In my never-ending quest to stay away from politicizing my blog today (which isn’t easy), I’m going to complain about something that’s driving me crazy: TV commercials that:
–feature thirty-somethings complaining about “crow’s feet” around their eyes, and, therefore, they need Botox injections
–push pharmaceuticals that have so many side effects that, when the fine print lists them, no one could possibly read all of them
–describe the never-ending benefits of attorneys who will sue on behalf of narrowly-defined lawsuits (e.g., mesothelioma, cancer caused by chemical fertilizer, etc.)
–tell me how much weight I can lose if only I buy their pills, their little accessories, their exercise program, their diet., etc.
First, the young people who “need” Botox: I just saw this young fitness instructor named Javi who said he had to have Botox because the lines around his eyes just made him look so old! He’s not even thirty! The camera hones in on the “before” Botox and “after” Botox photo around his eyes. Now, I recognize that I have seventy-four-year-old eyes, but I cannot even tell the difference! Javi adjusts his shirt, mugs for the camera, shows his muscular body, and his line-free face. He would inject his face with onabotulinumtoxin A (that is, cosmetic Botox) at the age of thirty with potential side effects of swallowing, speaking, or breathing problems, and swallowing problems may last for several months?
Second, pharmaceutical ads: When I was young, I don’t even remember seeing these on TV. Now, they’re everywhere, and they’re even quite creative. Madison Avenue ad companies must love the revenue they make from creating these advertisements. But they have to hire a person who can talk impossibly fast (or, here’s a thought from someone who does broadcasting: someone who speaks normally but can be digitally sped up thought the magic of computers) to list the side effects. Ever listen to them? I’m not willing to take those risks.
Third, narrow lawsuits: My father died as the result of being exposed to chemical fertilizers. He had prostate cancer. My sister died from leukemia, also from being exposed to the same thing. So when these attorneys started going after a segment of the chemical fertilizer industry over a large government settlement, my family contacted them. We weren’t eligible because “those cancers” weren’t covered. You’d never know that from the ads. I’m sure some other people who saw those ads weren’t eligible, either.
Finally, miracle weight-loss cures: I have been fighting obesity for nearly all my seventy-four years on this earth. Here’s a bulletin: It’s not as easy as. they say on TV! It never will be. I applaud the people whose stories are told on these ads (are you listening, Marie Osmond?), but when it comes down to the real nitty-gritty, it’s hard work, day by day, to lose weight and keep it off.
Well, there’s today’s rant, as I keep from expounding on politics. I would get into even more trouble if I went down that road…
Wanda Fischer
Schenectady, New York
January 12, 2023
I have a 30-something year old who works with me who raves about getting Botox, and I just feel sorry for him. They have no understanding of the toxins they are pumping into their body. I do everything in my power to stay away from pharmaceuticals. I don’t even take Tylenol. Every prescribed drug has the potential of hurting another organ in the body, so unless I cannot find a natural solution to my ailment, I stay away from drugs.
I actually lost 30 pounds and have kept most of it off through a holistic weight loss program in my area. It focuses on retraining the hypothalamus to recognize a new set weight point. They way it was explained to me is that the hypothalamus regulates weight and, over time, it recognizes a certain weight as your norm. So, even when you lose weight, it will slowly bring you back to that weight because it believes that is your norm weight. By retraining it to recognize a new set weight point, you have a better chance of keeping the weight off. It isn’t easy, but it has worked so far for me (it’s been two years since I completed the program). If you have holistic healers in your area, you may want to look into that. I have multiple friends who have done the program as well, some in their 70s, and they have lost the weight as well. I may write a post about it later in the month.
Yvette M Calleiro 🙂
http://yvettemcalleiro.blogspot.com
Hello Wanda,
I am cracking up. I can‘t stop laughing. People like that are over here too. Cosmetic surgery is in trend here. But it doesn‘t bother me. This is one of the things I never waste energy on. You can‘t change people. We live in a society these days where beauty is compared to being perfect and that is a pity. We have lots of artificial people walking around in the western culture.
Thanks for this engaging article that made me laugh.
Shalom aleichem
Wanda, I’ll add my voice to your rant! Picture me saying a resounding YES! to each of your points.
I don’t understand why already beautiful young people feel the need for botox. Its continued use over time changes the face in strange ways. Give me the tried and true, and expected, wrinkles around the eyes any day.
Nearly all of those pharmaceutical ads include “may end in death” or something of that nature. You can take this medicine and it might kill you, but by all means, go ask your doctor to give it to you anyway. No thank you.
And don’t get me started on weight loss. Yvette, please do write that post!
Blessings to you, Wanda!
Patty
I’m truly sorry for the loss of your father and sister, and for the lies that led them to believe they had a case.
I try to tune out commercials. Thankfully, Netflix doesn’t have any. When my doctor recommended Trulicity and even tried to push me to take it for my insulin resistance and weight, I remembered the commercial and the long list of possible side effects. I Googled the side effects after refusing to take it. It works on your brain and stomach. Probiotics and digestive enzymes have finally fixed my stomach issues, so why would I want to take something to exacerbate the problem? Hypothetical question but one I asked my doctor. She said you wouldn’t know until you tried it. Not convincing enough for me.
Hi Wanda! I whole-heartedly agree!!!! I laugh at the face cream and Botox ads, not only on TV, but in the magazines, too! As for the Rx’s…the side-effects really freak me out. Frankly, I’m extremely chemically sensitive. As such, I strive to take as few medications as possible. Great post! : )
Best wishes,
Donna M Atwood
D M Atwood
https://www.dmatwood.com