Reality Bites

I had a friend back in high school who I once tried to engage in a conversation with about some TV episode and she just shrugged her shoulders and said, "I'm not a big TV person." Not a TV person? For someone who literally considered Xena (Warrior Princess) and the guys on the Satellite of Love as personal confidantes I almost couldn't wrap my mind around that statement. Everyone I knew watched television (though none so much as me--I say shamefully). Hell, I used to use babysitting my younger brother as an excuse to not go out. (I can hear the collective sound of everyone who knew me back then saying "Ahh the last piece of the puzzle". Oh well, I think admitting you have a problem is the first step towards recovery, right?) But even if you weren't a total shut-in weirdo like me, I wondered how someone, with all the options out there could physically avoid television. Then again, she was different than me: social, active in sports, involved in clubs...you know, everything I tended to shun.

But while everyone else was busy getting their "high school experiences", I have a plethora of memories of first and final episodes, monumental guest stars, edgy stories....so many memories.

The reason I write about this now is because I was thinking back to some of my fav or most memorable commercials.

Believe it or not, VW commercials had the best songs.

Remember this one about the two guys who picked up the chair? The "Da da daa" song. Yeah, you know you do, and you're welcome...good luck keeping that song out of your head for another decade.

And actually, it was because of another VW commercial that I discovered the song, "Pink Moon" by Nick Drake (THE best late-night summer driving song).

I can never not smile when I see commercial for MasterCard (or Visa, or American Express, I can't remember but whatever it's called) with all the smiley-faces made out of unusual objects. I don't know why, but it just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.

But the BEST commercial I have ever seen that makes me laugh like a madman every time I see it (and am sad that they retired it) is the one for Tide-to-Go. If you haven't seen it, go on Google or Yahoo or whichever engine you fancy and watch it. Funniest 30 secs of your life, especially at the end ("Now in a MINI!")...

Before you reign your pity on me like ticker-tape at a parade, let me say in my defense that they make TV shows ABOUT commercials. So the fact that I note particularly special ones for me can't mean I'm that pathetic right? Ah well, enough from you people...Will & Grace is starting...