Ads, Endorsement and Responsibility

Advertisement, Endorsement and Responsibility.

The first two words are pretty common, and the two are seldom not a pair.
Sadly, the third word only comes up during Sunday masses, election campaigns, and more often than not, never at all.


ON MSG
I can't remember the time in this little part of the world that Ajinomoto A.K.A monosodium glutomate(MSG) wasn't used in meal parties.

Sure there are studies out there that claim that MSG is pretty harmless, but people here consume considerable amounts of it on a daily basis.

Celebrities who endorse such products should be responsible for what they say based on their ad scripts.

I even know of people who put MSG on their scrambled eggs.

And what's worst, Ajinomoto has stopped placing the term "monosodium glutomate" in bold letters, they have replaced it with "Umami". WTF! It must mean "monosodium glutomate" in another language.


ON SLIMMING PRODUCTS
Yes, I do agree slim babes are nice to look at. But there should be limits on vanity.

My 5 year-old daughter doesnt even like to eat because she thinks she will get fat by eating 2 or more spoonfuls of food. WTF?!

TV ads showing chubby women hiding their bellies might be funny for some, but what kind of messages are those ads really sending out?

Truth to be told, there are people who prefer comfort over speed.

Sure, sure, sure. It's nice to feel the "sarap to the bones" pelvic thrusts but those cushions can be so warm and comfortable.

Slimming products are making one side of the coin boring and overrated.

It's nice to be genetically slim, but "slim" does not mean healthy, neither does "chubby".

I'm not sure when people started to get this notion that one's piece of mind is attached to one's weight and figure.


ON CANNED GOODS AND PACKED NOODLES
Sure, movie stars and celebrities eat canned goods. But those celebrities don't consume as much as their fans or people who buy products according to what they see in television.

Come on! Some canned goods might be cheaper compared to the real food, but it's definitely not as healthy as the general public think they are.

And those "Japanese noodles in plastic packs"? I couldn't even find them in groceries in Japan (I only got to see them in vending machines). I was perplexed at first why most of their grocery goods were so close to their expiration dates - it took me a while to realize that most of their goods were fresh, hence the short gap between the dates and the current date. I was accustomed to seeing expiration dates that span years at our local groceries. Ack! The preservatives, they are only meant to preserve/prolong food and not necessary the life of the consumers.


ON DRUG MEDS WITHOUT APPROVED THERAPEUTIC CLAIMS
We all know that herbal medicines do work.

But people should never believe that the modern "alternative" medicines people see in television and print ads are herbal medicines. They ceased to be "herbal" the moment they were packaged into capsules and tablets. They're just drugs disguised and dressed in "fun" packs.

There is a big difference between the conventional herbal and nature medicines with these modern meds. These "modern" stuff have passed thru mechanical rollers and other metallic parts in factories and have undergone the conventional extraction and chemical processes, usually undergone by pharmaceutical drugs. In fact, the only difference between these popular "new" medication and the conventional pharma drugs is that these "new" ones don't have studies backing up their claims.

Consumers, on the other hand, are so easily manipulated into buying these stuff. Advertisers don't try even have to try hard to fool consumers. A simple line like the one below can convince people to buy their product:

With the right diet, proper exercise and a teaspoon of XXXXX..

Wow! People who even don't eat the right food and don't even exercise have been buying lots and lots of such products. They just read or hear the last line "a teaspoon of XXXXX".

Sometimes, I think they deserve to be fooled.


ON CANDIDATES FOR GOVT POSITIONS
We should start prosecuting people who have endorsed incompetent people into public office.

Yes, I have stated "incompetent". A public servant doesn't need to be "corrupt" to be qualified as "incompetent" or "ineffective".

So all those who have endorsed candidates who became incompetent(whether they were lazy or corrupt or just plain stupid)public officials should also be prosecuted.

On second thought, those lousy voters who voted for the incompetent people should also be punished or at least reprimanded.

People who vote with their pockets or those who merely vote primarily depending on family, friendship, business or religious social network are not qualified to vote.


ON RELIGION
Religion is overrated. People believe that religion is the solution, when in fact, it's a big part of the problem.

People have invested so much time, energy and money on religion as a structure and not enough as a form of spirituality.

People now treat religion like a phone directory. They only use it to look up names or when they need something.


ON GAME SHOWS AND THEIR HOSTS
Game shows are not charitable institutions, they are there to make money for their companies.

Giving big sums of money in front of TV cameras make it more profitable for the owners.

Getting contestants who are financially poor make the shows more profitable.

Giving big sums of money to financially poor contestants double the profits.

Get the picture?

Those hosts are not saints. Some of them are probably earning more than 100,000 in a day. What is shelling out 20 or 10 grand for them? Like loose change.

Any one selected to become a host for a game show and plays a character/role who liberally hands out cash can be considered a "good person" by the masses.

Game shows are game shows. Some win and some don't. It's good to praise the higher authority or supreme being for winning, but winning contestants should never forget that game shows earn money regardless contestants win or not (and it really is not the supreme being's fault if contestants lose) .

It's alright to be thankful but people mustn't elevate game shows and their hosts on pedestals and altars.