OK, the Lauren commercial was a little too cute for its own good, and BoomTown has no interest in Giampaulo’s “really big hands.”

But the latest installment of Microsoft’s real-people advertising Internet and television ad campaign, called “Laptop Hunters”–this time a mother and son named Lisa and Jackson looking to score a computer–is pretty funny and sweet.

Deftly lacing in baseball and playing to cute but tired clichés (did you hear–boys don’t like the color pink!), the main theme of heft value over too-thin hipness is really starting to kick in: That a person can get more computer for the money by buying a PC over a Mac.

Again, this segment slyly insults Apple (AAPL) as overpriced and undersized–”It’s a little too small,” says Jackson, while Lisa calls the Macs “pretty.”

The pair finally walk out of the store with a Sony (SNE) Vaio.

While I cannot blame Microsoft (MSFT) for sticking to the Apple-Is-for-Value-Ignorant-Elites meme, I still wish that the messaging would move on from price to more important things such as how the software and hardware perform together.

Cuz, frankly, I like pretty.

Here are Lisa and Jackson, as well the Lauren and Giampaulo, below:

Sure, Yahoo (YHOO) continued its tango with News Corp.’s Rupert Murdoch (lots of those dramatic cross-country flights to meet in secret, like they were rendezvousing at Hernando’s Hideaway, details of which somehow always get leaked to the press).

In turn, while threatening a proxy fight, Microsoft (MSFT) trotted out its execs–including its iconic Chairman Bill Gates–to restate that its offer was “fair” and leaked its own internal memos, including emails from top brass to company minions.

So, one wonders, what could get this party started?

Well, for one, the looming March 13 date by which Microsoft might wage that proxy battle by naming its own board (including some high-profile tech figures it is looking for in Silicon Valley, as we reported here) could add some frisson to the situation soon.

But, what if, before that, Microsoft actually lowered its bid? It is not such an unlikely idea, according to many sources close to the situation.

That’s especially possible after Yahoo’s share of the search market showed continued weakness last week, even as the number of searches went up. According to comScore results last week, the second-ranked Yahoo clocked in with a 22.2% share of the market in January, down from 22.9% in December.

“The pressures are going to get worse,” said one person. “Time is not on Yahoo’s side.”

Indeed, if signs of business weakness at Yahoo worsen, several people suggested to me that Microsoft should make a slightly lower offer for Yahoo and promise the difference between its old bid and new one to Yahoo employees as a rich retention plan.

Is it such a crazy idea? BoomTown can tell you Microsoft execs had to have been annoyed when Yahoo rolled out a pricey severance plan last week to all its employees, as was first reported here.

The plan could cost Microsoft billions of dollars, if the company wins the Yahoo fight and lays off employees as part of the deal. Sources told me Microsoft execs thought it a stunt by Yahoo and not a very funny one at that.

And we need some fun right about now, don’t you think? So to start off the week right, here’s that infectious Pink video of her hit “Get the Party Started,” as well as the fantastic “Hernando’s Hideaway” number from “The Pajama Game”: