Viagra Makes You MacGyver

“Viagra Makes You MacGyver”

By ~Vern Davidson

            In today’s printed and video media ads, you see a wide range of depictions of what middle age and the golden years should be. From my observation, the attitude toward aging varies, depending on the market’s target demographic and the product or service being marketed.

One type of ad that always comes to mind is the ad for a retirement home, a.k.a. nursing home. The typical ad begins with a sweet-looking grandmother in the core family setting with the son & daughter-in-law or some variation. Grandma is sitting with the family and her grandchildren, as the narration talks about how grandma has been there and provided for her children. Grandma is looking content but with a shadow of concern, as though she is pondering the near future and her recently diminishing health. The narration continues to ask if the family (indirectly, the target audience) wouldn’t want to do their best to take care of grandma. This ad gives grandma an image of maintained dignity through the challenges of the aging process. Although market-targeted, the ad seems to do better than others when it comes to a level of honesty and directness on the difficult conversation of aging.

In the cosmetic commercial that targets a younger female, pushing the 30-35 year range, the natural aging effects not only can be, but damn it, they should be feared and avoided at all cost or more importantly, at any expense. In the cosmetic commercials targeting those at the above 40-year range, the tone changes significantly. The tone seems to be that the mature woman is beautiful both inside and outside, and the product is less about covering the aging process and more about polishing the finish on that process. I say that I will never color my gray. Gray hairs are like service stripes; I earned every one of them!

One of my favorite ads that stereotypes, sometimes to an unintentionally comedic effect, are the Viagra ads. In the ad, you always have the virile, fit and good-looking higher range middle-aged man who is busy doing some rugged and rather manly task. Sometimes he is building a campfire outside the tent that is sheltering his waiting woman by a mountain stream. In another he is delayed in his rugged, manly highway cruising when his muscle car overheats. In a step closer to the completion of this stud’s conquer of land, sea and air; he is in the middle of a sea cruise when his sailboat has a vital part break on him. Yet another favorite depicts this handsome devil pulling his horses in their gooseneck trailer when he encounters a shallow mud puddle that is blocking his way. In all these, the narration explains that this guy is at “the age of knowing.”

This last ad carries a lot of subtle metaphoric themes. His fire that won’t start, his radiator that is losing steam, his sailboat mast and his pickup that is maybe not up to crossing that puddle are all subtle metaphors for his… ahem… challenged manhood. As the narrator reminds and reassures us, fortunately, this guy… on top of his good looks, strong physique and perfect hair… this guy knows stuff. He uses that knowledge to start his fire, cool his radiator and get his ride moving, fix his sailboat’s mast and uses his horses to pull the truck and trailer across the mud puddle of death or at the very least, shame.

The lessons I have learned from watching ads for most of my 41 years are plentiful. Probably the single most important lesson was that apparently, Viagra makes you MacGyver. The only thing that confused me was why the man, who is at the age of knowing, opting to gear up his horse team rather than put the darned truck into four wheel drive? Also, if he is at the “age of knowing”, does he really need to ask his doctor if he is healthy enough for sex? These questions are irrelevant; I am already sold. So, the next time my Jeep won’t start, I can't see to tie that damned fishing hook, my heat/air conditioning unit goes on the fritz, or the zombie apocalypse finally happens; I have a plan. I am going to take myself four Viagra and fix everything. 

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My Writing Journey

Who is Me, and Where Did He Go?

-Finding my forgotten voice in writing-

As a kid, I absolutely loved to write short stories. If I wasn't reading, I was writing stories for my Grandma, my brother, or my classmates or just for myself. I took my imaginative inspiration from the books I'd read.

To quote from Grandma Created a Monster, my first essay in EN100:

"It was Scholastic and the support of my Grandmother that introduced me to the books that stuck with me for the rest of my life. Books like “The Lemonade Trick”, “The Mouse and the Motorcycle”, “The Cricket in Times Square”, “Ramona”, “James and the Giant Peach” and so many others opened up my imagination to a world that was limited only by my imagination and open to explore. These books taught me that reading was way better than television because my mind could vividly recreate the images from the story and bring them to life in a way that no picture tube could ever reproduce. I could almost smell the salty-sweet mix of the sea spray-laced air and flavor of a fresh-cut giant peach, as James navigated the open seas and met the strange and wonderful creatures that shared his biodegradable vessel. I could smell the popcorn, hotdogs, nachos, and exhaust fumes experienced by a small cricket hidden in his tiny patch of turf in Times Square. I could imagine the point of view of a mouse and roar of a tiny engine as he raced through his miniature world on his miniature motorcycle. These simulations of the senses were what I wanted my audience to see, hear, smell and feel. These books sparked my imagination and made me hungry to read more. I wanted to read everything I could because each book was a new adventure and learning experience. Reading was my sustenance for my imagination and my mind. I was always on the hunt for new brain-food as a child..."

I entered EN100 with some leftovers of imaginative muscle memory from that time. Over the years, the imaginative creativity I'd discovered sat in the corner of some forgotten shed, in some forgotten wood, in the world that makes up the landscape of my mind.

This class, from the very first essay sent me into some of the less-traveled trails of the wood. That first essay helped me to remember where I began as a fan of written stories. It got me onto the path of finding where I left off in developing a creative writing style.

The observation essay pushed me to use descriptive detail in ways I hadn't since I was a kid. At first it was very daunting, but once I found some old familiar landmarks, I got a sense of direction and started moving ahead. I got a bit scratched up finding my way through the thicket, as re-learning the imaginative methods of "show don't tell" can force you to break a few learned habits.

The third essay on ad analysis pushes even harder, forcing us to draw all the detail out of an external subject and relate that information to an audience in our own words, while keeping the original message intact.

While my path is far from complete, I am finding the tools along the way, which will help me to become the writer I'd like to be.

“Visions are worth fighting for. Why spend your life making someone else's dreams?”

~Tim Burton

And I'll end this post with a video which could not have been made without lyrical and production creativity.
Enjoy!   :0

Celebrating the Match

Celebrating the Match

American Bone Marrow Registry

            This ad, entitled Celebrating the Match, is an overview of the founding, history and success of the American Bone Marrow Registry. It is a streaming timeline view from the American Bone Marrow Registry’s beginnings to its present. From its frail and slight beginning, its size and scope has grown in parallel to its success in matching donors to those in need. The message this ad plants with me is that the miraculous expansion of the Registry and its success are is only the beginning. With continued public support and research, an exponential increase of successful matches and lives saved is possible.

            Celebrating the Match begins with an image of a young girl in what appears to be her school photo. It gives her name and says that she was a leukemia patient in need of a bone marrow transplant. The caption states that in 1979 she was the first successful non-relation bone marrow recipient. She was the beginning, a spark that became a growing flame of hope.

            The ad certainly appeals to anyone who has siblings, children or have a loved one that the patients in the ad may bring to mind. The images and stories recounted strike and emotional note, appealing to the empathy people have towards children who suffer from terrible diseases, such as leukemia. The Ad doesn’t make use of notable actors, but rather uses images that the viewer could believe are those of real-life recipients and their loved ones. The timeline review gives a history that gives credence to the value of the program and speaks volumes for its success.

           Celebrating the Match is a very successful approach that appeals to humanity’s empathy for ill children. It also brings to light a possible response to the individual who asks what he or she can do to help. Overall, this ad provides education to those who may not be familiar with the American Bone Marrow Registry. It also is successful in reaching out to potential donors, financiers, and even recipients.

 To learn more, go to The American Bone Marrow Registry website.