Advertising Drugs on Television

There are almost no issues on which I agree with Der Furor and his shambolic administration*, but limiting drug advertisements on television is one of them.

It takes a doctor years of training and experience to understand the human body and how specific drugs treat specific conditions and interact with each other. The knowledge your doctor accumulates through years of study and experience is not the same as a 60-second television spot which - accompanied by music and lighthearted choreography - tells you that a particular drug "may be right for you," along with a litany of unpleasant side effects and unhelpful directions like "Don't take Dumbasserin if you are allergic to it or its contents**." And on top of that, there are television and radio ads urging you to ask for drugs to address illnesses and conditions you never knew existed*** - greatly appealing to the hypochondriacs among us. 

The only ... only purpose for drug advertising is to make you fear that you have a particular illness or condition and manipulate you into asking your doctor to prescribe a new drug for it, thereby increasing sales for the manufacturer. If your doctor is current on medical issues (and most are), he or she already knows about the drug and whether they should be treating you with it. If you doubt me, read this OpEd from the Director of the Food and Drug Administration, Dr Marty Makary.

Perhaps rather than spending vast amounts of money on advertising, drug companies ought to use that money to subsidize the cost of their products for the people who need them.

Have a good day. Ask your Member of Congress if limiting drug advertising is right for you.

More thoughts coming.

Bilbo

P.S. I just thought I'd mention that this is post number 5555! Yowza!

B.

* There are two that I can think of: the other is the need to get a handle on illegal immigration, although I am horrified and disgusted by his approach.

** And oh, by the way, how would you know if you are allergic to it or its contents? Probably only if your doctor, who knew your medical history, was able to tell you. 

*** Really, did you ever hear of Dupuytren's Contracture before there was a drug advertised to cure it?

Everything's Tactical

Here's something I found on posted the Internet the other day on a website for curmudgeons:

"Tactical. God, I loathe that word. Everything is increasingly being described as 'tactical.' You name it - pants, jackets, hats, knives, guns, flashlights, even fish hooks! I shake my fist at the word 'tactical!'”

I know what he means.

The Merriam Webster dictionary defines tactical as: "of or relating to combat tactics, such as (1): of or occurring at the battlefront; (2): using or being weapons or forces employed at the battlefront."

The reason, of course, that more and more everyday things are being described as tactical is that it makes them somehow more macho and aggressive sounding, and allows the manufacturer to increase their unit price because of the perceived boost to the testosterone of insecure customers. If you want to carry a badass-looking gun without the personal inconvenience and risks involved in joining the Army to do it, owning things you can describe as tactical lets you feel tough and ready to strut around the neighborhood, intimidating potential evildoers with the awesome power of your tactical presence as you order your lunch

or wait to take communion on Sunday, surrounded by people who may not have confessed all their sins.

And you can even carry your baby in the Tactical Baby Carrier -

It's certainly no coincidence that tactical and testicle sound very similar, since they both enhance one's manhood.

Have a tactically advantageous day. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

The Changing Nature of My Junk Mail

Junk mail, and it's electronic cousin, spam, are an unfortunate fact of life. The mailbox we wish was filled with chatty letters from friends and relatives is usually choked instead with advertisements, charity requests, bills, and other assorted wastes of paper, just as our e-mail in-boxes are filled with ads for Viagra and Cialis; breast enhancement and other types of cosmetic surgery; nutritional supplements; Russian girls in search of husbands; and messages from itinerant Nigerian princes in need of assistance with transferring funds.

What's interesting is how the percentage composition of this junk mail changes over time. Where a larger portion of my junk mail used to consist of come-ons from dating services*, I'm now getting lots of ads for retirement communities, Medicare supplements, funeral insurance, cemetery plots, and drugs targeting the various afflictions of the elderly**.

How do I get on all these mailing lists, and how are things targeted specifically at me or folks like me?

Well, we all know that every time you sign up for a store "discount card" or join an organization, the information you provide is immediately sold to information brokers***, who compile it and sell it to businesses who wish to separate you from your money. The percentage of my junk mail focused on age-based ads skyrocketed when I joined AARP, and as soon as we took our first cruise, we began getting come-ons from every cruise line and vacation broker on earth. Contribute to any charity and give them your e-mail address, and every other charity in the known universe will be trying to tap into your generosity. Register for a sweepstakes or other giveaway that requires you to leave your e-mail address or phone number, and you'll get onto dozens of mailing lists totally unrelated to what you thought you were signing up for.

I think it's funny that we get hysterical over Jackbooted Government Thugs^TM who want to harvest our personal information, and yet we willingly give it up to people, businesses, and organizations who tell us up front that are going to misuse it.

Well, I'd write more, but I owe that Nigerian prince an answer about helping him transfer money. I wonder if he'd mind if I sell his e-mail address to a Viagra broker?

Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

* Oddly enough, I still seem to get a lot of ads from Match.com, Christian Mingle, and J-Date ... proof positive that whoever is sending this stuff neither knows nor cares to know anything useful about me.

** Viagra and Cialis, as well as various drugs for diabetes, joint pain, and better sleeping.

*** You agreed to it in accordance with paragraph 692x(937)(zj)[866][yyy], subparagraph 397q(99)(gy) of the 462-page agreement you clicked to accept without taking it to your attorney first.

Translating Advertising-Speak

We're all familiar with hard-sell advertising and with the bright colors, bold fonts, and questionable claims that are made by those who want us to buy their products. It can be hard to separate the wheat of reality from the chaff of advertising hype, but here's a handy guide, courtesy of my friend Bob, that may help out ... with a few of my editorial comments, of course ...

NEW - Different color from previous design.

ALL NEW - Parts are not interchangeable with previous design.

NEW AND IMPROVED - Different color and parts not interchangeable with previous design.

EXCLUSIVE - Imported from someplace or other.

UNMATCHED - Almost as good as the competition.

FOOLPROOF OPERATION - No provision for adjustments.

ADVANCED DESIGN - The advertising agency doesn't understand it.

IT'S HERE AT LAST! - Rush job. Nobody knew it was coming.

FIELD TESTED - Manufacturer didn't have test equipment.

HIGH ACCURACY - Unit on which all parts fit.

FUTURISTIC - No other reason why it looks the way it does.

REDESIGNED - We think we fixed the previous flaws.

DIRECT SALES ONLY - Factory had a big argument with distributor.

YEARS IN DEVELOPMENT - We finally got one to work.

BREAKTHROUGH - We finally figured out a use for it.

MAINTENANCE FREE - Impossible to fix.

MEETS ALL STANDARDS - Ours, not yours.

SOLID-STATE - So heavy you can't lift it.

HIGH RELIABILITY - We made it work long enough to ship it

Caveat emptor.

Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo