Every time one of these comes on I feel like I've entered the Twilight Zone. They're always the same, some beautiful person is frolicking through idyllic scenes of domestic bliss, while a voice in the background reads "side effects may include diarrhea, projectile vomiting, heart attack, paralysis and death". They're on the verge of being funny but I find it kind of disturbing and infuriating for some reason. Like who is watching these things and finding them appealing? Do they go and badger their doctor for a prescription? I would be pissed if I was a doctor.
Growing up I remember commercials were mostly hedonistic fun for things like toys or beer. It's unsettling to see the same paradigm being used but for the reverse side of the coin: pain and illness rather than joy and hedonism. I guess maybe it's just the shows I watch too, mostly Jeopardy and the evening news, so I guess they are targeted at the old. Even still, I find it degrading and insulting to people's dignity somehow. It seems worse than "buy this tasty gum" or "guzzle this beer". I don't know if it's my growing disgust of advertising in general or maybe squeamishness of growing old.
I presume you live in the US? Because I have never seen such thing in Europe, I am not even sure it's legal. Generally, this is only a symptom of how fucked up the US for-profit medical system is.
It’s extremely bizarre surreal to me to consider even having such drug commercials at all, all we have over here are ones for cough syrups and basic painkillers etc.
On November 28 2019 21:56 opisska wrote: I presume you live in the US? Because I have never seen such thing in Europe, I am not even sure it's legal. Generally, this is only a symptom of how fucked up the US for-profit medical system is.
It’s really fucking insidious.
Really no coincidence that the US has such a problem with opioid painkillers, but also that rates of use of prescription anti-depressant, relaxants and stimulants far, far outweighs use in other comparable countries.
It is irrelevant that you are pissed off. What matters is that people who think they are in need of such drugs will really go above and beyond to urge their doctors to prescribe them. As for your opinion - you can always not watch them, I guess. Thus your frustration will disappear. Or something else will trigger it, idk.
I admit I usually find these commercials funny, the background voice reading out horrendous side effects always cuts in at a comical time in the onscreen paradise.
A mother cradles her child while the audience is reminded that this product can, in fact, cause full-body rashes, hemmoraging, and organ failure; there's something so twisted about it but I guess since I've seen these all my life you forget just how absurd it is in a vacuum.
It's gotta be profitable for them in the long run though, considering the age of most TV viewers now.
On November 28 2019 21:56 opisska wrote: I presume you live in the US? Because I have never seen such thing in Europe, I am not even sure it's legal. Generally, this is only a symptom of how fucked up the US for-profit medical system is.
mmmm part of it is fucked up. A shrewd, savvy consumer can use the medical system for great results as well.
On November 28 2019 21:56 opisska wrote: I presume you live in the US? Because I have never seen such thing in Europe, I am not even sure it's legal. Generally, this is only a symptom of how fucked up the US for-profit medical system is.
mmmm part of it is fucked up. A shrewd, savvy consumer can use the medical system for great results as well.
I would love to hear some specific examples of that, seriously.
Overall, the US health system is insanely inefficient, spending record amounts of money with outcome measures (such as survival rates for various conditions) lagging deep behind any other developed country and that should be an argument even for a right-leaning person.
Us leftists also take issue with how immoral it is, but I accept that that's a matter of personal values that can easily differ.
On November 28 2019 21:56 opisska wrote: I presume you live in the US? Because I have never seen such thing in Europe, I am not even sure it's legal. Generally, this is only a symptom of how fucked up the US for-profit medical system is.
mmmm part of it is fucked up. A shrewd, savvy consumer can use the medical system for great results as well.
You aren't supposed to be a consumer in a medical system. You are supposed to be a patient.
On November 28 2019 21:56 opisska wrote: I presume you live in the US? Because I have never seen such thing in Europe, I am not even sure it's legal. Generally, this is only a symptom of how fucked up the US for-profit medical system is.
mmmm part of it is fucked up. A shrewd, savvy consumer can use the medical system for great results as well.
I would love to hear some specific examples of that, seriously.
Overall, the US health system is insanely inefficient, spending record amounts of money with outcome measures (such as survival rates for various conditions) lagging deep behind any other developed country and that should be an argument even for a right-leaning person.
Us leftists also take issue with how immoral it is, but I accept that that's a matter of personal values that can easily differ.
I find it most disturbing when it pertains to various prescription meds that alter the brain in some way and are prescribed for specific mental health problems post diagnosis in the rest of the world.
These side effects do not fuck around, dependency does not fuck around. Some people benefit from them but many people are needlessly on a cumulative list of meds I would refuse to take.
I don’t use the term ‘disturb’ lightly I mean it really does disturb me deeply talking to some Americans.
Remember talking to some 18 year old I’d befriended via the magic of the internet and her casually talking about the 5 meds she was on, with no diagnosis of any specific mental health condition.
Diazapem was one, few others I can’t recall but she was also on (can’t remember which one) an atypical antipsychotic which the only people I knew who were on were schizophrenics on my psych ward.
I was in the US only one time for a few days and I was absolutely baffled by those commercials I was watching from my hotel room. I have to agree with OP, there's something absolutely off-putting about them.
Then again, most advertising is cynical and fucked up, we only have come to accept the fact that they constantly insult our intelligence with obscene BS because of decades of getting used to it. Try to watch a TV ad, any ad, without your conditioning to them in the back of your mind and you'll see just how stupid they know we are.
On November 28 2019 21:56 opisska wrote: I presume you live in the US? Because I have never seen such thing in Europe, I am not even sure it's legal. Generally, this is only a symptom of how fucked up the US for-profit medical system is.
mmmm part of it is fucked up. A shrewd, savvy consumer can use the medical system for great results as well.
I would love to hear some specific examples of that, seriously.
Overall, the US health system is insanely inefficient, spending record amounts of money with outcome measures (such as survival rates for various conditions) lagging deep behind any other developed country and that should be an argument even for a right-leaning person.
Us leftists also take issue with how immoral it is, but I accept that that's a matter of personal values that can easily differ.
Just three of dozens of examples... MRI , Prolotherapy and PRP. What is really sad is the best Prolotherapy practitioner on planet earth started off in Toronto and ended up in New York.
Torontonians routinely go to upstate New York to get an MRI in a timely manner. 95% of the Canadian population lives close to the US border. Lots of people have 3rd party extended medical insurance packages that cover procedures performed in the USA.
I spend ~100 days a year in Canada servicing my Canadian customers and ~250 days a year in the USA. So I can opt to continue with Canadian medical coverage or go with US coverage.
Foreign Service Benefits underwritten by Aetna offers better medical coverage than you can get in Ontario. Ontario is Canada's most prosperous province. 10+ years Ontario's OHIP was as good as the absolute best coverage you could get in the USA. Sadly, that is no longer the case.
Foreign Services Benefits underwritten by Aetna costs about $1700 USD/year per person. I get that thru my American gf. I'm happy with it. Its better than OHIP. If that changes in the future and OHIP becomes a better option I'll alter my coverage accordingly. One of my biggest customers in Canada, in Guelph Ontario, offers a plethora of medical benefits options. So I can get a pretty sweet deal if I want one.
For now, I'm happy with Aetna and the medical coverage they give me in the USA.
On November 29 2019 03:22 Dangermousecatdog wrote:
On November 28 2019 21:56 opisska wrote: I presume you live in the US? Because I have never seen such thing in Europe, I am not even sure it's legal. Generally, this is only a symptom of how fucked up the US for-profit medical system is.
mmmm part of it is fucked up. A shrewd, savvy consumer can use the medical system for great results as well.
You aren't supposed to be a consumer in a medical system. You are supposed to be a patient.
Where do you want me to go to get a fast MRI? I can't get it in Canada. So I go to upstate New York. Plenty of Canadians that live near New York do this. I imagine other Canadians near the border in other parts of the country do the same thing.
It is alleged that Canada has socialized medicine and USA is alleged to be an open free market. This is a vast oversimplification. 66% of all medical procedures in Canada are covered by a government single payer plan. 34% are not covered. Its a free and open market for things like Dental, Physiotherapy, and other procedures. Likewise in the USA 33% are covered by a government single payer system. 67% is free, and open market.
My gf and I did a lot of research and leg work to get the best 3rd party extended medical benefits package that we could for ourselves. We don't expect to be taken care of by the welfare state.
Smart consumers who are smart, careful and shrewd with the management of their health will live longer than dumb, impulsive, foolish people. This is natural selection occurring in real time. Welcome to the real world.
EPT
