity?
- How does ad fatigue affect consumer trust?

A Different Perspective

Complex ads may still be effective despite user frustration.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Defeat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeat/) [Energy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/energy/) [Games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/games/) [Video](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/video/) [Video game](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/video-game/) [Wit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wit/)

## Related quotes

> [I think you spend 50 percent of your mental energy trying to defeat ad systems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/i-think-you-spend-50-percent-of-your-mental-energy-trying-to-defeat/)

[Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/)

> [“Back in Russia, where they’re still getting acclimated to the whole capitalism thing, most TV advertising took a straightforward approach to persuasion. Thus, even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-stevenson/back-in-russia-where-they-re-still-getting-acclimated-to-the-whole/)

Seth Stevenson

> [I like our ads. I like beautiful women eating burgers in bikinis. I think it's very American.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-puzder/i-like-our-ads-i-like-beautiful-women-eating-burgers-in-bikinis-i/)

Andrew Puzder

> [Experience has taught me that advertisers get the best results when they pay their agency a flat fee. It is unrealistic to expect your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/experience-has-taught-me-that-advertisers-get-the-best-results-when/)

[David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/)

> [So the first things that you see when you look up something on Google could be dependent on the amount of advertising or something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/so-the-first-things-that-you-see-when-you-look-up-something-on-google/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [“Robbed of a rapt audience, advertisers know that influencing how you spend what to do while depends on having some control over how you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-carlson/robbed-of-a-rapt-audience-advertisers-know-that-influencing-how-you/)

[Greg Carlson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-carlson/)

> [Denunciations of the manipulativeness of advertisers can unfortunately all too easily be turned on their heads into denunciations of the gullibility of consumers. Both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee-2/denunciations-of-the-manipulativeness-of-advertisers-can/)

[J. M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee-2/)

> [The next time you see John Stossel or Glenn Beck or Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity, these flat-Earthers, these corporate toadies, lying to you,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-f-kennedy-jr/the-next-time-you-see-john-stossel-or-glenn-beck-or-rush-limbaugh-or/)

[Robert F. Kennedy, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-f-kennedy-jr/)

> [People are looking for original content in many different places, as are advertisers. This takes us into a whole new ballgame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-zucker/people-are-looking-for-original-content-in-many-different-places-as/)

[Jeff Zucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-zucker/)

> [As you start to see more respected advertisers coming in and looking at esports, you're going to find that there's a lot of interest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morhaime/as-you-start-to-see-more-respected-advertisers-coming-in-and-looking/)

[Michael Morhaime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morhaime/)

> [There are all kinds of people who continue to be largely ignored by advertisers, whose lives largely go unseen. They deserve their moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roxane-gay/there-are-all-kinds-of-people-who-continue-to-be-largely-ignored-by/)

[Roxane Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roxane-gay/)

> [In the old days, advertisers ventured on their own opinions. The few guess right, the many wrong. Those were the time of advertising disaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-c-hopkins/in-the-old-days-advertisers-ventured-on-their-own-opinions-the-few/)

[Claude C. Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-c-hopkins/)

> [Advertisers now have a highly targeted opportunity for aligning their brands alongside the entertainment experience people are enjoying on YouTube.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-hurley/advertisers-now-have-a-highly-targeted-opportunity-for-aligning-their/)

[Chad Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-hurley/)

> [The consumption of alcohol is increasing among youth. Targeting young audiences, advertisers portray beer and wine as joyful, socially desirable, and harmless. Producers are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallin-h-oaks/the-consumption-of-alcohol-is-increasing-among-youth-targeting-young/)

[Dallin H. Oaks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallin-h-oaks/)

> [Whether you are buying a car or casting a ballot, choosing a job or planning a family, follow your moral compass. Don't let others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-hayes/whether-you-are-buying-a-car-or-casting-a-ballot-choosing-a-job-or/)

[Denis Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-hayes/)

## More by Terry Gross

> [The excitement for me lies not so much in interviewing the hard-to-get famous person, but the person whom you are about to discover. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gross/the-excitement-for-me-lies-not-so-much-in-interviewing-the-hard-to/)

[Terry Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gross/)

> [Work can take on a new dimension if you know something about the artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gross/work-can-take-on-a-new-dimension-if-you-know-something-about-the/)

[Terry Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gross/)

> [Google started as a free search engine. It's still free, but now it's making a lot of money on ads, right? A lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gross/google-started-as-a-free-search-engine-it-s-still-free-but-now-it-s/)

[Terry Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gross/)

> [When I hear a politician speak biographically, I never know what's part of the campaign biography narrative that's been carefully crafted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gross/when-i-hear-a-politician-speak-biographically-i-never-know-what-s/)

[Terry Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gross/)

> [When you're reading a newspaper and you're seeing ads on the page, it's not kind of invasive. Like, it's on the page next to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gross/when-you-re-reading-a-newspaper-and-you-re-seeing-ads-on-the-page-it/)

[Terry Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gross/)

> [I'm first generation American, and my parents were both from Nigeria. And so I always say that I'm literally an African American. So my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gross/i-m-first-generation-american-and-my-parents-were-both-from-nigeria/)

[Terry Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gross/)

> [Dad mistook - for some reason unbeknownst to me - he mistook his family for a platoon of Marines. I mean, he - the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gross/dad-mistook-for-some-reason-unbeknownst-to-me-he-mistook-his-family/)

[Terry Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gross/)

> [I respect someone's right to privacy and I want them to know it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gross/i-respect-someone-s-right-to-privacy-and-i-want-them-to-know-it/)

[Terry Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gross/)

> [I was thinking about comedy and how comedy in many ways opens us up to ideas and really being influenced by Richard Pryor and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gross/i-was-thinking-about-comedy-and-how-comedy-in-many-ways-opens-us-up/)

[Terry Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gross/)

> [My parents were pretty open about a lot of things, especially my mom. And any kind of little crazy thing I was into, she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gross/my-parents-were-pretty-open-about-a-lot-of-things-especially-my-mom/)

[Terry Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gross/)

> [I was in an adolescent psychology class at Citadel when the guy said, if you had a mother who was beaten, there's a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gross/i-was-in-an-adolescent-psychology-class-at-citadel-when-the-guy-said/)

[Terry Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gross/)

> [You know, how am I leading my own life? What am I denying? Since I brought such great powers of denial into my adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gross/you-know-how-am-i-leading-my-own-life-what-am-i-denying-since-i/)

[Terry Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gross/)

> [So when the book came out, my mother stunned us all by leaving my father. I think three months before the book came out,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gross/so-when-the-book-came-out-my-mother-stunned-us-all-by-leaving-my/)

[Terry Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gross/)

> [Sometimes when I'm on the internet, I'll get this, like, which of these ad experiences would you prefer? And I'll have a choice of,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gross/sometimes-when-i-m-on-the-internet-i-ll-get-this-like-which-of-these/)

[Terry Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gross/)

> [I mean, Dad's - you know, Dad's friendliest tone was a scream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gross/i-mean-dad-s-you-know-dad-s-friendliest-tone-was-a-scream/)

[Terry Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gross/)

[Explore all 71 Terry Gross quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gross/)

## More Absorbing quotes

> [The artist has to be something like a whale swimming with his mouth wide open, absorbing everything until he has what he really needs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romare-bearden/the-artist-has-to-be-something-like-a-whale-swimming-with-his-mouth/)

[Romare Bearden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romare-bearden/)

> [I probably need another couple of years of absorbing that and really looking at it to be able to do it because you actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-hanks/i-probably-need-another-couple-of-years-of-absorbing-that-and-really/)

[Colin Hanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-hanks/)

> [I bless the gods for not letting my education in rhetoric, poetry, and other literary studies come easily to me, and thereby sparing me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/i-bless-the-gods-for-not-letting-my-education-in-rhetoric-poetry-and/)

[Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/)

> [Edge also implies what Ben Graham…called a margin of safety. You have a margin of safety when you buy an asset at a price…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mauboussin/edge-also-implies-what-ben-graham-called-a-margin-of-safety-you-have/)

[Michael Mauboussin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mauboussin/)

> [I would spend hours absorbing every intonation, every inflection - how the singer would convey a sentiment and how it would sound coming out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-edmonson/i-would-spend-hours-absorbing-every-intonation-every-inflection-how/)

[Kat Edmonson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-edmonson/)

> [The nut of this tree is hung high aloft, wrapped in a silk wrapper, which is enclosed in a case of sole leather, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-de-camoes/the-nut-of-this-tree-is-hung-high-aloft-wrapped-in-a-silk-wrapper/)

[Luis de Camoes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-de-camoes/)

> [The habit of quietly absorbing the shocks will be quite a great help to stabilize pure awareness. The technique is: Just feel not disturbed.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maharishi-mahesh-yogi/the-habit-of-quietly-absorbing-the-shocks-will-be-quite-a-great-help/)

[Maharishi Mahesh Yogi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maharishi-mahesh-yogi/)

> [It's hard to pick. I mean, I think the one that is most emblematic of the collaboration that occurred is "We Know The Way."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lin-manuel-miranda/it-s-hard-to-pick-i-mean-i-think-the-one-that-is-most-emblematic-of/)

[Lin-Manuel Miranda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lin-manuel-miranda/)

> [Babies breathe a lot more rapidly than adults do, and what's more, they're also growing quickly and so they're absorbing lots more into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-thompson/babies-breathe-a-lot-more-rapidly-than-adults-do-and-what-s-more-they/)

[Francis Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-thompson/)

> [Where does the ego get its energy? The ego feeds off your desire to be something else. You are poor and you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/where-does-the-ego-get-its-energy-the-ego-feeds-off-your-desire-to-be/)

[Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/)

> [I know "accessibility" is a term that's kind of thrown around wantonly today, especially with talking about visual media. But I think that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-powell/i-know-accessibility-is-a-term-that-s-kind-of-thrown-around-wantonly/)

[Nate Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-powell/)

> [I've always looked at directing as the next step for me in my creative career, and after spending the better part of the last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-anthony-dale/i-ve-always-looked-at-directing-as-the-next-step-for-me-in-my/)

[Ian Anthony Dale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-anthony-dale/)

> [In anything fit to be called by the name of reading, the process itself should be absorbing and voluptuous; we should gloat over a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/in-anything-fit-to-be-called-by-the-name-of-reading-the-process/)

[Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/)

> [Inside you're like some kind of mirror, reflecting everything without absorbing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-j-deikman/inside-you-re-like-some-kind-of-mirror-reflecting-everything-without/)

[Arthur J. Deikman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-j-deikman/)

> [There are two kinds of actors -- one sits in a dressing room waiting for his call and the other gets out into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clint-eastwood/there-are-two-kinds-of-actors-one-sits-in-a-dressing-room-waiting-for/)

[Clint Eastwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clint-eastwood/)

Browse all 189 Absorbing quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I have to match wits with the ads. Like, there's pop-ups that, like, move around and you have to chase them like it was a video game or something. And then there's ads where, like, you know, the X to, like, close the ad screen is so kind of small that you can't find it and you have to actually go looking for it. And so I spend all my energy - instead of, like, absorbing what the advertiser wants to communicate to me, I spend my energy trying to figure out how to defeat the ad.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Terry Gross"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gross/i-have-to-match-wits-with-the-ads-like-there-s-pop-ups-that-like-move/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Absorbing"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gross/i-have-to-match-wits-with-the-ads-like-there-s-pop-ups-that-like-move/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c32/terry-gross-9637_absorbing_i-have-to-match-wits-with-the-ads-like-t_2390325.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c32/terry-gross-9637_absorbing_i-have-to-match-wits-with-the-ads-like-t_2390325.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c32/terry-gross-9637_absorbing_i-have-to-match-wits-with-the-ads-like-t_2390325.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I have to match wits with the ads. Like, there's pop-ups that, like, move around and you have to chase them…” — Terry Gross",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Terry Gross",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-gross/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I have to match wits with...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gross/i-have-to-match-wits-with-the-ads-like-there-s-pop-ups-that-like-move/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-gross/i-have-to-match-wits-with-the-ads-like-there-s-pop-ups-that-like-move/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
