Saturday, October 25, 2014

UNLEARNING ADS

Doesn't everyone know what Viagra is?  A kid knows it's a medicine for grownups. An old person thinks it's one of those modern popular things that doesn't concern me. Foreigners know it's a sex pill because it's advertized all over the world.

Em, the Town Crier, says beware of :
constipation-fix foods, energy-boosters, lose weight pills -- along with exercise machines, exercise routines, offers to fix your debts, and vacations in paradises -- along with 2 pills versus 6, anti depressant boosters -- along with helpful health businesses like AARP,  interest free furniture chains, and all those promises and pats on their own back that BP, the guys who caused the Deepwater Oil spill disaster, are giving themselves in impressively expensive television ads.  And don't forget -- advertizements drill into us the thrill of killing, gruesome murder death, and instant go-to bed love.

I gave top billing to Viagra because whenever there's an AD for it, I hit the mute button.

It's a silly gesture; actually ADS are an everywhere, everyday larger, fact-of-life -- with TV,  phones, ipods, ipads -- they're insta communication. No matter what you're doing, no matter how sacred, or major whatever it is that you're doing, the vision, sound, ding-a-ling refrain of some AD can flash.

Beware -- ADS have expanded and are everywhere in our lives, enabling us to do less of the things we might do if we didn't have incredibly instant communication.

Town Crier Em says turn the key, turn the knob, punch, hit, hammer the off-button off -- ADS are affecting basic breathing-eating-sleeping -- also art, culture, ambition, religion, and all, all of life's things -- pleasures and pains.

I gave top billing to pleasures, but pains create pleasures -- pains and pleasures are what life is all about -- not the advertized version of life -- real life.  

4 comments:

Carola said...

We don't watch movies on TV anymore because of all the Ads. We prefer Netflix.

Linda Phillips said...

Yes, yes, yes! They are insidious, everywhere. In places where they have no right to be. Inescapable!

My greatest issue with them is when they are audio ads on obituary pages. That is just so insensitive and inappropriate! Show some reverence for the dead for g-d sakes!!!!!

I use a DVR. I skip through commercials by fast forwarding already recorded shows. I rarely get stuck with commercials on TV.

Anonymous said...

I even encounter Ads when playing games on my phone or tablet Why??? I'm playing I don't want to buy anything!

Cara said...

I hate shopping, so I find it a wee bit scary that Facebook knows me soooo well that they actually manage to attract my attention with the clothing ads they post on my page. I never pay attention to that stuff on TV or even when I walk past a store, but whatever algorithm FB is coming up with based on my online behavior: it works! I still don't buy any of it - I just find it spooky.