Some thoughts on advertising

It's funny to me to watch TV with older (50+ y/o) people, usually family members. Without fail, I will always hear someone say something along the lines of "when you get in advertising, you should make it so there are fewer commercials on TV! I just want to watch (insert program name here)." They're mostly joking, in that they know I have no control over that. But I bet that the first response most people would give if they were asked "how do you feel about television commercials?" would be more on the negative side.

Here's my rebuttal:



28 MILLION views?

Do they have to be funny for people to not get mad at ads? NOPE.







Ads don't just reflect popular culture, they can actually change popular culture. Think of the "Wassup!" Budweiser ads, or the "Get a Mac" campaign. (I just added this because we just talked about pop culture in a class of mine.)

Point being: people don't hate advertising. They hate bad advertising. And so do I.





And then of course almost anything Microsoft churns out, especially when they're trying to make something "viral." They should learn that viral videos can be viral because people make fun of them.






Yes... they were just so excited about working for Microsoft that they spontaneously broke out into song. Good one, Microsoft. Why do I own stock in these guys again? (UPDATE: I just sold all of my Microsoft stock!)

And of course, one of my "favorites":



And I'll just end with this. I didn't know it existed until just a few minutes ago. I agree with what one of the YouTube commenters wrote. "WTF was Microsoft thinking?" (WTF of course stands for "Why the face")



One technology blog writer mentioned how dumb it is for Microsoft to consistently portray its users as technology-illiterate morons. I guess now they're portraying them as nasty perverts who don't love their wives enough too.

I can't say any more about badvertising, because O.M.G.I.G.P.

The Eternal Everyday

O, one might reach heroic heights

By one strong burst of power.

He might endure the whitest lights

Of heaven for an hour;—.

But harder is the daily drag,

To smile at trials which fret and fag,

And not to murmur—nor to lag.

The test of greatness is the way

One meets the eternal Everyday.

-Edmund Vance Cooke

Twenty Eleven

It's always a little strange the feeling I get when a new year rolls around. I always look back at the past year and look forward to the new year. Looking at the past year always makes me think of the good things that happened and (unfortunately) reminds me of the regrets I've had. Then those regrets lead me to making resolutions for the new year, as I am always simultaneously excited and scared for what the future brings.

I haven't posted in a long time, and not because I didn't have things to say or didn't have time. I just forgot. (Story of my life.)

It's so weird to think that I actually have no idea where I'll be in a year. Last year I knew I would still be in school. This year it's completely up in the air. And in two or three years? Who knows??

Hopefully I'll be a better person than I am now.

And hopefully maybe I'll even find someone who finds a way to like me for who I am in the meantime?

Maybe :)