Commercial Interests
One can tell a lot about the culture we currently live in by watching commercials on TV. Have you noticed that men are being portrayed more often these days as fools and idiots? This is disturbing.
Another commercial trend I notice is that a lot of commercials are using black and white images to portray something bad and suddenly color is introduced when a product comes along to save the day. It’s as though they want to vilify gray scale images.
Has anyone noticed that the CBS News on weekend evenings is sponsored by really crappy mail-order products that often cost less than the shipping and handling?
Finally, what happens if your TV is connected to a Clapper and a Clapper commercial comes on?
posted by The Guy Who Writes This at 4:00 AM
17 Comments:
Guy, I did notice especially during this years election season and on those rare occasions that I could watch TV that they did use black and white to portray "the other side" and paint them as demonic.
Your last question has be plain stumpified!
I was told once by someone in the teevee/film industry that they call that the "Wizard of Oz" effect. Portraying the difference between the mundane world and the perfect world of Oz by switching back and forth. It's a holdover from when color teevee was new and they could actually do that. It's funny that even though it's an old trick, it still kinda works. And they do use it alot in the political ads, as Auntie pointed out.
And teevee commercials are still demographically aimed towards women. That's why we all look fat, bald and clueless.
Those stupid cheap products are pulling in more money than the evening news is. We're sheep.
FYI: if you plug your teevee into a clapper, it will probably catch fire fairly quickly. They aren't made for high amp appliances. Probably the first time that commercial came on and you had to clap the thing back on two or three times you'd have an instant fireplace.
When I clicked on your comment it brought me to your profile...I just noticed you like Brautigan. I studied him in Modern Poetry in high school a bazillion years ago! I liked him and Lawrence Ferlighetti. A great fan of all kinds of poets am I...I'm a published - just one! - poet myself. I had that one published and never got around to submitting any more. Anyway, I so totally agree with what you had to say about phones. Hahahaha...I got a KICK out of your Clapper observation here. I hate TV and spend as little time as possible watching it outside of "Super Why" and "Curious George" on PBS with the grandboys. Even the 8 month old is enthralled by those shows and gets all agitated when he realizes it's time to go to a new episode, ha!
Ah, that's one of my pet peeves--products being marketed to clueless idiots. It's often as though they're saying, only morons buy this! You're watching this ad, so you must be a moron, too. Buy one now you ignorant putz!
There was a time when I thought at least some TV news provided a check or balance maybe even a kibble of wachdoggyness. For the past 20 odd years though it's just more indoctrination. They all concentrate on the flavor of the day as another elephant walks into the room unmentioned. The real news is on the internet where many of the so called kooks make a lot more sense than a lot of high paid analysts in the main stream.
I near as I can tell the big news here is that new make-over picture of Auntie, whoo hoo!
my tv is connected to a dvr.
i've become quite affluent at skipping the commercials.
which leaves me more time to read your blog. :-)
and read the warnton newspaper of course.
Our TV is downstairs where evil mum-in-law-to-be dwells. But, the blessing is I dont have to watch those f*ing commercials!
PS, check out my new photo. Sexy, huh?
Being a child of the TV generation, see the article here later this week, I enjoy even the cheesy commercials. I remember all the cool crap, and I mean crap there was to watch when I used to have every channel under the sun, but we have by reasons of the financial situation slimmed down to the very basic $20 per month cable, which really sucks, but there is light at the end of that tunnel.
g, way to suck up. thanks.
Auntie,what are you trying to say with that photo?
Rich, there is a lot to be said for being clueless.
Kris, yes, I grew up on Brautigan, though I don't own a copy of Plant This Book.
Darev, don't you work in a gray environment?
I have noticed that men are portrayed badly... it happens in commercials, movies and most often in sitcoms. I also notice that wives tend to speak of their husband poorly ..he is so dumb or so lazy. This really disturbs me.
I cannot imagine wanting to spend my life with someone who I believe to be stupid and lazy. Worse yet - to say those things to casual work acquaintances.
Its just bad form to complain about your spouse in such a way, someone who you claim to love and honor- and its all to prevalent this ridiculing of men...simply based on the fact that they are men.
I'm lovin you, Weese.
Guy- the inmates are grey. We are black and white. Black and blue actually. Sometimes literally, in my case! The color comes in when I get outside the fence.
Ms. Weese- Don't fret about us. It's just your turn. We don't mind all that much.
The thing that gets on my nerve is that the naughty kids are generally red heads. As a blood nut, I take great offence to this.
Lisa, of which, I take it you are one?
Why are those radio commercials for car lots so damned loud and annoying? Because, according to advertising experts, men react better to the loud yelling and echoing. They could get that at home, right?
It isn't really loud at home, just repetitive.
The one I really hate is that Oxi-clean guy (who also does the Ka-boom cleaner commercials) he comes on and starts just YELLING at me. When he starts screaming the kids all jump and run away. Good for a bit of privacy anyways.
And while we're complaining about the guys being portrayed poorly, I suppose us girls get a fair break being portrayed as naggy, cold, do-no-wrong sorts? Ever notice that while the guy is bald, chubby, and bumbling the wifey-poo is thin, curvy, and manipulative?
Well--- maybe some of us. But surely not ALL of us. ;)
KNB, ; )
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