Now that the dog days of summer are behind us, I find myself turning on the TV in order to get the latest weather report. Here in Michigan, the oncoming winter is of huge concern. I’m a sunshine girl, and I need to know when to bring the tropical plants indoors before the first frost.
I’ve little time to devote to serious boob tube watching. I have a business, home, classes, hobbies, and writing to fill any void I might possibly think of creating. If it’s not weather related or the latest crime spree examination on Investigative Discovery or TruTV, I don’t have time.
My recent TV viewing habits have found me peeved at certain commercials. It’s the drug commercials. I’m not talking about over-the-counter medications like Benadryl or Tylenol, for everyone needs to know how to self-medicate an allergy or headaches. No, what sparks my ire are those commercials for prescription drugs funded by the major pharmaceutical companies.
I’m not a holistic adherent, but I try to limit my intake of any outside chemicals to a bare minimum. I know many prescription drugs are helpful to many people with a myriad array of conditions and symptoms. But for some reason, pharmaceutical commercials and their commercial attempts rub me the wrong way.
For one thing, I can’t buy any of the touted wonder cures without a prescription from my doctor. If I personally cannot purchase these medicines, why have the commercials? Ah, so the consumer has the information with which to pester their physician.
Obtaining a prescription involves actually making an appointment and physically going to the doctor. This alone seems to be a money-making ploy. If I know I have bronchitis, why can’t I just call up my doctor and ask for antibiotics to be sent to the local CVS forthwith? Speaking from a personal perspective, sometimes the ‘wonder’ drug doesn’t help the situation at all. In that case, I have spent my hard earned money on God only knows what kind of foreign chemical that has not improved the situation. In most cases, I’d rather suffer through the pain.
My main contention with these commercials is the sometimes stupid premises. A case in point would be commercials for Cialis. Cialis, for those who are living under a rock in a cave in Afghanistan, is a medicine designed to cure erectile dysfunction. (Might I add here, “Eww... TMI.”) The commercials feature attractive older couples in settings like the beaches, vineyards or redwood forests of Northern California. There is some light frolicking and canoodling while the announcer ticks off all the possible side effects, with the commercial ending with both participants watching the sun set in side-by-side matching clawfoot bathtubs.
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Article comments
1 - Auntie Smedley
Couldn't agree more. The gov't made a big mistake in allowing brand name drug advertising on TV. It should be made to go away.