What the ads are telling us....

Every single one of the mainstream media is bombarding us with advertisements of all sorts, promoting all kinds of products and services, while at the same time promoting certain values. I can't help but to notice some very interesting advertisements that really caught my attention.

On radio: Guy coughing. "Why are you coughing so badly?" says a friend. "Yea, I've had some late nights entertaining clients in pubs. Can't help it. It's for my business," was the reply. Then the friend said, "You know, smoking and drinking is not good for your health, especially your liver. You should take Thompson Liverin. It's good for your liver."

And the message, my friends, is this: It is OK to smoke and drink. It is part of the world today. Just remember to take Thompson Liverin. I was wondering, if it is really so good, why are so many still dying of liver cancer?

On TV: Guy 'captures' the beauty of his wife with his hand and places it to his heart. He repeats this gesture in a number of scenarios. The secret of her beauty is Fair and Lovely, a facial care product. Then one day, the couple argues and the wife hides in the bedroom and starts crying. She pushes the facial cream away. Husband walks in, sees her beautiful face in the mirror, and once again gestures to capture her beauty. Wife smiles, holds the facial cream in her hands, and the couple reconciles.

And this advertisement, my friends, is saying that, a relationship is built mainly on outward appearance. It is important to look nice, because this will help you solve your marital problems. Of course, I wonder why are there so many wrecked marriages. Maybe she didn't use Fair and Lovely. Oh, but what happens when she turns fifty? Maybe they'll file a divorce then.

On TV: Some kids are drawing and playing tic-tac-toe on the wall. Mother smiles at a distance and says that it is alright. Why? Because she uses a paint the surface of which can be easily cleaned. So after the kids left, she walks over and gently wipes away the crayon marks.

So, it's okay to pick up a pen to scribble and draw and write on anywhere you like, so long as the surface is painted with that paint. Unfortunately, kids cannot differentiate such surfaces, and they thought that they can paint on wherever and whatever they like. As they grow older, they pick up cans of spray paints and spray graffiti all over the place, on walls along the streets, on private properties and on public amenities.

On TV: Girl who uses Head n Shoulder snuggles up close to a boy who sits next to her in the bus. Boy turns over, sees her head almost on his shoulder but does not mind. Because she uses Head n Shoulder. So, her scalp is dandruff-free.

Boys and girls, it's okay to flirt with a person of the opposite gender who is not even known to you. Well, just remember to use Head n Shoulder to make sure your scalp is dandruff-free, or the guy/ girl will flee from you. It is no wonder why there are so many pre-marital pregnancies nowadays!

I would like to go on, but I'm just afraid that this post will be a never-ending one. There are just so many advertisements today promoting 'values' that are not coherent to our culture and our values. Too many, in fact, are preaching the message that it is alright to do this and that it is okay to do that as long as you have our products, without even considering the effects these messages are having on the youngsters of today and the impact they have on our society as a whole. And our censorship board is busy fretting over movies like The Passion of Christ and Amazing Grace because they are 'too religious'. Well, thanks to what the media is propagating, our society has become what it is today!