Good day, loyal airmen.  This week allow me to rant a bit about one of my favorite pet peeves, television commercials.  Don't me get me wrong, I watch as much TV as the next guy, although mostly the sci-fi and cartoon networks, and of course Red Sox baseball.  Still even with this limited exposure, I am swamped every evening with dozens of mindless, illogical, idiotic messages urging me to BUY! BUY! BUY!  Let's look at some of the worst offenders.

Many years ago, please don't ask me how they did it, but active consumers convinced the American public, and congress, that cigarettes were so bad for us, it was nothing short of criminal that we allowed the tobacoo companies to advertise them on the Boob Tube.  And lo and behold, one day the Marlboro man was gone and no one was lighting up a Lucky in front us anymore.  Obviously that's a good thing, right?  Maybe, but this is what I'd like to get resolved.  If smoking was so bad for the American public, why is it we still allow ads to sell alcohol?   Please, nobody can convince me that drinking beer every single day of your life is good for you.  I know people who do that and they are called alcoholics.  Some of them even drive cars after getting drunk and kill and maim hundreds of innocent lives. Yet I don't remember once, in our hallowed campaign to rub out cigarette advertising where one person related a story ala, “Yeah, Frank had smoked too much that night, almost a whole pack.  Then he got in his car and ran over a little old lady.”  Come on!  Give me a break!  And don't start yelling about the dangers of second hand smoke.  I'd much rather be in a room with three smokers than on the road with one drunk driver.

But hey, it's okay to sell booze on TV.  Never mind that most of the beer commercials are obviously aimed at the moronic males who would prefer to drink than do anything else in their lives.  I'm reminded of the idiot standing in front of his fridge waiting for the beer bottle to get cold, which is supposedly more important to him then his wife learning she is pregnant.  And we're suppose to think this is a “funny” commercial.  Personally I feel sorry for the new baby who is going to have this jerk for a father.   Ouch.

Okay, enough about the beer and alcohol crowd.  Let's see what else is being shoved down our throats daily.  I don't know about you, but when I was growing up I didn't have a clue what drugs were out there or what they could or could not do for me.  Thus, when I got sick, I did something very radical, I went to a licensed doctor and let him take care of me.  To include prescribe what meds I should be taking.  And you know what, it was a very good and sound system that worked extremely well.   The only problem with it today is that it doesn't afford the poor (chuckle) pharmaceutical companies to make their ludicrous profits, which they so avidly crave.   How do I know this, because I watch TV!   Yup, every single night I'm informed off all these maladies I might possibly be suffering from and the solution is this amazing new drug and that I should call my doctor immediately (..hey, who cares if it's Sunday night and the guy is at home relaxing?) and …ASK HIM ABOUT IT!!!

Not only are our airwaves being used for irresponsible marketing to garner the drug folks more cash in their coffers, but at the same time they are cleverly brainwashing an entire generation of hypochondriacs who are convinced they have every sickness ever recorded since Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden.  Where will it stop?  I mean how many pills are we suppose to be taking?  Most doctors will tell you the fewer the better.  But what do doctors know?  I mean, if we have to ASK THEM! 

And let's not forget the real irony here in regards to crass commercialism.  Should you take drugs that have serious side affects that leave you paralyzed, don't worry, your spouse can hire any one of the bazillion personal injury lawyers on the Boob Tube and sue those awful drug people!   You just got to love free enterprise.  Personally, and sincerely, I think both alcohol and drug ads are immoral and should follow the way of the cigarette ads.  The one true victim in this media bliz is we, the consumer.  The people who make these commercials, for the drug and alcohol companies, think we're stupid.  Please, let's not prove them right.

                                        
Finally, Rob Davis and I are only days away from releasing our 108 pg erotic horror graphic novel, DAUGHTER OF DRACULA.  The wonderful illo above (by Rob) is the inside front cover of the book.  I am holding off showing the color cover until the book is actually available for sale.  I promise you, it will knock your socks off, it is so beautiful..and sexy.  Please, for the first time since I've started this weekly log, I am encouraging you to come by daily.  For as soon as the book is out, I am going to post that cover here…and I am NOT waiting until next Friday to do so.  It's that gorgeous.  So there you go.  Come back soon.

And as always, thanks for stopping by, it is always appreciated,
Ron – Over & Out.