:::Pandora, Pandora, Pandora I HATE You:::

Do you listen to Pandora at work?

I do. Quietly, at my desk.

The ads, unfortunately, are played at a higher volume than you've tuned your station to. Annoying, yeah, but whatever.

Unless, UNLESS, the freaking ad for No Strings Attached comes on, and you get to hear Natalie Portman loudly asking Ashton Kutcher if they should use each other for s*x (trying to avoid spammers with the *). Or you get to hear Natalie Portman loudly asking Ashton Kutcher if he brought her a balloon for having s*x with him.

Seriously? Do they not understand that a hefty chunk of their listeners use Pandora while they're at work? Do they not understand how bad it would look if one of your coworkers walked by and heard that? Heaven forbid a supervisor should walk by. Seriously.

And no, I'm not going to upgrade my account so I don't have to listen to ads. Pandora should just  have some class.


I'm not the only one who feels this way. I found these comments on the Pandora blog:


Thank you for a great service. I love Pandora - got my folks turned onto it too and they listen non stop. In fact I just got my parents the paid membership for Christmas. And it's a good thing I did - the first time they heard that "No strings attached" ad they would have signed off for life. Wow!! Could they scream "S*X" more often?? Could it be more inappropriate for the workplace, the car with my kids, home in the evening, or anywhere else I listen to Pandora?
Thanks for an embarrasing workplace moment in front of my boss! Nice!

Posted by: Cheryl at January 13, 2011 10:08 AM


Hi Tim -

Thanks for a great product that has introduced me to so much wonderful music! Without Pandora, I never would have found musicians like The Tallest Man on Earth and Jackson C. Frank. Pandora makes my work day bearable.

My only complaint is that the ads are sometimes REALLY inappropriate for work. When someone stops by my office to talk and suddenly Pandora plays an ad for "No Strings Attached" that screams "Why can't we just have s*x?????," I feel somewhat awkward and embarrassed. Ok, more than somewhat awkward. I wish I cared less about what people think. But c'mon, can Pandora please do something to make ads more work appropriate?

Thank you!!!!

Posted by: Taylor at January 12, 2011 5:21 PM


Love Pandora, but I listen to it at work...could really do without the inappropriate ads that I have to scramble to turn down (like the ad for No Strings Attached when they are screaming out their excitement about getting laid). It seems strange that you guys would have a non-work appropriate ad playing during the day. Anyway, just wanted to toss that out there.

Posted by: JK at January 5, 2011 6:58 AM


Tim, we've loved everything about Pandora until tonight...

As I sit at 6:52 PM (not exactly an ungodly hour), eating dinner with my family which includes a 10-year old and 7-year old, an ad comes on Pandora. This wouldn't normally be a problem except that this is an ad for a new movie called "No Strings Attached" which, during it's promo on Pandora, mentions s*x and having s*x and the need for s*x a multitude of times. Really? At this time of day when all ears are listening?

Posted by: Lisa at January 8, 2011 7:00 PM


I really love Pandora but PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE consider screening ads for work-appropriate content. These "No Strings Attached" ads that scream "Why can't we just have s*x?????" are really awkward when colleagues walk by or stop by my office.

Posted by: TK at January 12, 2011 7:32 AM


I agree with the above posters about the inappropriate ad on Pandora for the movie "No Strings Attached". I play this at work and I have to be right at my computer to mute it when it comes on. I can't even play Pandora at home because of the ad....little ears! It seems like it is the only ad on Pandora nowadays.

Posted by: Ashley at January 12, 2011 8:41 AM