Today's TV commercials bombard the viewer with messages that
compel us to replace lost hair, remove wrinkles, lift sagging bosoms,
reduce our weight and eliminate cellulite. Other ads target our emotions,
and encourage us to take a pill for every kind and complexion of personality
dysfunction.
Like the old snake oil salesman, these modern-day pill hawkers are
pushing drugs for every type of emotional problem known to man- from
shyness to erectile dysfunction. According to these new- wave
info-commercials the quality of shyness, once thought of as a quaint and
pleasant trait in a person, has now been redefined by the medical community
as "socially dysfunctional". What's more, they have created a pill (Paxil) to
cure it. Worry too much? Relax, they have a pill( Buspar) to eliminate that
too. In fact, they now have a pill to prevent or control just about every
natural human feeling we possess. Feel a little tired? Well, according to
these TV ads, we're not just tired, we may be suffering from chronic fatigue
syndrome and by-golly they have a pill to cure it. Forget something? We're
not just forgetful, we could be in the early stages of Alzheimers disease-
and they've got a pill for that too. If you're not already worried, these TV
ads will inspire you to be.
At the end of these pill commercials, the announcer, in a blithe
spirited manner, quickly and discreetly adds this disclaimer:"This
medication may cause headache, nausea, dizziness,confusion, heart
palpitations, fatigue and nervousness". Isn't that the reason they took the
pill in the first place, to elevate those same feelings? The side effects
sound more dangerous then the disease.
Two of the most popular prescribed drugs given out in a doctors
office today are: Prozac, a treatment for depression, and Xanax, a medication
for anxiety. Almost six million prescriptions of each are handed out a year.
Among the most profitable companies in America are pharmaceuticals: Johnson
and Johnson, Eli Lilly, Bristol Myers Squibb, and Upjohn.
Socially dysfunctional: Take a pill. Worried: Take another pill.
Tired: TAKE A PILL! What ever happened to Nancy Reagan's "Just say no"
campaign and words like self-will and self esteem.
Most alarming, are the millions of children being diagnosed with
the behavioral problem known as Attention Deficit Disorder ( ADD).
Currently , the popular trend is to treat these kids with the drug Ritalin,
causing Ritalin sales to increase more than 33 percent over the past year.
An estimated 4 million kids receive Ritalin in the U S today. Ritalin is an
amphetamine that produces such side effects as: nervousness, insomnia,
anorexia, nausea, headache, blood pressure fluctuations,and dizziness.
Children who squirm in their seats, fidget with their hands, talk too much,
act before thinking, or need a lot of supervision , are given this new drug
therapy to clam them down.Although some may argue that these characteristics
can lead to behavioral problems, they just sound like old-fashoned normal
kids to me. Does this typical childhood behavior warrant the use of an
amphetamine? Ritalin, not surprisingly, has now become a popular street
drug among America's teens.
Now, don't get me wrong. There are many medical conditions that
require serious prescription drugs, physical treatment and therapy. And I'm
grateful that medical science has provided these options for the people that
truly need them. Lets use a little common sense here. For instance, shyness,
according to the dictionary, is the unwillingness to thrust oneself into new
and unfamiliar social situations. This has been a normal emotion in the
human being since we began walking up- right. However, today it has been
redefined as a social dysfunction and they now have a pill to cure it.
Hello! It's called a personality. It's what makes us who we are, unique
from one another.
If we believe what we see and hear on TV info commercials, then none of
us would leave the house without first gulping down a concoction of pills
that promises to revise, revive or replace our lagging personality. This
Pills,medications and herbs promise to induce a more gregarious frame of
mind, inspire euphoria and eliminate worry. Unless I'm mistaken, isn't this
the reason people take illegal drugs and alcohol? Its not the medication I
fear as much as the message being sent: "Drugs are a quick fix".
The superficial world of beauty pageants and high fashion models
has been around a long time, but never before has media hype so urged us
to replicate this perfection in ourselves. If we are to believe these ads,
one must achieve physical perfection in order to live a productive and
rewarding life.
Plastic surgery and weight reduction is rampant among women.
Witness: Linda Tripp and Monica Lewinsky's recent makeovers. According
to media opinion, their greatest fault, more than improper social and sexual
behavior, seems to be the fact that they possessed double chins.
Commercials tell women how their quality of life will be vastly
improved if only they have a lipo suction, a nose job, an eye lift, a tummy
tuck etc. As for the man with a receding hairline? Well, he can't turn on
the TV set without being reminded that he's loosing his potency and prowess
as a man with every lost hair follicle. Viagra commercials fill the airways,
preying on self- doubt and insecurities.
Most all of us will fall short when compared to a runway model
or macho movie star. Too often, we set tough physical and mental standards
for ourselves that are impossible to keep. Instead, I'd like to suggest we
begin to value the person we are and how much we've invested in ourselves
just getting to this stage of life.
I remember with pride, my beautiful Italian Grandma. She was all of 5 ft
high and almost as round. Today, she'd be described, kindly, as exceedingly
plump. No one in the family, including Grandma, ever thought of her weight as
a problem. To her husband, it only meant more of her to love and cuddle, to
her children and grandchildren her ample bosom and generous lap was a
beloved place of warmth and refuge. I can't imagine, nor would I want to,
having a pencil thin Grandma wearing a pair of tight designer jeans,
make-up, and fretting over her looks. Thank goodness I grew up at in a time
when a woman's beauty was judged by her actions and not by her dress size.
Psychologists tell us that our limitations and capabilities
are all inborn. Some studies say the way a person is raised - the influences
of family and culture affect who we are and who we become. And still others
believe we inherit our psychological traits, abilities and emotions. I don't
know which of these theories is correct, but before we run out and try to
change or rearrange ourselves, lets try enjoying who we are and the
learning process that comes with each of these stages of life.
Allison Jones wisely wrote:" If I could wish for my life to be
perfect, it would be tempting, but I would have to decline. For then life
would no loner teach me anything."
For over 14 years, Cookie Curci wrote a popular nostalgia column for The Willow Glen
Resident. (The Silicon Valley Metro Newspapers...San Jose califonia)
www.metroactive.com. She's currently writing a column called "Looking Back" that
appears monthly in FRA NOI - a Chicago based newspaper. In additon she writes for
"Mature Living" in Toledo, Ohio, "Senior News" in West Virginia and THE WILLOW GLEN TIMES in San Jose. More about Cookie is at On Writing a Nostalgia Column.... If you would like to comment on an article, Cookie can be reached at Cookiecurci@aol.com.
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