7 February 2011 Nothing important here, keep moving, people.

http://views.washingtonpost.com/post-user-polls/2011/02/-super-bowl-commercials.html?hpid=talkbox1

How would you rank these Super Bowl commercials?

You've already had your morning water cooler discussions about the commercials that aired during Super Bowl XLV. So tell us, how would you rank these Super Bowl commercials? You can watch all of the commercials here and read Hank Stuever's take here.

When I log onto the Washington Post, the New York Times, or even the Johnson City Press web site, I expect to find news items. I’ve come to the sad realization that there will be some inclusion of what passes for “sports” in this nation despite my best efforts at wishing that inclusion away. I’ve found various ways and means to avoid watching such television programming and the print “sports sections” work as well for lighting the stove as any other remnant of a tree that I have on hand. In short, I’m usually able to avoid the associated idiocy associated with the various forms of tax-supported training programs geared at funneling new meat into the national athletics and gambling franchises.

But in the Washington Post today, on CNN today, the topic of discussion is not the Egyptian political uncertainty or that of the other Arab states that will be affected by Egypt. It is not the latest teavangelist plot to deform our government into a theocracy, spearheaded by the Palin-Beck-Huckabee groups. It is not even the football game played in Dallas. The primary topic I’ve seen, read, heard while getting ready for class, waiting for class is the commercial associated with the football game. Commercials!

Why bother to become excited about propaganda aimed at separating us from our money? Why do we sit through hours of sales pitches, which are then played repeatedly while someone describes their “cuteness,” “cleverness,” the “hotness” of the female or male models used in these commercials on steroids?

I recall very well the arguments that played out in each city and town that was awarding or denying cable television contracts. “Cable TV would free us from commercials.” “Cable TV would let us pay for and watch only those programs we wanted” There were other claims as well but those are the major selling points that have not come true.

Today we are handed up to 25 minutes of commercials in each hour of programming. We have supposedly “hundreds of programming choices that we can purchase from cable providers. But of the hundreds available at my home, there are 10-15 sports channels, another 10-15 popular music channels, countless shopping channels, and far too many “come to Jesus channels.” Not only are these not possible to deselect, they are also spread out through the few packages I want to purchase so that I cannot escape the.

Here’s the drift Cable providers and Congress. I want ala carte channel selection. I don’t want packages chosen to make some cable executive and his church or family happy. If, you are going to charge me for service and then stream one long series of commercials toward me while boosting the volume when they begin to play; then you need to quit billing me for commercial air time and frequency. I don’t want them, I’m not amused by them, and I won’t watch them. The mute button and off switch get lots of use at my home. If you want to broadcast them, then bill the advertiser for the airtime, not the consumer.

I won’t even watch commercials one night a year so that I can join in the next day’s idle conversations, Not last year, not this, and not next year. They’re commercials, a huge waste of my time. Nothing to see there. Keep moving people!