The Commercial Cycle

Nearly every person agrees that commercials have a knack to appear at the most inopportune times. What need is there for a commercial when you are about to get to the juiciest part of your favorite TV show? Some people will probably leave the room until the show is back on, but most of us will watch them. THAT is why commercials are there, because we watch them. If there was absolutely no one watching those commercials, they wouldn't be there.

   Not only have commercials gotten longer since the years have passed, but they have increased in numbers as well. Your favorite half hour TV shows are more like 20 minutes; however, we do enjoy some of the commercials that pop up on the screen. Especially those advertisements for the most convenient products of only four easy payments of $19.99. Have you ever ordered something that you saw on TV? Have you ever bought something in the store that had the "As Seen on TV!" logo on it? There lies the reason why these commercials continue to take more time out of our favorite TV shows. As long as they are making a profit off their product or service that is advertised to the millions of people who watch TV throughout the day, commercials will never cease to exist, breed, and multiply.

   Commercials do not only get their sponsor a profit by the constant repetition of the phone number and incredible offers, but by the unspoken urge they are putting forth through pictures and audio clips. Sarah Mclachlan's "Angel" is famous for playing over the sad videos played in the ASPCA commercials and because of this, people tend to associate the song with the ASPCA. Not all of those commercials blatantly tell you to give money, but there is an implied and unstated urge for people to do so. This tactic in the industry works a good deal of the time, and that is why they are still around.

   Not all commercials are painful to watch though. Some commercials we look forward to seeing, sometimes more than the show that is currently on. They have become a place where thousands of people can star in their one minute of comical fame, and we enjoy every second of it. Commercials have always been entertaining, and as time passes they seem to become even more entertaining than some shows. YouTube is filled with hundreds of commercials that people have uploaded due to their humorous nature. The e-trade baby was famous for a long time, and Flo from Progressive is always a laugh. Memorable names and characters that bring us a good chuckle once in a while is what some commercials aim for.

   So while watching the season finale of the Walking Dead or NCIS, and right at the climax of the storyline you find out that you can save 15% or more on car insurance, you may scream in agony because two minutes separate you from the well-waited for end of the season OR you may end up giving Geico a call.