Knowing how peeved I get by drug ads on television, my husband sent me the link to this terrific article the other day. It is written by a BBC correspondent here in the US. I enjoyed all of it, but especially what he says about drug ads.
"The biggest single market is in drugs that deal with erectile dysfunction. My favourite features a group of men who gather together to play in a band.
I think it is meant to show them looking relaxed and happy, but they are such good musicians you cannot help noting that impotence has left them with plenty of time on their hands to practise their instruments.
The best part of the adverts tends to come towards the end when the law requires the pharmaceutical company to list the possible side effects of the various products.
Sometimes these are spelled out in a warm tone implying this is all a bit of a formality imposed by our fuss-budget of a government.
On other occasions they are rattled out at speeds normally only reached by horse racing commentators in the closing stages of a big race.
The symptoms include coughs and sneezes, runny noses and rashes but there is a more alarming end of the spectrum too where you are solemnly warned of the possibility - presumably small - of suffering a stroke, a heart attack or even death - the last and greatest side-effect of them all."
And he concludes --
"Those adverts with their sure sense of how to play on our doubts and insecurities are a symptom of the restless energy of American capitalism and of the belief that it can apply to issues of health and happiness just as readily as it can apply to polish or pet food.
The downside of the system for me? Well, I have rampant, raging hypochondria these days to add to my chronic, jerky-induced indigestion.
And the upside? Well, there is bound to be something I can take for it.
If I can just manage to plant myself in front of the television until an advert for the tablets I am waiting for eventually pops up."
I will be writing more about personal myth tomorrow.