Television

Television is a big part of the American experience.  And shit, there's almost nothing on there at all, either, which itself may or may not reflect the fact that there's nothing really going on in the American experience itself, whatever I mean by it, or that I'm too bored to care (doubly, to care about defining my terms, it seems), or demand too much entertainment value to consume, whatever words might be best aligned to the truth of the matter.  It remains true, though, that I end up talking to the damn television.  Particularly regarding commercials for mood-based/mood-altering prescription drugs. 

The marketing for prescription drugs that alleviate problem moods consistently perturb me, not because they are so highly contradictory, reading a list of problematic potential symptoms (risk of suicidal thoughts--discontinue use if you find yourself having purposefully expunged your own life) at the same time that they show images of happy active people swinging on swings and smiling extra bright smiles (may increase chance of incontinence), but because they're so insanely out of proportion (if you consider mutilating small rodents when taking this drug, this may represent a rare but serious disorder that can best be alleviated by allowing that rushing feeling of flatulence to spread itself out in a warm pancake around your chair)--as if you become a more active happiness seeker and sprout a family and friends and a beach house when you take them.  Showing someone alone watching television and enjoying it more than they would have otherwise enjoyed it wouldn't be the best marketing tactic (because enjoyment of television isn't something that manifests itself in a highly physical way), but it might be more in line with what's really going to happen.   More successful television, vision.  Have a look at this: