I don’t watch much TV, but I do watch NCIS every week, (my eyes never get tired of watching Mark Harmon, AKA Jethro Gibbs, as he is one fine-looking man). I opened my notebook because I never know when a blog idea will slap me in the face and unfortunately, if I don’t write it down, I forget it.
The show’s advertisements began to roll on the tube, and I began idly jotting them down in a list, just for something to do while I’m waiting for the incomparable Jethro Gibbs to reappear and refresh my eyes. Ads flashed on the screen non-stop for a bunch of medical cures, some of which I had never heard of, but they sounded serious, and I wouldn’t wish either the disease or the cure on my worst enemy, if I had one. In the hour-long show, there were twelve medical ads. I watched them carefully, hoping that one of them would offer a cure for my aching right knee, but just my luck, only left-knee medical cures were available. Rats. A couple ads warned, “Don’t use if you are allergic as it could cause death,” which would interrupt my viewing of Jethro and also Tom Selleck, another ooh-la-la senior citizen. I don’t get excited about the twenty-thirty-forty-fifty-sixty something actors, because they are just kids. Damn, I’m old.
Interspersed with the medical ads were a bunch of other ads, I counted thirty-three advertisements in the course of an hour, leaving hardly enough time for me to feast my eyes on Jethro. The ads were for everything from toothpaste to pizza to cars. The ice cream advertisement spurred me to jump out of my chair and head to the freezer, but I shook my head at the perfume ad. I had never heard of that particular brand and it might make me sneeze and it sounded pricey. Three banks, a personal finance company, and a credit union, but would I really change my trusted financial institutions based on a smooth-talking actor? The insurance ads made me laugh, but I’ve used the same insurance company for years and when you need insurance, it is no laughing matter. I’ll stick with my tried-and-true insurance agents.
What wasn’t advertised struck me, as well because the unhealthy food options outnumbered the healthy. I mean why not try to convince people to choose celery over ice cream or beets over pizza? Now that I think of it, it’s obvious because ice cream and pizza will always win.
Jethro rolled back on in the midst of these ads, and I finished watching my show. I swooned as he rolled his eyes and winked at me. Forget the ads, just give me my Mark Harmon and Tom Selleck fixes every week. I can dream, can’t I?
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