communis opinio

I'm mostly unchanged from yesterday. I was able to have a small bowl of mashed potato again. Although, in all fairness, my year-old nephew can definitely eat more than I can. Sad, isn't it? Tummy wobbles are still in effect, so I'm hopeful for a resolution soon. I'll set up a chat with my family doctor next week if this continues. I'd rather not, because I don't really want any more medications. I'm surprised that we're already at the end of the week, about to start the "end of summer" long weekend! I don't really notice long weekends-on weekends in general-since I had to stop working, I only pay attention to know when to avoid the crowds at Costco? But since they stopped the free samples, the crowds are a little less dense. I’m using my oxygen regularly, but not constantly.  I’ve found that when I start having trouble catching my breath, I use the oxygen for about 10 minutes and it improves significantly.

I think that I'm turning into a cranky, old woman. I find that TV ads are more annoying than they used to be. It might be that I'm becoming a curmudgeon, or (I think) that the agencies have run out of ideas.

Like tampon ads. They want me to believe that no-one  knew that there are different grades of tampons (or, as the ad says," more than one size") As long as I've needed those products, they have been available in 4-5 different grades, depending on absorbency. I've always suffered during my periods, so I definitely knew the various absorbency levels for pads and tampons, and the physical thickness of pads. So it's ridiculous to. have a comedienne pulling 5 boxes of tampons and a poster from her purse, in a public bathroom to explain that "Only [my brand] has multiple sizes." Another ad had a 30-something woman saying incredulously. "Nobody ever told me that tampons came in multiple sizes." Dumb!

There is a car ad, featuring a boy who looks to be 6 or 7 years old who claims not to need the bathroom to both of his parents before leaving with his mother in the car.  He of course needs to go, and after whining in the car while they are on the highway, the last scene shows him grinning stupidly while we realize that he’s wet himself.  What that has to do with selling a car is beyond me!

Other companies with bizarre ads include a clothing company with groups of 5 people doing a vaguely creepy dance in places like a cinema, a market place and a beach. Several beer ads that make it clear that drinking beer doesn't strengthen your brain cells. Many toy ads-although the toys have changed, the ads are still as loud and seizure-inducing as ever. There are the insurance ads- they are unbelievably bad really. I think that they shoud be shut down; give them an inch…. Then, of course, rounding out the list of dreadful commercials, are all of the drug ads that try To persuade a 70-year-old man than he can regain his youth, or at least his hair and libido.

Ads play a role in society that's unique. They create a longing for products, and keep money and goods circulating. They create awareness of newer products so that you can envision it in your life. Some are funny, some memorable and some campaigns are classics: Coke's 1970's "I'd like to teach the world to sing" for instance. It would be ideal if we could maintain a certain basic level of quality, so we don't go brain rot!  Yes, I’m clearly cranky.  I think that I’ll have to switch over to print ads, since they can’t manage to irritate me quite so much!  Or find methods of amusement that are without commercials.  Wish me luck!  LOL