This baby boomer can recall watching a NY Giants football game on the boob tube 60 years ago. Towards the end of the game one of the teams called a timeout. The network went to performer Julie London singing a Marlboro cigarette commercial. As the clock reached one minute they broke to the field as the teams were at the line of scrimmage. One minute! One minute and the commercial was long gone. Fast forward to the present day and a timeout in a football game lasts anywhere from three to five minutes. This goes for all the boob tube channels, as our fine federal government, which has jurisdiction over such matters, has allowed the networks to submerge us under a toxic sea of commercials. Probably the most heinous end results of this laissez- faire attitude by Uncle Sam are Big Pharma commercials. They are everywhere, pushing drugs for just about any condition imaginable. Lately, Big Pharma does ‘human interest’ tripe with such happy faces apparently safe from the attacking disease- WITH SIDE EFFECTS SOMETIMES WORSE THAN THE DREADED CONDITION! Thank God they have to mention them.
The empire- embedded mainstream media and its Siamese twin, politics, runs the 24/7 commercial about how America is a democracy. So, we have millionaires and mega millionaires in both quarters pitching the suckers… sorry, the voters, that we are a democracy and continually need to save it. Of course, because of all the money allowed for campaign spending/donations needed to sell the masses this horseshit, our republic is one notch below the one that grows bananas. Lifelong progressive and consumer activist Ralph Nader refers to this ‘ Two Party/One Party’ system as ‘Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum’, wit ‘Dumb’ being the key. The more dumbed down our populace has become, the easier to sell that bridge in Brooklyn to them. You turn on any news and news talk boob tube channel and you hear the same refrain about our ( so called) democracy. One party, the sharks, wants to repress the availability to vote, and the other, the foxes, push the right to vote… but never in a fairer system. As long as it is ‘ Column A or Column B’ who cares about real choices? Look what the empire did to the aforementioned Mr. Nader in 2000 and 2004, by not allowing him to participate in the presidential debates. Since few of our citizens actually READ, the masses, like the Peter Sellers character Chauncy in the film Being There, simply like ‘ To Watch’.
Former President Trump was actually a Commercial for himself before, during and now after his time destroying our nation. Both parties have their representatives posturing before the cameras whenever able, and simply pitching. The Republican commercial is against the Socialism of the Democrats ( I only wish). The Democratic one is for easier voting so as to get more of their minions elected- though NEVER pushing for a better deal for us working stiffs- NEVER! So, we have two factions representing this empire who refuse to address the torn safety net of this nation. Instead, we get more and more commercials as the newest election cycle approaches. We should finally realize the ‘ Side effects’ of those commercials- sad they aren’t forced to state them each time.
Philip A Farruggio is regular columnist on It’s the Empire… stupid website. He is also frequently posted on Nation of Change, Countercurrents., Smirking Chimp and Independent Australia sites. He is the son and grandson of Brooklyn NYC longshoremen and a graduate of Brooklyn College, class of 1974. Since the 2000 election debacle Philip has written over 400 columns on the Military Industrial Empire and other facets of life in an upside down America. He is also host of the ‘ It’s the Empire… Stupid ‘ radio show, co produced by Chuck Gregory. Philip can be reached at [email protected]
