Lately, I’ve been seeing a lot of commercials for drugs. You know what type I’m talking those ones where one person talks to the camera about how great a drug is and then explain the millions of deadly side effects.
I have seen many scary things, but these commercials are sometimes even more disturbing. Now, I understand that with drugs come side effects, but with the amounts of side effects these drugs have one would expect that it is some type of life saving medicine, but most of the times it’s something like birth control or even migraines.
Drugs like these should not have things like heart attack, suicidal thoughts, and perpetual urge to do the chicken dance as side effects. Okay I made up the last one, but the other ones are real and scary. I understand maybe headaches or dizziness, but I think for solving a migraine, a potential heart attack (or perpetual urge to do the chicken dance) is a little big. Also, why is it that these people always say these side effects with a smile? One of life’s mysteries I suppose.
Outside of that, there are other questions these commercials cause me to ponder. For example, why are the commercials usually just someone walking around trees and nature. Did this person have a migraine recently because it looks like they are fine? I am confused. Also, why are they alone? Is this the only person the drug has helped? Where are the others? And why are they smiling when talking about the side effects? Did I already ask this question?
I guess we’ll never know.
-The Anon Blogger
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Its pretty amazing how commercials have gone since that law was passed that if you advertise a drug you have to advertise all the potential side effects as well. Its adds a certain...hilarity to TV now. "You can fix your peeing problem, BUT you HAVE A VERY SMALL CHANCE to get explosive bowel syndrome, and inability to control bowel movements." Woohoo! Better remember to wear brown jeans!
ReplyDeleteThey have found that less than 4% of the people pay attention to the side effect part of the commercial, and less than 40% of those who paid attention said it influenced their decision.
ReplyDeleteThis is explained by our culturally short attention span. We hear the first 15 seconds, and the rest does not register.
BTW, it is the same with not reading the ingredient lists on products, reading the small prints, etc.
We like to make decisions fast, and we are taken advantage of it.
I enjoyed the post and it got me wondering: What are some of the possible side effects of reading this blog?
ReplyDeleteI have often wondered what the fascination is with advert writers re nature. It doesn't seem to matter what product is being force fed into our subconscious minds, the writers seem to think that by having the product juxtaposed with images of the natural world it will somehow make the product more desirable and 'healthy'...that said, I have bought products based on the fact the advert was simply cute, so I hardly have any authority to talk!!
ReplyDelete