If I Only Had A Brain
By
William A. Gralnick
“Big Lou is just like you. He’s on med’s too! So croons a happy-go-lucky voice trying to convince you that even if you are old and sick, Big Lou can get you term life insurance. This ad is emblematic of commercials being an agent in the dumbing down of America. I live in the land of geckos, south Florida. I’m used to them. I’m also insulted that Geico is betting that America will buy automobile insurance from one. Even worse is Doug and his idiot Emu trying to do the same for Progressive Insurance. How progressive is that? I can’t deal with Liberty Mutual’s certainty that I will buy insurance from an actor who can’t remember his lines or All-State’s Mr. Mayhem. Do we really have to make our point by showing stupid driver tricks? “
Flo and her and of rate robbers? Send them back to the minors.
The commercials from Big Pharma, I think, are dangerous. First, have you noticed that every disease has been reduced to three alphabet letters? The commercials from Big Pharma, I think, are dangerous. First. Have you noticed that every condition has been reduced to three alphabet letters? Fortunately, each disease gets its own letters….. Doing that makes each illness seem trivial, that a person in a white coat can beat it. It is usually just a person in a white coat, rather than a real doctor or pharmacist. “Just call this number,”…or ask your doctor to prescribe it…or run out and buy it. More dangerous and dumb still are the commercials that tout the healing power of a product, ascribing certification from someone or somewhere and beginning with the disclaimer that the product won’t cure anything, nor is it designed to.. In fact, it might even kill you. There are still some disclaimers spouted by fast-talkers who are finished disclaiming before your brain has digested the first three words they’ve said. There ought to be a law. Actually, there is. These fast-talk-talkers are used to skirt a law mandating disclaimers. The law doesn’t mandate how they are to be said or written (most seniors like me need a magnifying glass to read written warnings because use the print is so small), just that they are said
A new player on the screen is an owl selling us an antihistamine. I suppose one is wise to take it.
The line that sets my teeth on edge is this one: “Don’t take this product if you are allergic to it.” Duh. Since the product is a compound of products, it seems highly unlikely that one would know if one were allergic to any of…
