A Bit About Commercials

I had two separate bits of writing percolating in my brain.

I’ve been sitting in some waiting rooms lately, watching a lot of television, and it gave me a few things to say about commercials.

The other idea I wanted to cover is how so many of us seem to be shocked or surprised that we get old.

So, the way this whole writing process works for me is I get these general ideas of what I’d like to write about, then I stew on them for several weeks until they take a definite form.

Well, I’d gotten to that formation point on both of these topics and I was ready to sit down and write. I pulled out the old laptop, opened my writing program, and was trying to decide which to tackle first when it hit me that both of these themes are connected.

I’ll explain.

First off, you should know Ron and I do not watch regular television at home. Never. We putter around doing other stuff. When we do sit down, usually late at night, to watch a show or a movie, we have Netflix and Amazon. So, commercials are not something to which we’re regularly exposed. In fact, it’s been over ten years since I’ve watched normal TV with any regularity.

((Side note: I want to extend a HUGE thank you to the considerate folks in charge of picking waiting room TV channels who opt for non-news choices. Fox News puts me in a foul mood. And, I’m sure MSNBC puts conservatives in a foul mood, too. I am grateful to walk in and see home improvement channels, cooking shows, or even the weather on the television. No sense in getting folks angry before having their blood pressure checked.))

Anyway, what smacked me in the face with current television commercials is how they all focus on being the BEST! If you have ANY problems, here’s the way to eliminate it. Are your children making a mess? Here’s the solution so everything sparkles, and you are a top-quality house cleaner, giving you time to play games and laugh and cuddle with your family! Are your eyes dry? Here’s the solution so you can go on GRAND adventures shopping for antiques whilst riding with friends in a convertible car! Do you have a large load of pipes to haul around? Here’s a truck to help you do it EFFORTLESSLY while you wear fitted flannel shirts and artfully dirty denim! Got heartburn? Here’s the cure so you can go for LOVELY walks along picturesque rivers with your significant other!

Wow.

Initially, sitting there, taking in these ads, I was like “eh, they’re sellin’ stuff, guess they gotta make it look good”.

But after a while, I realized every single commercial made it seem like buy this product and you will be the best person you can be!!!!!!

(I’d like to think we’ve all got enough sense to know that isn’t real.)

Slowly, something else began to sink in. Their version of the best person you can be was the same in every commercial. A physically fit, happy, healthy individual who has wiped away all of life’s inconveniences.

My health issues are ramping up, lately. I’m still mostly okay but no matter what pill I take or product I buy, I may never get back to what all these commercials are telling me I should be. And, if that applies to me, when I’m still relatively okay, how does it feel to be someone with serious physical or mental disabilities watching these commercials.

((Google casual ableism, please.))

People are seeing these commercials all day long. These ads are saying we have to fix every single small problem in our lives to achieve some kind of ideal life. What if someone can’t?

According to the ad industry, we need to be fast and strong, and cool and suave, and have flawless (nay, poreless!) skin, and drive the biggest truck or have the smoothest riding car. We need drugs to fix every single ailment so we can be a fully functioning human being, otherwise, we’re sad...to the point of having animated storm clouds and rain over our heads.

We. Should. Be. Perfect.

The thing is….some of us have mobility issues. We may not be able to make floors spotless. And some of us can’t fix our dry eyes, no matter what we do. Or, we may need dialysis, and there isn’t a quick pill that will allow us to have wonderful adventures mountain climbing with our friends.

Or….or…..or…...some of us are elderly.

(Here’s where the two writing ideas merge.)

We’re all so busy being sold on the idea of perfection as the ideal that we’re fighting tooth and nail against aging. It’s a battle none of us can win, yet we can be shocked when it claims us.

Ron and I were visiting an elderly relative recently. Someone else (also elderly) said they never thought they’d see this person in such a state. I had to stop myself from saying “old age comes for us all”. It seemed rather rude to point it out in that moment, given their ages, but it’s true. It’s a side-effect of living.

Not that the ads ignore aging. They do not. Nursing homes are a big industry. We see perfectly coiffed seniors rolling along in motorized chairs visiting with friends and family.

They rarely show you the room.

My mom is a brilliant source of practical wisdom. After watching her own mother age, mom realized something and, now, she shares it with the family. She says the end comes down to living in one room.

You better be prepared for it. Have a hobby you can do while sitting in one spot. Truly cherish and value only a few material things. Know that all manner of uncomfortable things are going to happen in that room because we’re going to be elderly and frail and we’re going to need help.

And that is okay.

We need to give ourselves and others permission to be frail. To be human.

Buying the latest shoes might not make us able to run marathons. Taking the best irritable bowel medication won’t let us to dance the night away. Our problems may be bigger than that….they might not be fixable problems. Or even problems we need to fix.

Everyone. EVERYONE. Everyone has something to contribute to our world. Not just these laughing happy healthy folks at the end of the commercials.

Seriously. We need to stop thinking the ideal humans are the ones we see on television and in magazines. Maybe if we consider all types of people as valuable contributors to society, each in their own way, then we won’t be so quick to throw folks under the bus for the sake of making a few bucks.

I don’t have spotless floors. My eyes are dry. I honestly don’t know if I run to the bathroom too much or not enough. My vehicle cannot pull a heavy load. My laundry doesn’t come out blazing bright white. My windows aren’t nearly invisibly clean. My hair isn’t bouncingly beautiful. My bones and joints don’t allow me to climb every mountain.

But I’m happy.

Or I was until I watched all those darn commercials.