Make The Drug Commercials Go Away
Make Them Stop
It goes without fail: you’re watching a program on TV and during a commercial break an ad comes on for a prescription drug. Or more likely it will be multiple ads. The ad may feature fat people singing and dancing, or it may not. There will always be a theme song in the background, or maybe the song is loud enough to consist of more than background noise. The advertisement will also contain a curious feature: two colors that “represent” the drug, as if it were a sports team. And of course, we can’t forget the most entertaining feature: a laundry list of side effects, some of which are worse than the condition the drug is supposed to be treating.
Personally, I would rather suffer with almost anything than to risk having side effects like “gas with an oily discharge”, whatever the hell that means. And of course the side effects themselves are conditions, and guess how they are treated? With more drugs, of course!$!$
I’m old enough to remember when there was no such thing as a pharmaceutical product advertised on television, except for over-the-counter medicine. Prescription drugs were not advertised. It wasn’t really necessary. It was generally understood that if you required something stronger than Tylenol, your doctor would know what to prescribe.
Who are these never-ending drug commercials being marketed to? Am I supposed to school my doctor on which medications are right for me? The chances are that my physician has a TV, and has seen the commercials too.
The chances are also very strong that my doctor has had a visit from the pharmaceutical rep and either placed an order or (hopefully) told Mr. Drug Pusher that he should leave before the door hits him in the ass. I’m pretty sure these pharma reps played a large role in the opioid epidemic, peddling opium derivatives for headaches and other mild ailments.
And the TV commercials will not be going away anytime soon, with politicians invested in pharmaceutical stocks. Which also means that I will be plagued with having irritating commercial jingles stuck in my head for hours after seeing the fat people singing and dancing.
What’s irritating with these commercials, aside from their prevalence during commercial blocks (there are more drug commercials than any product one can imagine) is the notion that it’s okay to be fat, sick, and tired. The idea that being morbidly obese is preferable to a healthy body has taken hold because the truly awful part of it all is apparently the ridicule one would suffer, as opposed to being laid out on a metal table. Sure, they died early. At least no one made fun of them. Bullying is horrific, just to be clear. But so is an autopsy.
I’m overweight myself and have been for over a decade, ever since I quit smoking. That’s no longer an excuse, as a doctor once told me. However I don’t recognize “body positivity” as a thing that exists. Getting winded after ascending a staircase is not a point of pride. Regardless, medicating the problem is not an option for myself.
The pharmaceutical companies would have us believe otherwise.
Eat a healthy diet and get some exercise? Oh, hell no. It’s so much better to shovel fat and calories down your pie hole. So, while the dancing blimps sing mock 1950’s theme songs and wear their team colors, people are receiving the message that it’s healthy to be obese. Just take a pill and it will all be okay.
We’ve reached a point where Pablo Escobar and his product would have more honesty associated with it if he were still alive. There are no illusions: you get high, and he gets money. It’s a basic exchange of money for services. There are no disclaimers. If you’re unfamiliar with the side effects of cocaine, or at least unschooled about the fact that it will kill you, well…. I guess there’s no good way to finish that sentence, but you get the picture.
As far as prescription drugs are concerned, some of them are actually necessary and do provide some relief for serious health conditions. But many are likely crafted to induce side effects and will always provide temporary relief as long as you keep taking them. Why? Addiction is profitable. A permanent cure produces little profit.
Remember that the next time you see fat idiots singing and dancing in drug commercials.
