Ohhh woe is me.

So, lately I have been in a rut. I continue to go back and forth on what exactly it is that I find so dreadful in advertising today. Sometimes I feel like I am just a rambling nut who has a hard time articulating herself, but then other times I really feel like I have a hold on what it is that gets me.

The other night I was having a conversation with my 3 roomies (all 20-21 year old college ladies) about the Taco Bell Fourth Meal campaign as it came on during America's Next Top Model. I expressed how it made me frustrated that Taco Bell is promoting more eating, especially really fattening bad-for-you food. I also thought it was weird to play something like during a modeling competition. They all disagreed. They told me that there is an audience for the fourth meal and that they all do it and it resonates with them. Sigh, it really scares me. I know that sometimes I eat a fourth meal late at night at a fast food place but I never want to think that it is an okay idea. I hate when I do that [eat a fourth meal], and advertising has such a strong impact on people whether they like to think it does or not. Please ladies, go eat a fourth meal and then watch ANTM and feel bad about yourself. Then I sound like such a Sour Samantha because I feel like I sound like such a prude because I criticize "humorous" ads. Like the Jack In The Box stoner ad, I'm sure so many people laughed their faces off at it. I get it, it is funny but so evil. Advertising can be evil.

They get you to laugh so you eat more and get fat. They get you to laugh so you smoke more and become a pothead (this is a stretch, I'm really just referring to one ad). They get you to laugh so you think men should be macho, etc. etc. You may think I'm over-analyzing but I truly think this is what these ads do to Americans. Think about it: in high school someone told me tapered jeans are going to make a comeback and all of my friends scoffed and said that would never happen. Eventually skinny jeans came back and they are now a staple. Or when I first heard that wretched Unplugged version of "Freak on A Leash" with Korn and Amy Lee of Evanescence on MTV. I wanted to die when I first heard it, but over time I hated it less (though I never grew to like it). If you see something long enough you become adapted to the idea, of course this works the same with ads.