Another beautiful day has come and gone, and what did I do with it? Not much.
I had an “okay” day at work, finishing 40 bundles by 2:00pm, which is when I left the plant. I came home & typed in a few of my journals, through December 2000. Then I watched “News Radio” reruns. I also watched the “Simpsons”, on FOX.
I am seriously considering writing an essay (I mentioned this to M the other day) about the stupidity of commercials, news programs, TV shows, and the media business in general. I’m thinking of calling my essay “How Stupid Do They Think We Are?”
First of all, I understand that advertisement is necessary. If it weren’t for ads, how could the business world make their products and/or services known to the public? But it’s gotten out of hand. How can every product be the “best one available”? How can each service be the fastest and most efficient? How can each medicine or treatment be the one that most doctors recommend?
If you’re reading this entry, or the essay that I’m about to write at a time far removed from 2001, let me explain briefly, in case I never write the essay. Every commercial in our time (and for most of my life, as a matter of fact) blatantly lies to the public, in order to sell the product. “[This medicine] is recommended by more doctors than any other, and it works faster, with less side effects, than any other of its type.” But then the advertisement for the competing brand will say the same thing. It’s starting to piss me off.
Also, in between shows, or when the TV station is going into a commercial break, they’ll run a short sequence that usually says, “stay tuned! Don’t touch that dial!” For one thing, televisions haven’t had “dials” since I was a young boy. Now they have buttons, which most people don’t use, because we have wireless remote controls now (we don’t have voice-controlled sets, just yet.) Secondly, I don’t know very many people who just sit and watch the commercials, unless they’re sick and bedridden. Surely the corporate moguls know this. So why the f— do they run those 5-second spots? Do they really think I’m going to say to myself, “Oh! I didn’t realize they wanted me to stay tuned and watch these commercials. I guess I’ll just sit here and do nothing while the stupid ads run”? Do they really think we’re that dumb?
I hope I actually write the essay, because I have a lot of other things to say about the stupidity of television in my “modern” age.
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