Enough already!

This morning, exiting the subway car, there was a 12 foot tall iPod ad stuck to the wall in front of me. I kid you not; 12 feet at least. It was freaking HUGE!

Last week, in another subway station, it was a Colgate ad on the front part of the stairs, the risers I think they’re called.

Yesterday morning, driving to work, we were in the car 10 whole minutes before actually hearing anything but publicity.

Then there are the pop ups and banners on websites and the ads on the doors of public toilets - you can't even have your pants down around your ankles without seeing some sort of publicity.

It’s everywhere, all the time and truth be told, I’m heartily sick of seeing/hearing publicity. What’s the idea? Seeing a 12 foot tall, red, yellow and black iPod ad first thing in the morning will make me buy it? Um… don’t think so. Sorry folks.

And then there’s product placement in TV shows. Arrrghhh!

We’re currently watching the Sopranos on DVD (yes, I am one of the only people in North America to have never seen the Sopranos on TV. Shoot me. Had I known what I was missing though, but I digress).

This show has constant product placement for Tropicana™ orange juice (every time they open the fridge, there it is, prominently displayed). In one episode there is even a scene devoted to Tony Soprano bitching that his wife didn’t buy the juice with the right amount of pulp in it!!! I can’t help but wonder how James Gandolfini and Edie Falco felt as actors, having to do that scene. It was blatant. It was awful. It sucked.

Then, of those I’ve noticed, there’s Snapple™ and Motts™ apple juice, Turtles ™ (hee hee, I figured out how to to the trademark symbol – might as well do it right).

Come to think of it, have I been doing product placement without even realizing it? Does anyone all of a sudden have a hankering for Tropicana or Snapple? Are you all running out to grab some? Is that what you’ll buy the next time you go to the supermarket? If so, let me know, I’ll be contacting the companies to get my cut.

On another note, it is winter in Montreal all of a sudden. Six below (20F for you non metric types) this morning. The Jazzzer is in total denial (it’s true what they say, it ain’t just a river in Egypt). I met my neighbour as I was leaving to catch the bus. She said, “We have five or six more months of this to look forward to. But hey, look at the bright side, in a couple of months -6 will seem positively balmy”. I wanted to slap her because ya know, she was right, but I don’t need reminding.

Quebec as a distinct society: This week the Parti Québecois (the separatist party in Quebec) elected a new leader, André Boisclair. I'm pretty sure he's a first in that he's openly gay (edit: nope, not true, there was Sven whose last name I can't remember in B.C. - Was it Robinson?). However I think we can safely assume he is the first to actually admit to having taken cocaine. He'll probably be the next Premier of Quebec. Course, let's face it, it's not like he's the first politician to have done drugs (and here in include alcolholics). Anyway, point is, he will no doubt foist yet another separation referendum upon us. *sigh*

I can’t believe how long it's been since I posted. I have been son busy, November is always a horrendous month for me at work. Well, at least I have the weekend to look forward to. I better squeeze every little bit I can out of it since I’ll be working all of next weekend. *sigh* (again)