TV COMMERCIALS

Tell the truth. Do you zap commercials?  Do you remember any?  And do you care?  I asked a few friends that question.  The answers were: “I like the Geico Gecko –very cute.” and The Aflac Duck is OK.” Apart from this bit of kitchen research, it seems that most commercials are either annoying, full of specials effects like the movies without the blood and interminable. During a break between programs, they must air eight or nine.  Ditto for the break during a program.  In the good old days – the 50’s, 60’s there were three commercials.  Enough I thought. Let’s face it. They’re inescapable unless you use that magical remote and zap the sound – something I do on a regular basis.  Or you live in England where they don’t seem to have commercial telly. What a concept!   

Now I know that without commercials, we wouldn’t have all those nightly sophomoric sit-coms, pseudo reality shows, psychological counseling, tell-all relationship and endless airings of “Law and Order” in all its permutations; CSI, ditto; NCIS, ditto again.  Actually, they’re better than most.

When TV was born back in the 40’s, Edward R. Murrow who braved the London blitz during WWII reporting on the radio (remember it?) lauded this amazing new technology as a panacea for imparting knowledge. Occasionally, that happens. But only occasionally and typically on PBS and The History Channel. Of course he never envisioned playing games with the TV but back then, who did?

In defense of TV commercials, we should bear in mind that they are a boon to all those unemployed actors, actresses, singers and dancers. They appear in mini musicals dancing and singing about something or other, wear costumes impersonating oranges, underwear, giant boxes, etc.  But they really don’t care because they get a check and for starving thespians, that’s all that counts. Bottom line:  there’s some very good in very bad. And it’s often laughable.