If you’ve been in front of any screen over the past few months it’s nearly impossible to ignore political ads and as the election draws closer the volume of ads increases with TWO MONTHS TO GO! As soon as one starts I click off of it no matter what party it’s for. I can’t take the pounding and almost all of them are negative towards their opponent. So the lesson is I gather that all people running for office are pieces of shit right? Well it must be, because every ad tells us why the other person is supremely unqualified to hold office. Decades ago some political consultants calculated that negative ads sell better than a candidate talking about what they would do in office and sadly that took hold. I don’t believe politicians are entirely to blame for the toxic atmosphere we now breathe through the airwaves. Entertainment shows picked up on this device over the years too. Remember when American Idol first started and Simon Cowell became the mean judge? Apparently the meaner he was the higher the ratings so he kept dialing it up, and the show threw in some red meat by allowing contestants on the show who obviously were there as a joke. No matter, the die was cast and now most of these shows with a judging panel have a designated “mean” judge. Cowell brought his meanness to America’s Got Talent and other shows picked up on the dynamic, like Shark Tank. Mr. Wonderful is in the a-hole chair. The problem with all this vitriol on the dial is it seems like the general populous has been given the green light to be ditch rats too. Just look at the behavior on planes the past few years. Being a jag off is now somehow cool? It ain’t. Ok, wait a minute, I will walk back some of this now. I do like when a Ricky Gervais is mean to celebrities. When he hosted the Golden Globes and torched most of the celebs it was gold Jerry gold. See, that group needs to be brought down a few pegs, sitting there all rich and famous and out of touch. However, someone on Shark Tank trying to sell a brush that takes hair off one’s shower stall walls doesn’t need to be pummeled on national tv. That mean is not good it’s cruel. Good mean: Ricky Gervais-this from hosting the Golden Globes- “if you do win an award tonight don’t use it as a platform to make a political speech, you’re in no position to lecture the public about anything, you know nothing about the real world. if you win, come up, accept your little award, thank your agent and your god and fuck off.” Touche.
Gunga, galunga
Garry Miller as The Beaver