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08/21/2006: Apparently, TAG Body Spray makes you irresistible


You know what I heard the other day that I hadn't heard in a while? People talking about a commercial they saw. With more and more of us using Tivo, and skipping the commercials, they are becoming less of a cultural touchstone. Interesting.

Tellingly, the ad these people were talking about was for a product marketed to men. Ah. That would be advertised during sports – something which is still watched live. That explains it.

Of course, there are all sorts of points that can be made about this particular loss of commonality in our culture. The point I'm choosing to make is possibly the most trivial of all these possible points. Commercials no longer are a great comedy resource.

Believe it or not, this is a sizable loss. Punchlines derived from commercial tag lines like "Two, two, two mints in one," "He likes it! Hey, Mikey!" "Ancient Chinese secret, huh?" "Less Filling! Tastes Great!" and so on, were a huge part of my television adolescence. (For some reason, I only seem to be thinking of really old commercials… but I know I have often referenced more recent ones when writing.)

The jokes will instead become, I suppose, references to popular YouTube-type offerings (Mentos + Diet Coke, etc). So don't despair. There's still lots of comedy to harvest. Just observe and enjoy the little seismic shift as one of comedy's staple resources undergoes a change. And stay on top of it, of course. If you want your readers to get that pleasant jolt of recognition… make sure you're working with material they'll recognize.

Lunch: chicken and vegetables. Healthy but good.