Monday, December 08, 2008

the case for DVR, and why TiVo has the best UI

Protecting kids (and adults) from Commercial Advertisements on television is a life molding choice.

To illustrate, when I recently visited with family, my niece was telling us to be quiet during the commercials, telling us why she liked the commercial... and she knew what happened at the end.

At this point in my life, being a 8+ year DVR user, I resent having to watch any television commercial. Luckily, with TiVo, I do not have to.

Why do I resent the advertisements? Because they are sinister…. drilling into my conscious and subconscious mind what I should like/dislike, covet, or purchase;

Implying a new duster/mop/floor cleanser will save my marriage;

Telling me a new car will make me feel like an 18 year old man again.

Moreover, these are the same strategies of repetition that the Bush administration used to drill words into our minds like "WMD," "No Child Left Behind," and others. In fact, all good political strategists use these techniques.

And guess what? So does commercial television advertising. This is about as close to evil as you can get.

It takes away one's creativity and freedom of choice and signs you up to be a rat-race consumer member.

As it happens, that is why I choose TiVo as part of my internet desk station, where I can email and excercise simultaneously, or take a break and watch my

No comments: