Good Morning America is always good for getting me fired up. This morning it was a story about the flap caused by a billboard in Chicago that got me going. The billboard, which was advertising the services of local divorce lawyers said “Life’s Short. Get a Divorce.” The controversy, as you can guess, was that the billboard, which was displayed in an area of Chicago nicknamed “Viagra Triangle” was encouraging people to end their marriages.
Sigh.
Maybe I’m more sensitive to these issues because I work in advertising, or maybe it’s because I get offended by people who assume that a billboard is going to turn my ordinarily rational mind upside down, causing me to engage in activities or make decisions that I would not normally make.
It seems obvious to me that the attorneys sponsoring the billboard aren’t encouraging otherwise happily married couples to get divorced. Instead, they are trying to get the couples that ARE thinking of getting divorced to utilize their services. And, as a side note, let me just say that it certainly could have been implemented better, but as we often say here at the agency “everything is subjective.”
But it seems the detractors think that someone like myself, happily married without any thoughts of divorce, is going to see the billboard and say “of course! Why didn’t I think of that sooner? I should disrupt my life and throw my family in chaos by getting a divorce because, as the billboard says, life is short!”
Double sigh.
Last night I appeared on one of my favorite podcasts, Extralife Radio with Scott Johnson. In addition to producing this highly popular weekly show for geeks and nerds (you’d need to ask him what the difference is), three times a week Scott produces a web comic that is always geek-related and very funny (I think. I’m a pretty big geek. Or nerd. And I “get” his humor).
On a recent strip Scott showed a man talking about how he had logged thousands and thousands of hours playing online games such as World of Warcraft. After contemplating that some say he had nothing to show for all the time and energy spent in the virtual world he paused, and then jumped off a cliff. (That was a terrible description of the strip – check it out for yourself here).
Guess what? Since posting the strip Scott has received several e-mails complaining that he is condoning suicide.
Suicide? Seriously? That deserves a “Triple sigh.”
If anything Scott is not condoning suicide. Instead, he is making fun of himself and many of his fans. He’s saying that being a level 365 warlock with the power to move mountains is probably meaningless if you are a 55 year old guy living in your mother’s basement and earning minimum wage at the local Quickie Mart. Yeah, I said it. I love you geeks, but there is a fine line between cute and creepy.
I think we need to put these things into perspective. Yes, it would be great if people didn’t get divorced, but they do, and I’m pretty sure a billboard in Chicago (or broadcast nationally on GMA) didn’t make them do it. Just like I’m sure Scott Johnson’s strip isn’t going to cause legions of basement-bound geeks to jump off a cliff (although if it makes them go outside, that ain’t a bad thing).
This did get me thinking about other “Life is short…” billboards that could offend the masses. This is what I have so far…
Life is short. Eat ice cream.
This is almost too easy. Considering American’s growing waistlines and the increasing number of obese children, we should not be encouraging the consumption of high fat foods.
Life is short. Drink beer.
Can anyone say alcoholism? Drunk driving?
Life is short. Take a cruise.
Cruises are expensive and with America’s savings rate in the negative digits and debt rising, we know that most people will pay for a vacation using credit cards. So on this one we add the disclaimer “only go on a cruise if you can pay cash and have saved for retirement.”
Live is short. Buy roses.
Do you know the environmental impact of raising roses? Never mind the low wage labor that is hired to work the fields. Nope. Better to buy daisies for mom this year.
Life is short. Go outside.
Now that is just mean. I have allergies or could get stung by a bee.
You get the idea – and I’d love to hear some more! But for now I’m going with my favorite.
Life is short. Get a life.
