I have spent the last few minutes trying to think if there is anything, in the world, more annoying than television advertising in the US. The Kardashian family possibly excepted, I really don't think there is.
You simply get bombarded - before, during and after your program - with everything from invitations to bonanza mattress sales, to images of cars sleekly winding along mountain roads, to demonstrations of the latest nose hair trimmer (when I find mine quite easy to use).
However I have found some light relief during commercial breaks through paying attention to the last 20 seconds or so of drug company advertisements. This is where the negative side effects of the drug in question have to be explained. "Taking this medication may cause you to break out in hives, spend 3 days on the toilet, or burst spontaneously into flame. Consult your physician if any of these symptoms persist". That sort of thing.
The best of all these is in a commercial for a viagra-type medication, which advises users to see their doctor if they have "an erection lasting more than four hours". Wow! At the wrong time of day this could make it quite difficult to go about your business. But I bet women all over the country, with husbands snoozing beside them in their armchairs, have quietly taken note of the drug's name. So even the warning can be part of the sale I suppose.
I'm going to have to think of other strategies for getting through commercial breaks. Sniggering at rude words will only get me so far.
I'm going to have to think of other strategies for getting through commercial breaks. Sniggering at rude words will only get me so far.
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