Commercials

Commercials are on radio, television, and the Internet. They are a mainstay of life in our commercial-oriented semi-capitalist economy. Commercials allow over the air networks to broadcast for free. This way persons in range can see the evening news, watch their favorite sitcom, night time talk show, or more importantly their favorite NFL game. Commercials are also part of some cable channels. You pay to go to a movie theater only to have to watch some commercials. There are good commercials and bad commercials, although taste is in the eye and mind of the beholder.

Mean Joe Green Commercial 1979
Google images

Some commercials enter the main stream of society, particularly many of those played during the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl, the 50th game of which will be played this year, has become cornerstone of American excess and spectacle. I know a good number of persons who watch the Super Bowl, not for the football contest, but for the commercials. Some people find commercials addicting. As a young boy I was sent to my room to do my homework, but showing how parents no longer fight the fight with their children my youngest brother did his homework in front of the TV. Yet, he did his homework during the show and took his break to lift his head and watch the commercials. We thought he would take up advertising, instead he became an accountant. Super Bowl commercials have become so popular that they have spawned their own television show. For example, during prime time on February 2, CBS, who is broadcasting the Super Bowl on February 7, will have (or had) a one hour special devoted to Super Bowl commercials. So you can spend one hour looking at old interspersed with new commercials. An American advertisers dream. After the Super Bowl, the talk is not about the did you see Russel Wilson’s last minute interception, but “did you see the commercial that….” Commercials are part of culture and inform who we are as a people. It shows the lasting, or perhaps fleeting, nature of the aspirations, our goods and services. In a sense it shows what is important to us. They become part of our everday experience, and provide catch phrases that long endure after the commercial has ceased on the air. “Where’s the beef?” Or they provide lasting images--Mean Joe Green receiving a coke from a boy and in return throwing his jersey to the boy.

Super Bowl Commercial
Google images

Yet, there are two commercials today which I have seen rather regularly.  I find them difficult to accept. The first is the ATT cellular commercial with Samuel L Jackson, who apparently has replaced Morgan Freeman as the go-to commercial guy, on a cell tower in the middle of nowhere. In our connected world of today, I am sure that many in the nation would like the commercial and that you can (or at least supposed to) get ATT service in the middle of nowhere. Yes, it is to be a metaphor, but quite frankly, to me we still need wilderness and plopping cell towers every few miles in our wilderness and hinterlands does a disservice to the wildlife, and to our wild lands. In that sense it also is a disservice to us. We need to know there are times when we have to work for something, and you get a special pleasure at the end. When I was in the Boundary Waters—Canadian side—there were no cell towers, and at times the portaging was difficult, but special moments arose—like seeing the mother moose and her calf. Or, in Jordan climbing up several hundred stairs, and then up rocks to get to what was termed the “end of the earth” only to see a site of desolation of crags, hills and valleys of desert unoccupied by man. A humbling and awe inspiring site. Sure it would be nice to call if you got hurt, but part of the journey is being prepared for the unexpected. We cannot at all time expect the easy way out, or to forever be connected.

"The End of the World" near Petra, Jordan
Photo by Author, May 2013

The last of the two commercials is for the realty firm, Redfin.  I had never heard of Redfin until I saw the commercial, proving the purpose of commercials--get your "brand" out to the public.  yet, I find this commercial creepy.  The untold back story is of a family with a teenage son moving to a new home, perhaps to a new town.  Teens, being teens, would not be too happy moving at a crucial point in their development, but this I think is what is happening.  The male teenager, who we know palys the clarinet, seems to sulk around at different homes.  His Dada shows him photos of homes prospective homes on the smart phone, only for the boy to give a clear no.  Like the kid gets to select the home.  The last home featured the teen is still sulking and the realtor knows it.  She motions with her head for him to go to the bedroom behind her.  In checking out the bedrooom he notices a teenage girl below playing the cello, or a bass.  He looks down at her while she practices in her living room and she gazes up.  I just find this not only rude, but, as I said, creepy.  Here is this strange boy staring down at a girl practicing music.  They could have had her playing soccer in a yard and accidentally kicking the ball into the yard and he retrieving it for her, but I guess that would take the intended magic, and creepiness away.

Boy in Redfin Commercial

 As creepy as I find the Redfin commercial and as derisive as I find the ATT commercial, I realize they are part of life.  Many commercials actually entertain; some are even inspirational.  Super Bowl advertisers will spend more than $8 million for a 30 second commercial, so they well hope they will make a good long-lasting impression.  Super Bowls have many of the largest audiences in the nation, so is it any wonder it commands such commercial value?  As for the Redfin commercial, it is sufficiently creepy that it has grabbed my attention, and has made their brand known to me.  In that matter it goes with the saying that there is no such thing as bad press.  Another old saying goes that the only truths in life are death and taxes, to this one could add commercials.