Is
it just me or what? Does this bother anyone else out there? One of my pet
peeves happens to be medical commercials on the radio or television. I was
watching some program the other night and counted 12 health related
commercials at one fell swoop before we got back to the program. Seems
like there are more and more of them each year that goes by, doesn’t
it?
I suppose when I get to the point where I
can’t remember anything; this space between the programs will certainly
be a disaster. If we suffer short-term memory loss and have to wade
through 10 minutes of commercials how in heavens name will be able to keep
up with what is going on with any program? Of course, as bad as most of
the programs are today, it might be a good thing and doesn’t really
matter does it? This disturbing trend seems to be the increase in
commercials for medical stuff. Now that tobacco has been taken off the
airwaves, it seems to have been replaced with ads for a thousand and one
health products. It makes me wonder what the advertisers think of us as a
whole. I bet if someone came to this country and saw all of these for the
first time, they’d think we were about to fall apart as a nation. It’s
a wonder we don’t get invaded a couple of times a year, isn’t
it?
Bladder control products seem to be one of
the top products being hawked at us day and night. The way these things
are laid out it seems half the world is having a difficult time getting to
the bathroom on time. Acid reflux…what’s this all about? In years gone
by, wasn’t this called heartburn? If I had the time and inclination
I’d sit down and make a list of all of the various physical ailments
that we’re getting told we have and what we need to do about them. Lots
of times I think the drug companies just take some simple ailment and make
it into some big deal just to get us to buy some more pills and nasal
sprays.
Take sinus for example. Now we all know
that several times each year the trees and plants bloom and give off stuff
that might make us sneeze and wheeze, don’t we? Yet, if you’re like
me, at the first sign of that annual misery season, we go to the doctor
who gives us a handful of prescriptions. Another annoying thing that I
notice is the fact that these commercials try to make us feel inadequate
if we get some kind of problem or another. Like it’s my fault I have a
cold and I’m rejected by society as a result of it. I notice in the
grocery store there are lots and lots of things to blow your nose on and I
sure don’t buy all of them so someone else must be sick as well.
What did people do before we had these
miracle drugs? Did they build up immunity to the stuff in the air or did
they just move to some other part of the world? Maybe this explains how
some of the lost tribes got lost in the first place. Perhaps Moses was
just trying to find some place where the pollen count was lower. Or he
wouldn’t stop and ask directions as members of the opposite sex have
suggested it to me. Trust me on this. If you believe ½ the stuff we get
thrown at us by television and radio advertisements, you’d be carrying a
shoe box or a knapsack around with you at all times to hold the pills and
potions we’ve been given to us.
Personally I think less is more and tend to
stick with it. Listen to me. If your bladder is giving you problems, stop
drinking so many fluids. It works for the kids; it’ll work for you as
well. If you get acid reflux or heartburn, lay off the chili, onions and
Mexican food. It’ll get you every time. There, I’ve saved you a lot of
grief and possibly some money. I didn’t go to medical school and I
don’t have insurance so if this doesn’t work you can’t sue me. Just
take 2 aspirins and call some doctor in the morning. As always you can
reach me at www.pearyperry.com.
Don’t try to reach me tomorrow I have a doctors appointment |
