the world has turned and left me here

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I heard the full version of that one song used in the Coca-Cola (Coca-Cola? maybe it's some other product, I should pay more attention) ads: "This is my time, this is my life, and I'm gonna live it, the way that I wanna." Repeat 20x. Ad nauseum. Ad infinitum. What a comprehensively lame song, you know, proclaiming that this is my life and I'll live it the way I want to, but so in need of reassurance that it has to deliver the message twenty times over until you as the listener finally agree that, yes, you can live your life the way you want to. If you really live your life the way you want to you don't have to ask for permission. Or write a pop song about it. Just live your freaking life, okay?

The latest fad is to have dolphins splashing alongside whatever product you're advertising. I saw this recently in a Nissan commercial and have seen it before. Although Portishead was playing in the background (since when did Portishead become mainstream enough to advertise cars to?), the premise was still pretty suspect. What does it mean, anyway? Do we need the approval of the most intelligent members of the animal kingdom now too? "Yes, your SUVs are swell. Don't worry. So long and thanks for all the fish."

And again, I was in the changing rooms of a trendy clothing store on the weekend. I looked over at the wall and saw myself peering back, the words "You look great" inscribed over my head on the mirror. Then, inside the stall, "Shop until you drop" was written down the side of the mirror. Trendy pseudo-techno rubbish designed to massage me into buying decisions was piped in over the loudspeakers. Now if this isn't blatant then I don't know what is.