What Do Commercials Say about US?

Modern marketing along with cable tv allow advertisers to focus their message to a specific demographic audience.   This means a company selling products for senior citizens in Ocean County NJ will advertise on a network seen only in Ocean County on a show watched by many people of the age and income of their customers.  This has me thinking about what the commercials I see say about what advertisers think of me. I spent a day thinking of the advertisements I see and what they may reveal.

This commercial goes back a few years when the yankees broadcasted on the MSG network.  One local commercial consisted of a man offering assistance in obtaining bail bonds.   I never needed this service.  I wondered what it said about Yankee fans.  I also wondered if Mets fans saw these same commercials.  I never explored the answer assuming Mets fans saw suicide prevention messages.

I do not watch much TV outside of news - public affairs and sports shows.  If I watch a sitcom, it is more likely to be “Leave it to Beaver” or “Seinfeld” than current shows.  I am not a young man anymore but the commercials I see lead me to believe my self image is younger than reality.  I am told over and over again that I should have this pendant that allows me to call for help if I fall.  I see a man sitting in a motorized chair singing about where it will take him.  This song made my mental top ten.  I begin to get over these gentle reminders of my ultimate decline when the Viagra or Viagra  like commercials appear.  Talk about a kick in the head!

The truth is most things work most the time yet I am bombarded with messages of their failure.  The gentle laxative that will work overnight and nudge me the morning.  I haven't used them but am skeptical.  I expect the nudge is a nudge from a mountain.  What is a nudge to a mountain is a shove to me.  If this is not enough there are prostate health products.  Some messages want things larger and others smaller .. I get confused.  I almost forgot …. after two weeks of using NO NO you need not shave.  My manhood is being attacked from all sides.  

The day comes to an end and thankfully the TV will be off.  I lie in bed thinking of these commercials and try to sleep.  The commercials have me afraid to fall asleep as I may not awake and I do not have the burial insurance for $10 a unit, whatever that is.  The one product I did not see advertised is the one most needed;  something to help me sleep.    Maybe modern marketing is not as good as I think it is.