AD MADNESS

AD MADNESS

 

This is about one of my myriads of pet peeves that is, more than likely, shared by most of the civilized world: TV commercials.

Ergo, I subjected myself to a full half-hour of trauma, viewing a sitcom at 7:30 PM on May 15^th. I purposely selected a program I liked (“Big Bang Theory”) to take a pleasant break from viewing the 21 ads (actual count), aired during the duration of this re-run, to keep some semblance of sanity! Egad!

Times of each ad varied, but none exceeded thirty seconds. Shorter spots seemed more prevalent. Total program time was approximately twenty- two and one half minutes – total commercial time about seven and one half minutes. Good grief!

Car ads dominated (nine). Surprisingly, there was not one drug commercial! Incredible! Fast food establishments came at a distant second with a total of three. Others ranged from law firms, commercial businesses and hi-fi/TV stuff. Illuminating? Not at all!

The upshot of this useless study is that it proves my theory that in the near future there will be more air time for commercials and less for programming. It will be done so cleverly that you won’t even notice. Gazooks!

It should be noted that this will be the only study of this kind. Never again! Another would surely jeopardize my mental health, which is fragile to begin with.

Enjoy your viewing – preferably at the movies.