Re: Taters, Pills & Blarney: Eat 'Em, SHOVE 'Em, Eat 'Em AGAIN

In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
[EMAIL PROTECTED] (Ursula) wrote:

> "Alliekatt" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> news:<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>...
> > "HellPopeHuey" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> > news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > 
> > <snip>
> > 
> > Somehow, that rant is quite comforting.  One thing I notice, advertising has
> > gotten especially obnoxious only because we can change the channel.  In
> > 1955, that pepsodent toothpaste commercial that had a 30 second spot on
> > Jackie Gleason would sell 50 million more tubes the next week.  Nowadays
> > Massengill douche would be lucky to see a tenth of a percentage point in
> > sales up from those repeated daytime talk show spots.
> > 
> > This generation, we have 150 channels to gorge upon, which unlike the days
> > of the fifties with its two channels, creates choice.  Ultimately, like the
> > seasoned buffet eater, we settle on consuming the part of our TV buffet that
> > isn't too deep fried, too cold, way greasy, or bananas in strawberry goo.
> > Unlike our grandparents, who are completely glorped, burned out and
> > confused, just because they had two courses to choose from in 1955 and can't
> > keep up having one of everything.
> > 
> > Channels assume that people do not watch a show from beginning to end
> > anymore, so their sponsors glut in every ten minutes to make sure the
> > surfers can be caught.  I find it's true; I always set my backup TV show
> > when the commercials cut on, but inevitably, the commercials are on the
> > other channel as well.  God dammit.
> > 
> > I don't remember a single stupid commercial on nowadays excapt that
> > brilliant Osteo Bi-Flex commercial with Frankenstein's monster doing tai chi
> > in the sunshine.  And I fondly recall all those sugary kid cereal
> > commercials perfected on Saturday morning TV starring Count Chocula, Trix
> > bunny, Lucky, and the never ending allure of colored mini-marshmallows that
> > had the consistency of sugared chalk, and no matter how many vitamins they
> > claimed were in them and part of this nutritious breakfast, Mom would have
> > none of it because a) they will NEVER put vitamins in marshmallows and b)
> > she couldn't sue the cereal company for torture and property damage while
> > the kids were high on sugar.
> > 
> > When it comes to advertising, I genuinely think that less is more.  Don't
> > ask me if I know the difference between a Lexus ad and the kid saying zoom
> > zoom.  I don't know what kind of car that's for.  I don't listen.  But a
> > quick plug at the end of a seamless and uninterrupted quality program hits
> > home with so much more oomph, albeit a capitalistic oomph, toned down for
> > those of us intelligent enough to know what we want to buy.
> > 
> > Rush Limbaugh wants to destroy Public TV, a den of snobbish liberals who
> > have the gall to have old money taste instead of white trash motivational
> > greed.  As loud as he gets, and as loud as the signal gets when the
> > commercials come on to batter me senseless, I can still remember a polite
> > corporate postscript far better than a screaming car salesman in a fifty
> > gallon hat.  Proof?  Twenty-five years later, I can still sing the Mutual of
> > Omaha themesong.
> 
> Wonderful post, Alliekatt. It evokes images and expresses feelings all
> but brain dead morons have had from time to time. In mentioning the
> thing with the volume, though, you touch upon something which really
> drives me up a wall.
> 
> I listen to a lot of radio, or used to, when I'm doing watercolors and
> other artwork, and find myself missing a lot of things I might not
> otherwise have missed owing to the fact that I turn the radio off when
> I get pissed as hell about commercials blaring out at twice the normal
> volume. When it finally does occur to me that the radio has been off
> for a long time, I've missed the programming I turned it on for to
> begin with. Now I have to believe that I'm not alone in this, and I
> wonder if it occurs to these folks that the net effect of all this is
> that many like me just say screw it all?
> 
> Much the same goes for television. I'm sure you've noted that even on
> the Discovery and History Channels that loud, coarse and crass
> commercials are the order of the day, and the louder the better. I
> often wonder if they ever give any thought to just who their audience
> is.
> 
> Further, note the car commercials and the demographic they target.
> Here we have commercials made for Lexus, Cadillac, Mercedes and Volvo
> which suggest that eighteen year olds with lead foots are buying these
> high end automobiles. Yep, commercials now seem to be made by people
> who believe nobody over the age of 25 exists on the planet. I own a
> Lexus which cost me a ton of money, and I can assure you that not very
> many young people can afford a car like this - not many at all. Most
> of us don't accumulate significant wealth until we're in our
> mid-forties, and even then at great sacrifice. Have you ever wondered
> why these car manufacturers, the CEOs, don't question these
> advertising agencies about these marketing strategies? I just can't
> figure it out.             Ursula

You people are putting far too much energy into this.  It's only
Television folks.... it comes with an OFF switch.  Besides, the
commercials are the best part.   If you don't understand that, then
you've learned absolutely nothing.   

pb