30 April 2007

Phone Home

I've been going through some old VHS tapes. I've been able to get rid of some, but I usually have to watch or at least fast forward over the whole tape before I can determine whether it's purge worthy. It's kind of funny to see what TV shows I was really into in the past (about 7 - 9 years ago, to be exact), though sometimes it's embarrassing. I mean, why did I tape every awards show in the year 1999? Toss!

Watching old commercials is fascinating to me. Often I see products advertised that are irrelevant nowadays. One type of ad that seemed to flood the late nineties was for collect call companies. From 1800-Collect to Dial 10-10-220, every other commercial was about calling home. In fact, celebrities (especially SNL alumni) were featured in almost every ad. I know people must still make collect phone calls from time to time, but you really don't see this being advertised anymore. I wondered why for a moment, then I remembered the year I got my first cell phone: 2000. Though I'm usually technologically behind the masses, I do recall cell phones only being owned by a few friends of mine in the nineties. In fact, it was still considered rude to answer your phone when someone called you in a restaurant - it made you look kind of superior I guess. Now, of course, it's nearly taboo to not be reachable 24/7.

Collect call companies may not be completely obsolete, but they are certainly out of our collective consciousness. I don't miss the annoying ads. Besides, now we have Head-On, the product which soothes migraines while their commercials cause them. Ah, welcome to the future!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

i hold to my belief that if you don't feel like talking, you don't have to answer everytime someone calls. i refuse to be a slave to my cell phone.
head on-apply directly to your forehead. head on-apply directly to your forehead. head on-apply directly to your forehead...

Marie said...

I remember being annoyed by those 10-10-220 commercials, and being MORE annoyed when Carrot Top was in them. It is interesting to see advertisements for things that are no longer necessary. I DVR a lot, so thankfully I get to skip a lot of commercials. Although I still stop for those "caveman" commercials. Ha ha ha.

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