Having worked overseas for several years, when I returned home to the “real” world I experienced a certain amount of reverse culture shock. This is not at all uncommon, particularly for those who have lived and worked in a closed society. Upon setting foot back on the good old terra firma of the U.S., the most obvious and available source of information is, of course, television.
I could not quite believe the changes that had occurred in that medium. Instead of commercial breaks during regular programming, it had become programming breaks during regular commercial messages. I quickly lost count of the number of commercials with which I was bombarded during a 30-minute program segment. I was immediately awestruck by the fact that sex sells everything. The amount of time dedicated to a few specific subjects caused me to rethink what our national priorities really are, and where the real dangers lurk for our way of life. The conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the war on terror, etc. pale in comparison to the endless bombardment of what must surely be the more paramount issues we tend to minimize but which have real consequences for all of us.
Without doubt, erectile dysfunction is reaching epic proportions among the poor hapless American males. There are no less than four major products aggressively trying to address the problem. They all promise a life of what could only be regarded as an endless series of utopian experiences. However, like all good things, the audience is cautioned to be aware of some serious consequences. The worst must surely be an erection that lasts for 4 hours or more! Should that occur the user is advised to see their doctor immediately. That seems to be awfully self-serving. Penetrating deeper into the issue, and given the need to be more ecologically conscious, I should think the first priority would be to capitalize on the opportunity, have the clothes dryer disconnected and hang the laundry out to dry.
The next threat to the social foundations of our society would appear to be rather pathetic middle aged women yearning for the same “smoking hot body” of her college years. What is touted to be the crowing achievement of such an endeavor is the woman who brags that her husband now refers to her as his “trophy wife.” Now, I ask you, what self-respecting, reasonably intelligent and well-grounded female would boast of such an endearing label? Rather, should any husband dare to make such a boast, I would think she would be far more inclined to forcefully insert the television remote where the sun doesn’t shine!
I have also been struck by what appears to be an almost pathological fear of looking our age. Some faceless and elusive authority has ordained that vanity is the pre-eminent measure of our individual and collective worth. Have you noticed the number of young men on television who are dying their hair lest the slightest appearance of gray doom them and their career to the dust bin? Between the repeated commercial messages about the joys of indulging our appetites on the buffet of life, the examples of what really counts seems to be a physical countenance that borders on anorexia. Do any of these rather sad examples of humanity really believe that is all there is to life? Moderation in all things is good advice for all of us to follow during this trip through life. Good health just makes good sense, but so does taking the time to enjoy the trip.
Making the journey from birth to death is an inescapable fact for all of us. Wouldn’t we all be a whole lot healthier if we accepted who and what we are at any given point in time? Wouldn’t we all be more well-adjusted if we had the courage and the conviction to truly love and accept ourselves for who and what we are? In the end we just might discover there is ever so much more to “me” than the empty image endlessly thrown at us by Madison Avenue and what the economic behemoth has forced upon us , resulting in a progressively more empty and meaningless life’s journey?
The quote, “God doesn’t make junk,” should remind all of us that “me” is very special and a rare gem to be shared with all the world. Treasure that reality.
I could not quite believe the changes that had occurred in that medium. Instead of commercial breaks during regular programming, it had become programming breaks during regular commercial messages. I quickly lost count of the number of commercials with which I was bombarded during a 30-minute program segment. I was immediately awestruck by the fact that sex sells everything. The amount of time dedicated to a few specific subjects caused me to rethink what our national priorities really are, and where the real dangers lurk for our way of life. The conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the war on terror, etc. pale in comparison to the endless bombardment of what must surely be the more paramount issues we tend to minimize but which have real consequences for all of us.
Without doubt, erectile dysfunction is reaching epic proportions among the poor hapless American males. There are no less than four major products aggressively trying to address the problem. They all promise a life of what could only be regarded as an endless series of utopian experiences. However, like all good things, the audience is cautioned to be aware of some serious consequences. The worst must surely be an erection that lasts for 4 hours or more! Should that occur the user is advised to see their doctor immediately. That seems to be awfully self-serving. Penetrating deeper into the issue, and given the need to be more ecologically conscious, I should think the first priority would be to capitalize on the opportunity, have the clothes dryer disconnected and hang the laundry out to dry.
The next threat to the social foundations of our society would appear to be rather pathetic middle aged women yearning for the same “smoking hot body” of her college years. What is touted to be the crowing achievement of such an endeavor is the woman who brags that her husband now refers to her as his “trophy wife.” Now, I ask you, what self-respecting, reasonably intelligent and well-grounded female would boast of such an endearing label? Rather, should any husband dare to make such a boast, I would think she would be far more inclined to forcefully insert the television remote where the sun doesn’t shine!
I have also been struck by what appears to be an almost pathological fear of looking our age. Some faceless and elusive authority has ordained that vanity is the pre-eminent measure of our individual and collective worth. Have you noticed the number of young men on television who are dying their hair lest the slightest appearance of gray doom them and their career to the dust bin? Between the repeated commercial messages about the joys of indulging our appetites on the buffet of life, the examples of what really counts seems to be a physical countenance that borders on anorexia. Do any of these rather sad examples of humanity really believe that is all there is to life? Moderation in all things is good advice for all of us to follow during this trip through life. Good health just makes good sense, but so does taking the time to enjoy the trip.
Making the journey from birth to death is an inescapable fact for all of us. Wouldn’t we all be a whole lot healthier if we accepted who and what we are at any given point in time? Wouldn’t we all be more well-adjusted if we had the courage and the conviction to truly love and accept ourselves for who and what we are? In the end we just might discover there is ever so much more to “me” than the empty image endlessly thrown at us by Madison Avenue and what the economic behemoth has forced upon us , resulting in a progressively more empty and meaningless life’s journey?
The quote, “God doesn’t make junk,” should remind all of us that “me” is very special and a rare gem to be shared with all the world. Treasure that reality.
1 comment:
GREAT POST!!! I truly enjoyed reading it. Sadly I think you missed the ED commercial with Sen. Bob Dole. I still have nightmares about it.
Bob Dole talking about ED/Sex had, I am afraid, has left me permanently scared and scarred about the subject. Perhaps I can hire former Sen. John Edwards to represent me in a forthcoming class action lawsuit against the FCC for allowing the subject to be broached on the airways?
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