Remember when TV had real news reporting, truthful coverage, and fewer ads?
TVoLUTION
In the beginning was creativity
Watch This – brought to you by
Buy This
This pattern morphed over time in sinister ways
as Buy This bought out the creators of
Watch This
Buy This now dictated the watching
Watch This was shuffled about according to Buy This trending
Our only anchor was the anchorman
the Network Evening News
Buy This pulled up that anchor and we were adrift
Then Buy This created
Watch This Happening Now
which became
Watch Only These Bits, then
Watch Only These Bits And Think This About Them
Buy This also went from choosy moms and see the USA in your Chevrolet
to eyes narcotically glued to the tube
Plasma spasm
Minds restless, but legs so lazy they got their own syndrome
and consequently their own drug
well-advertised, saturating the market like Crisco
and every bit as healthy
TVolution
In the beginning it was
“Watch This, then
Buy This.”
This pattern morphed in sinister ways
as the creators of Watch This
were bought out by Buy This.
Buy This dictated what we’d watch
Watch This was shuffled about
according to Buy This trends.
Our only anchor was the anchorman
(to our sorrow, no more Morrow)
Buy This took over the news department
Watch This Happening Now
became
Watch Only This Part We’re Showing You
then whittled down to
Watch Only This Part, and Think This About It
Buy This also went from choosy moms and peanut butter
to couch potatoes with legs so lazy
they got their own lazy syndrome
and consequently, their own drug.
To be fair, Buy This does mention the side effects:
Dry mouth, dry South,
desiring more sex but
unable to harden one’s resolve
and urges to gamble
and drive while asleep at the wheel
© 2010 Amy Barlow Liberatore/Sharp Little Pencil
Sharp Little Pencil 
Giovanni
Hee hee…that’s freakin’ awesome.
Sharp Little Pencil
Ah, yes… my favorite commercial is for Cialus, which is supposed to improve “men’s problems.” So why do they end up sitting in two separate bathrubs???? Glad you have a sense of humor as well as a critical eye, Gio… Peace, Amy
Giovanni
Cialis is pronounced See-Alice as subliminal marketing. The bathtubs are marketed towards women…soft ads, pretty settings and soothing baths tells all the ladies to get their man to “Buy This!” or buy it for your man or just “buy into this.”
Sharp Little Pencil
Giovanni, this is some heavy stuff! Thanks for your insights. The “coding” of advertising has always interested me – that’s one of the reasons we Netflix seasons of Mad Men. There is so much truth in the heavy-handed tactics of corporations. (Also, watching Network…)
liv2write2day
Brilliant! Ha! We’ve been trying to figure out the Cialis thing too…what do those ad execs smoke?
Sharp Little Pencil
Wow, brilliant, that’s quite a compliment, thanks! As to what they smoke… I think fatties, with the appropriate wet towel under the bottom of the office door, LOL.
uponthewingsofnight
There’s also such a thing as product placement, and I’m not referring to movies or tv shows. Have you noticed what is up front by the registers in stores? Candy, soda and trashy magazines and tabloids. All of the stuff that is good for you is usually located in the corners of the store. It’s amazing what I learned in my advertising class in college years ago. Good stuff as always, Amy. Brett
Sharp Little Pencil
Brett, you are so right. Impulse buys that catch you (or have your kid begging you) at the last minute, but the organic meats are all the way in the back. Ironic but SOOOO predictable in America… thanks, AMy