There ought to be a law.

Truth be told, I think there was for some period of time.

I don't know what it is about my demographic, but its getting to the point where I can't watch commercial TV anymore. Now I am sure out there in the blogosphere that Peg, and Rachel, and Val and all the rest of you non-TV watchers are having a little giggle at my expense, but its true. Some of the commercials currently running on TV must be stopped.

First off there's that "Its all about the O" ad. For me that commercial is all about how fast I can change the channel its so annoying. Someone should let them know that the only behavior elicited in me by that ad, aside from wretching, is the guaranteed resolve to never look anything up on that website, ever.

Next, we must dispense will all the hard-on ads. If there is even a single person in these United States that is unaware they can ask their doctor for a pill to help them put some lead in their pencil - well, that person is not watching TV. I swear, if Ted Kaczynski were still in his Luddite shack even he would be tired of seeing Mike Ditka throw a football through a tire.

Frankly I think we were better off with no advertisements on television for prescription drugs. I guess that's fairly unlibertarian of me, an inherent restraint of trade, but I just think it doesn't do anyone any good. People watching commercials shouldn't be picking what prescription drugs to take. That should be left to doctors on all expense paid trips with pharmaceutical reps like back in the good old days. Besides, you can't convince me that the cost of all this advertising isn't actually making drugs more expensive.

Whatever the reason was to let these ads on the air, it was a crappy reason.

Even an outright ban on prescription ads wouldn't get rid of the overall champion annoying ad. Its that one that always airs in back to back 30 second ads touting "Natural Male Enhancement." If you pay real close attention you'll notice that there is fine print specifically saying this isn't a drug, its a nutritional supplement. Using more historically appropriate language we would call this "snake oil." We all ought to be ashamed.

The worst part here is that for most of this stuff I don't think you could even threaten a boycott. Usually when there is an offensive TV show, people boycott the advertiser. What are we supposed to do when there are offensive commercials?

I guess I will have to buy a book.