Ads

While visiting my mom and dad today, they put on televised bowling. Ah, the sacrifices one makes for love... Anyway, a bowler had an ad on his back for Bayer Aspirin. Sheesh.

It made me think about how we're constantly barraged by advertising. On TV, radio, billboards, the internet, blimps, mail, newspapers, in stores, on the trains and buses, EVERYWHERE!

What should the advertisers take from the following facts:

• I pay for HBO and avoid almost all commercial TV
• I own a Tivo so I can skip the ads
• My computer is equipped with two types of pop-up blocker
• I'm on the do not call list
• My email providers ALL sort out spam
• I'm considering Sirius Radio

Why should they care? I'm not alone! I believe the majority of Americans feel this way.

I'm incurring this additional expense and headache because of how damned abusive the advertisers are getting. It's sickening. Ads behind the catcher at Wrigley Field... TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. Salesmen calling my house... RUDE. Almost 30 minutes of ads and previews before I get to watch the movie I bought a ticket to watch at the theater... BULLSHIT!!!

Like I pay the Illinois Tollway folks in advance to be able to blow through the tolls at 90 MPH, I wish there was an IPASS for removing all advertising from my life. I already know what products I'm going to buy and I don't need some mindless robot trying to coerce me to buy something else. IT DOESN'T WORK on me.

Of course, there are people who enjoy NASCAR. I'll bet it works on them.