You may find this hard to believe, but television commercials used to be entertaining. I’m old enough to remember the sexy, sultry Julie London singing the Marlboro song.  That was when smoking was considered glamorous, not dangerous. But there were other great commercials. Better Buy Buick. The Pillsbury Doughboy. Even the soap ads were fun to watch. But now, the network news hours are filled with depressing pharmaceutical commercials that scare you to death. First, you’re afraid you may have whatever disease they’re talking about. Next, you’re terrified when they list possible side effects.  The dire things that may happen if  your doctor prescribes the drug you saw  on television. It’s gotten even worse. TV commercials have hit a new low with acne  medication ads. Does anyone really want to watch people squeezing their puss-filled zits,  before or after you’re having dinner?

Honestly, I don’t know what product is being advertised in these commercials. It may be some salve or a pill you take for acne. All I know is that I’m calmly watching the news, and  suddenly,  I’m seeing not just one, but three or four people squeezing their disgusting pimples right before our very eyes. Unfortunately, it must pay off, because they keep running the ads over and over and over again.

If that’s not bad enough, just wait. The next commercial shows a horribly disfigured woman who has undergone treatment for lung cancer. If it makes someone quit smoking, I guess it’s worth it to show these macabre scenes. But for those of us who quit smoking years ago, it’s a downer. Something you really don’t care to see after all the depressing news about people getting sick and dying from Covid-19 virus.

So here’s what happens with me and lots of other people. The moment I see liquid being squeezed from a zit, I get up and walk away. My husband can watch the rest of the news if he wants to, but I’m just trying to get over the nausea backing up in my throat.

TV commercials have hit a new low.  What’s next?  Will we soon be watching people poop?