Viva!
Thank God Elvis is dead. I'm watching TV and an ad comes on. A bunch of jubiliant middle aged men singing and dancing and having way too much fun in a most unnatural way. Singing a version of Viva Las Vegas. Damn they look happy! And so diverse! "There's a black one. And a white one. And a brown one and a yellow one." (Make sure to sing that using the tune from "Little Boxes" the intro song on Weeds.)
I take note of the musical instruments in this contrived yet impromptu jam session. Bass, guitar, and what's that??? The skin flute. (Stop blushing.) It's an ad for Viagra and the idiot men are singing about "Can't wait to get home!" Hardy har har! Men! So witty, so much fun! So happy they need a pill to get an erection! VIVA VIAGRA! That's what they are singing. Viva Freaking Viagra.
I hate pharmaceutical ads. I really do. Smiling, vigorous, beautiful people trying to sell you drugs for conditions that make you pale, limp (truly) tired, bloated, breathless, dizzy and worse. I want my doctor to tell me what I need, not Madison Avenue. And I love Madison Avenue. Just not for drugs, OK?
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19 comments:
I'm with you. When I see this crap on TV is pisses me off and just makes me go ewwwwww!
My friend is an actor who just booked a national contract - he now is the "face" of a very recognizable sleep aid. His face is on buses, on websites, and I see his commercial about twice an evening, usually during my daily JEOPARDY! dose and late night programs.
The financial boon has provided many opportunities for him to produce his own artistic works. That's a good thing. His soul has suffered a bit, as you can imagine.
I'd hate to be a shill for one of those things.
I don't blame the actors for taking the work that's out there. Good for him for working. As long as HE can sleep at night. ;)
Is that for real? Singing Viagra ads on TV? I'm glad I don't watch television, reading things like that.
I don't mind the drug ads. Often, patients don't see their docs because they don't think there's anything that can be done for the condition. Or unaware that their condition may be indicative of something worse.
For example, maybe five years ago, the doctor said there wasn't anything they could do for intermittant leg pain. Now there's a miracle drug that could help, but the patient hasn't seen the doctor since then, presuming there wasn't any help out there.
Yep, people can go five years without seeing a doctor. People can suffer with stuff for a really long time, unaware that medical science has moved on.
Now, those Viagra ads, are there to help men get over their embarrassment over seeing the doc. See? there are guys just like you who need Viagra, so stop acting like an adolescent copping his first feel and see your doctor about the E.D.
MG, I think we'll agree to disagree on this one! I still say DOCTORS are responsible for telling patients what illnesses they have. Not glitzy TV ads. Heck, there are ads for chemo related drugs (the red blood cell building drugs) Now tell me a patient with cancer doesn't have a doc who could say, "You can take this to help ease the fatigue of the chemo." And the Restless leg syndrome - isn't that the drug with the side effect of sudden compulsive gambling and additive sex? Shall we see a billboard for it in Vegas soon? ;)
Just posted something along these lines, though minus the dancing limp guys. You always come up with the good stuff!
BTW...Dr. Oz says changes in lifestyle, like exercise, and lowering blood pressure naturally by dropping weight, etc. could work for those Elvis moments.
Oh For Goodness Sake! Come on say with me, Only in America!
Here in the UK we're old fashioned and still like to believe our doctors go to medical school for 6 or 10 years to learn something. We don't have medication adverts, well, nothing more than a paracetamol. Call me picky but a slick advert does not fill me with confidance for correcxt diagnosis. and mgt, since when do you pay health insurance to do DIY diagnosis and treatment? Why have a dog and bark yourself?
Kim,
But aren't you glad that for once the men have something to cringe about in TV ads? For years women have had to watch ridiculous commercials for feminine products and be embarrassed.
I hate that commercial. I was watching it trying to see where it was going, and couldn't believe it was viagra! It made no sense, it was just plain stupid. Don't see the connection, and in their "song" I didn't hear them singing about all the dangerous side effect, just that tiny, speed voice, whispering across the screen.
Let's make a new song:
Oh I had an erection four hours long!
Now, my dick, alas, it's GONE.
All I wanted was a 2 minute boff!
But the docs they had to whack it off.
Hey Kim,
You have a razor tongue!
I think that you may have a new career writing jingles for Madison Avenue...
Muse, you're right. I have been told since I was a tot, "You have a sharp tongue, Kim!" I usually keep it in check. But sometimes it just feels to good to let it fly!
I was thinking more of claudication. (sorry, spelling is bad on that I think.) Also GERD, lots of back issues. I don't know a thing about Restless Leg Syndrome except that it looks MISERABLE. I agree about the red blood cell thing for cancer patients. Interestingly, it would also be of use for chronic anemia, but Medicare won't cover the drug for that and it's damned expensive.
I look at commercials for Cancer Treatment Centers of America (which I know nothing about beyond the commercials) and I wonder why they advertise. Wouldn't an oncologist let their patient know that there's a place for cases deemed hopeless?
Lots of these ads are for conditions that people just live with, unaware that relief may be a prescription away. I'm thinking of toe fungus. It seems so stupid, but I know people who dealt with it for years, never telling their internists about their ugly toenails because they didn't know there was a new pill for it.
Doctor visits today are often limited to 'skate bys' by the physician for acute conditions. Chronics who've been told there's not much to be done a few years ago may not return for reevaluation. So the commercials serve a purpose.
Look, the worse that's going to happen is the patient goes in and asks about this form of birth control or that new stuff for itching or leg pain or maybe wonders if the headaches might be more than migraine, etc. Docs aren't going to prescribe because a patient asks for the drug, but the commercials may be enough to get a patient in to get evaluated.
As much as we laugh about the Viagra commercials. E.D. may be indicative of serious illness. Inability to urinate a good stream may indicate the same. So, if the commercials make the person comfortable enough to see the doc, gives them enough hope to think something might be done, who cares how they got there?
I know. That's the worst thing about watching sports on tv is every other commercial is about some pill that will help men either stop doing one thing or start doing another. None of which I really want to think about.
Love your jingle, Kim. Think you have a second career in the making!
I know what you mean, Trish. I took a pill to help me stop picking my nose in public, and my spontaneous farting increased exponentially. So I took a pill to stop the exponentially increasing spontaneous farting, and damn if I couldn't keep my finger out of my nose! I wish they'd make one pill for all of us men to become like all of you women. Then we, too, could wait until our groceries were scanned and bagged before digging around in our purses for the checkbook.
Hmmmmm... That voice sounds very familiar?
Phew... Somebody light a match!
Trish, I'm stumped! I don't think old Harvey Markowitz is back, if that's who you mean.
I'm working on a post where JAMA tells pharma to stop advertising the HPV vaccine - it's NOT safe or approved for young girls. It's an amazingly blunt article. I ran it already on www.rescuepost.com if you want to see it there.
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