Nine things I need less of on TV in 2010
by John Wilson
These are 9 things I hope go away from my TV in 2010:
- We are… – No, you ARE NOT. You are NOT Marshall. They came up with this, it has deep meaning there. Stop stealing it. It’s rude and disrespectful.
- Verizon vs. AT&T commercials – They’re not funny, and AT&T’s commercials are horrible. When was the last time you needed to talk on the phone and surf the web at the same time? Being able to surf is meaningless if you don’t have a signal.
- ASPCA Commercials – I have to change the channel every time. If I donate, will they stop sending the signals to my TV?
- “Now more than ever” – This is trite, boring, lazy, over used and adds nothing to the conversation. For the love of the animals, please stop.
- “If you call in the next five minutes.” – Please stop insulting our intelligence. You don’t know when these commercials play, and there’s no way your operators in India are sitting around with stop watches.
- Kidz Bop – Creepy
- Mac vs. PC commercials – There are 100 reasons here, but frankly, the PC guy is way cooler than the geeky kid from Ed.
- Drug Commercial Disclaimers – I’m pretty tired of these commercials that tell what the drug does for 12 seconds and then spends then next 48 or 78 seconds telling us all the different ways it will give you diarrhea, mood swings, and possible death. Driving could do each of those, but I don’t have to listen to a disclaimer every time a Toyota commercial comes on.
- “Outside of the box” – If you have to tell someone your thinking or your policy is “outside of the box,” it probably isn’t. Inside the box is the new outside of the box.
Agree on all counts. To add a #10, I would like to throw reality shows in the mix. Other than the talent shows (like American Idol), I don’t really need to see the next Real Housewives of Hot Springs, Arkansas. Please
Penn State has actually been using the “We Are…..” chant since the late 40′s. Goes back the Cotton Bowl against SMU in ’47 or ’48. SMU wanted to meet with Penn State before the game to discuss how they didn’t want PSU to bring the 20 black players they had on the team. One of the players (Suhey) stepped up and said, “We are Penn State…there will be no meeting”. And it stuck. From what I understand, Marshall picked it up in the 70′s at some point.
Great information Shaffer. Thanks for adding.
Good work ! Keep us posting, you are good writer.