More Jingles

I wrote a post last year about my favourite commercials from the 1970s and 1980s, many of which contained jingles that had stuck in my mind because they were catchy.  The frenetic pace of TV and online advertising today coupled with an ever-shortening attention span doesn't often allow the use of memorable images or tunes.

Listed here are some more influential and beloved commercials.

"Where's the Beef?" (1984)

Wendy's restaurants, facing huge competition from McDonalds and Burger King among others, created this commercial which claimed their burgers contained the most beef.  The ad had at least two sequels: one with the protagonist phoning the manager, and the other where the ladies were driving around town to various restaurants demanding an answer.

"California Raisins" (1986)

This claymation commercial (and its successors) was produced by Vinton Studios of Portland Oregon.  Advertising writer Seth Werner initially came up with the idea of dancing and singing raisins as a joke, but the commercial ended up becoming highly popular.

"Deal with the Devil" (1982)

For decades people have wondered how chocolate maker Cadbury has gotten the caramel inside the chocolate pockets of its Caramilk bar.  The mystery has inspired several commercials over the years but the one remembered best seems to be one where two businessmen try to pay the Devil to give the secret to them.

"Archaeological Discovery" (1985)

The 1980s were at the height of the soft-drink wars, none more bitter than between Coca-Cola and Pepsi.  This commercial features the insinuation that in the distant future there will only be one company left standing.

"He Likes It!" (1972)

This masterpiece by Life Cereal features two brothers who refuse to try a new cereal and move the bowl in front of their younger brother Mikey who "hates everything", only to be surprised when Mikey likes it.  The commercial remained in rotation for 12 years and won several awards.  In the mid-1980s there were sequels featuring the same actor who had played "Mikey" - now grown up.

"Budweiser Frogs" (1995)

Originally aired during the 1995 Super Bowl, this commercial eventually became considered as one of the best Super Bowl advertisements in history.  It inspired several parodies as well as a popular computer screen saver.  The director Gore Verbinski later went on to direct the first three Pirates of the Carribbean movies.

Community Comparisons

During the fall I took a walk one evening, just after sunset, to decompress and take in the sights and sounds of the neighbourhood.  It's not often that I do this, having my attention usually taken up by chores and preparing for the next day.

The flickering blue light of a television emanated from one window.  From another, the distressed cry of a baby.  Further down the street there was the sound of a car door closing accompanied by a jangling of keys as a young couple arrived from a shopping trip.  Another car passed by with loud music blaring from its windows.  Somewhere in the distance a dog was barking.  Other sounds were blurred by the ever-present low drone of traffic from the boulevard a few blocks away.

As I noticed the moon rising over the roof of a triplex at the end of the street, I mentally pictured myself standing in the street in front of my parents' house, facing in the same direction.

The house is on my right.  The neighbour to the east has two kayaks resting in the back yard.  Across the street is the large fenced yard of another neighbour, where two children race happily about in the twilight.  Behind me, a dog's collar jingles as the animal trots beside its master as they walk.  It's quiet enough to hear crickets in the gardens, as well the occasional chirp of a chipmunk or bird.  No sound of traffic here, only the rare thrum of a passing train on the rail line or of a ship navigating the river.

It's clear why I feel more relaxed when I'm there.  Rural communities tend to be less hectic and more closely knit than city suburbs.  The trouble is, most such areas are farther away from services and a vehicle is a requirement - something we currently lack.

The town where I grew up is a mixture of the two.  It's considered part of the "urban community" and has bus service, waste removal, and police patrols.  However the fire station is volunteer, and the majority of the houses have septic systems instead of being hooked to a municipal sewer.  Lots are large with many trees, giving a rural feel to the area.  Wildlife is abundant: songbirds, squirrels, rabbits, and raccoons with the occasional skunk and fox.

Within the next year, we might be taking the large step of moving from the two-bedroom condo that we currently live in to our own house.  It will be a challenge to determine what kind of house is suitable for us, and what kind of community will meet our needs.

Bel Kaufman wrote, "Let it be a challenge to you."

That it will be.

Mental Stability in an Insane World

Several months ago I was following the trial of a young man who walked into a grocery store in 2016 and killed a female clerk.  The defense had played the "mentally unstable" card, saying that the man had suffered from paranoid schizophrenia and believed that the girl and her friends were plotting to kill him.  When he entered the store he thought that the girl had a gun in her pocket, which prompted him to take a pre-emptive strike.

Most times it's the job of the defense to come up with a plausible scenario that fits the available evidence without directly incriminating the accused.  However I had a great deal of difficulty believing this particular story.  The man barely knew any of the girls involved; he only came up with his explanation after reading some anonymous messages on social media.  The truth of the matter is probably that he was enraged that she turned him down when he asked her out on a date a few days prior.

I have stated many times that I dislike the "mentally unfit" defense ploy in court.  When someone is declared as such they don't go to jail at first, but are usually detained in a medical facility where they are "treated".  When they are deemed to be "cured" - or rather, mentally fit to stand trial - then they face a court, and more often than not receive a lesser sentence than they otherwise might have had.  The fact remains that regardless of their mental state, they still committed a crime and should be punished appropriately.

Yes, I concede that mental illness can affect anyone and can drive people to actions that they wouldn't think about under normal circumstances.  But pointing at it as being the root cause of a heinous crime goes too far.  Most intelligent people should know right from wrong, unless they have been purposely taught otherwise or "brainwashed".

Social media should share the blame as well.  Many people and organizations use it to disseminate falsehoods and extremism that will be taken as truth by those who are mentally vulnerable.  All one needs to do to see this is to glance at any controversial topic and there will be comments from people whose viewpoints are so off base as to be ridiculous.

In recent months I've had so much to deal with in my personal life that I rarely watch the news or follow social media discussions unless something directly pertains to my situation.  There is just too much hypocrisy, stupidity, and violence in the world for one person to fathom.

It's little wonder that society is slowly going insane.

Lack of Communication

Dinner time at our home usually proceeds this way: I place the meal on the table and call out "Dinner!" and there's no response.  I often have to repeat the call, followed up by "It's getting cold!" in order to get people to tear themselves away from their devices and come to the table.  Conversation tends to be limited to which bosses have been beaten, their in-game accomplishments, or how other players have robbed them of opportunities.  Questions like "How was your day?" or "Did you learn anything new?" are met with "meh" or silence.  After the meal everyone rushes back to whatever game/video/activity they were involved in, leaving me to do the cleanup.

I'm certain this scenario is common in many households.

People hardly speak to each other these days.  I mean, actually talk.  Most communications now occur in the form of emails, status messages, and 140 character statements - all of which can be easily misinterpreted if the right words aren't used.

Compounding the issue, particularly in public, is the ugly spectre of harrassment.  Men are reluctant to say anything for fear of being misunderstood or thought of as creepy.  Women are careful about what they say for fear of saying something that a man might construe as her leading him on, or worse, insulting him.

Certain subjects are now taboo or thought of as "triggers" for those who have experienced trauma of some sort or have controversial opinions.  There were several people I knew who would become extremely loud, judgmental, and even racist during any conversation about politics or immigration.

It doesn't stop there.

Good communication goes hand in hand with learning.  To learn something one must be able to discuss ideas coherently.  Sadly there are those who refuse to do so because it conflicts with their own pre-conceived notions, and they resort to attacking anyone who tries to present them with a different point of view.

A comment on a recent David Gerrold rant about the views of the extreme right in the U.S. reads: "We are in the midst of a crisis, and the Constitution and our democratic system of government is under attack.  It's clear that day by day they become bolder and less concerned about hiding their perfidy, their treasonous acts against the American people.  They clothe themselves in religion and false doctrine, sow doubt and fear, attack the free press and the 1st and 4th Amendments, stack the courts, obstruct all progress."

Think about how much better the world would be if more people stopped hiding behind a screen (of any kind) and just talked to each other.  About anything.  Who knows, they might actually learn something.

The Pitfalls of the Feminine

The province of Quebec just passed a ridiculous law that bans facial coverings in public settings.  The reasoning behind this was ostensibly prompted by masked protesters that caused trouble in various marches over the last year.  So, a citizen who wishes to receive government services of any type must have their face visible.  That's all well and good, but it also means that a bus driver can potentially refuse to allow someone to board if they're wearing a scarf or balaclava over their face during the winter.  How stupid does that look?

But let's call a spade a spade.  The real targets of this law are Muslim women who wear the niqab.

Recently in the U.S. there were attempts at legislation that would enable a company to fire a female employee based on her reproductive choices.  As if that weren't enough, many states have voted to defund Planned Parenthood and/or outlaw abortion.

See a common denominator here?

The Old Testament of the Bible states outright that a woman is considered unclean during her menstrual period, and anyone who touches her will also become unclean.  Some African and Asian tribes still adhere to the custom of banishing women to a separate building during their periods.

In some countries women are forbidden to have certain jobs, perform certain tasks, or even leave their homes without male supervision.  In other countries, a male child is preferred that he might inherit a family business or continue a legacy, so girls are sent to orphanages, abandoned, or even killed by their own families.

Women are constantly having to guard themselves against prejudice, harrassment, and violence.  It seems to be getting to the point that merely being female is a crime in itself.

Where does it end?

Ladies, we need to stand up for ourselves.  No man has the right to tell us what we are or are not capable of.