Drug commercials for perscription/OTC drugs. The side effects they legally have to state are done so in a sing-song voice and stated as quickly as it's humanly possible to speak.

Face cream commercials that declare they will erase wrinkles, sagging skin. I believe there is no OTC product that will erase wrinkles or lift skin which has lost it's elasticity - I love (sarcastic) how they state it though, "will erase the APPEARANCE of..." - that gets them off the hook, legally.

Exercise machines and diet commercials. Show me a 'normal' dieting person or someone who has SOME need of an exercise/toning machine. I don't want to see a starved 110 pound teenager - I want to see a 59-year old person trying to use those machines - someone whis is 'Joe-everyday-citizen.

And, the size of any hamburger, sub, toppings on a pizza, or quantity, on any food product.

Any sandwich I order looks like it has been flattened by a steam roller.

Sue

And then here's the one I just discovered while trying to salvage my Mexican Soup! Name brand Contadina 14.5 oz Peeled Whole TomatoeS. I emphasize the S! doesn't "s" mean "more than one" well, there's ONE lonely plum tomatoe in this can! Now where's the 1-800 number on this can! Oh whew, no 1-800....spend money on postage to send us your comments...I don't think so...gonna Google them instead. royally pee-ooooood! 8^(

Don't have an 18 year old sell me "anti-wrinkle" cream. And they aren't wrinkles, they are character lines and believe me, I have lots of character.

Yeah, and the off-road truck advertisements, too. I get enough of a workout around town dodging potholes! I always tell DH to not buy the color of the truck they are advertising, who knows where it's been.

When I go to the fast food place and put in my order, I tell them I want it to look just like the picture and if it doesn't, I'm sending it back. Had one guy come out to the counter with my burger and ask if that was ok!

I wonder if those claims on the Viagra commercials are real I hate to think of all those unfortunate men in the emergency rooms.

I think they are digusting wish there was a way to keep them off air until after midnight.
there was aMD on one of the news programs warning men about generic type Viagra .

I think truth in advertising has become an oxymoron.

The makeup ads are a joke--women's faces airbrushed to the max for foundation and other ads, and blatently false eyelashes advertising mascara. Once you become aware of airbrushing, you realize how completely artificial these models look.

I think a lot of automobile advertising is irresponsible. Kids watching these commercials must get the message that fast driving--even on winding mountain roads--is perfectly okay. And if boulders happen to be rolling down the mountain--hey, you just swerve (real fast) around them.

I'm another one who dislikes the pharmaceutical commercials. Actually, when you listen to those side effects, it's a wonder the commercials sell any drugs at all. But as Mylab stated, the ads do their best to make it hard to hear those side effects.

I'm sure if I watched more TV I'd have a longer list of gripes.

I hate all ads for drugs. The drug comanies want women to run to the doctor and say "Give me a prescription for that stuff Sally Field takes." And the ads for Viagra are even worse. I don't need my husband acting like he's 16.

I'm wondering how long the Viagra pills are effective?

Not about to try them to find out ... who wants pants like a tent, even if often I don't leave the farm for a few days?

Good wishes for letting the advertisers know how your react to their creations.

ole joyful

P.S. Our national public broadcasdter has carried a program, called "The Age of Persuasion" by an advertising guy that's reasonably droll, ironic and funny, for a couple of years, that gives the skinny on the various aspects of the advertising game.

I wrote about one the other day, relating the ideas and words used in advertising to those used in warfare, including a link for anyone who wanted to hear the program.

There's at least a score of 27 minute episodes there. Interesting.

Good wishes for carrying a healthy scepticism as you sail through life.

ole joyful

Here is a link that might be useful: Similar Concepts in Advertising and Warfare

I think they should advertise the old classic "The Hidden Persuaders" by Vince Packard

Just the other day my daughter and I were laughing at the Viagra ad with the grey haired man and the sprightly young looking wife. We wondered why she didn't have grey hair, too, to make it look more realistic. Do all those men have trophy wives?

I've posted about this before. I dislike the 'free' products pitched to Seniors. Two I recall seeing on TV are for personal scooter/wheelchairs and for asthma drugs. The pitchman says he can get you these items "absolutely free" (if you have Medicare).

Guess who's paying? The Taxpayer, via Medicare.

If your own MD thought you NEEDED these things, he'd prescribe them for you. This is just clever marketing that benefits the vendors of scooters and asthma meds at taxpayer expense. The scooter is probably hundreds of $$$ and the asthma meds become a continuing expense over time -- may be even more profit there.

lol Minnie. I know what you mean. Sometimes I say, no - seek me.

I hate commericals for upcoming shows when they show tidbits but they take them out of context and bind them together to make it seem worse than it is.

Eg, the finale for Jon & Kate is being advertised and she mentions something about them having to work out certain things. It may or may not have something to do with the recent rumours, but the commercial makes it seem like that. Likewise for The Hills (I know, I know).

well I don't know about YOU, but I'm cawin 1-800 AX Garah