Update: rewatched the Honey Nut Cheerios bee ads with the sound off and finally got why they work
Sat through 14 of them on a three hour flight delay in Denver with no audio, and without the jokes the whole thing is just one guy quietly staring at a bowl like it owes him money, so what actually sells the cereal is the pause, not the punchline, and now I want to know if anyone else has tried muting a mascot and come away liking them more.