A toxic sea of annoyance…
Tuesday, September 16th, 2014I suppose this could be interpreted as a follow-up on last Tuesday’s post. People minimize the onslaught of commercials by using DVRs and streaming video now, but commercial interests still bombard everyone with commercials. Pop-up ads on websites, especially those with video and sound, are only a small part of the problem. Theaters, struggling to compete in this internet age, bombard us with commercials too—many of them are the same ones you see on TV. It’s not enough that you have to mortgage your house to buy your candy and popcorn. They sell advertising time too. (I don’t buy anything at concession stands anymore. If I can’t smuggle in trail mix or a fruit bar, I go without. Eating distracts from the movie anyway.) Facebook is even selling political ads.
Some commercials are entertaining if you only see them once. Being bludgeoned by them over and over again is a bit like an eternity listening to that stupid song “Frozen” (unlike many American businesses, my writing business isn’t a Disney subsidiary—I can tell you the truth about their crappy songs!). Even worse, on our local stations, commercial X is played at the beginning of a commercial break and then again at the end. Any cuteness—pets and kids are common—becomes stale (cuteness is over-rated anyway). Any cleverness also becomes stale. Make sure all the knives and guns are safely under lock and key because you’ll soon become suicidal with this torture going on.