In My Head

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In My Head

“The business of the advertiser is to see that we go

about our daily lives with a tune or a slogan throbbing

in the background of our minds.”--Marshal McLuhan. 

As a kid I can still remember slogans from

radio broadcasts, or reading them on highway

billboards, but boomers recall that during

the 1950’s, as televisions moved into

every household “Imagination at work--GE”

we started becoming willing victims of

Madison Avenue conditioning “A little dab

with do ya’--Brylcream”, as repeated viewings

of commercials “I’m not a doctor, but

I play one on TV” began to imprint jingles

& catch-phrases into our “Think outside

the box--Apple” subconscious.

Even the necessity of sustenance became

besmirched, as we needed to always

“Eat fresh--Subway”, but we should not

forget that we eat “Just for the taste

of it--Diet Coke”, before we begin

the burping & uttering “I can’t believe

I ate the whole thing--Alka Seltzer”,

delirious that we “Had it our way--

Burger King”, even though several times

during the feast we took “The pause that

refreshes--Coke”, and too often we did

rush lunch “Sorry, Charlie--Starkist”,

but hey “There’s always room for Jell-O”

before washing it down with “the real thing--Coke”

or sometimes swigging the freshness of

“the UnCola--7up”, or really hoping that

“this Bud’s for you.” because we all know

“Where’s the beef--Wendy’s” for it resides

within, right alongside “Finger lickin’ good--

KFC” chicken, which in Chinese translates to

“eat your fingers off”, which make me smile

ever since I found out that “Got milk?”

translates to “are you still lactating?”

but I do regret that the mere sight of golden

arches reminds me that I’m “loving it”;

and tell me, how in the world did the simplicity

of coffee, always “Good to the last drop--

Maxwell House” become a behemoth,

a worldwide phenomenon “one person,

one cup & one neighborhood at a time--Starbucks”,

and why is it that I can never drive past

a Rolls or a Bentley without rolling my window

down & inquiring “Pardon me, would you have

some Grey Poupon?”,

and although we would like to think we have a degree

of sales resistance, every time we see a pretty girl

“Nothing beats a great pair of Leggs”, knowing that

“You are worth it--L-Oreal” while adoring the fact

“that nothing comes between you & your Calvins”,

we still find ourselves spending too much on our

sweetie’s spark-lies because “A diamond is forever--DeBeers”.

Although I have never been a smoker, I still love to 

“Flic my Bic” and I would “Never leave the house

without it--American Express”. I would never

“Walk a mile for a Camel”, completely reject LSMFT,

and don’t give a damn that “Winstons taste good,

like a cigarette should”, or that some others are

“Outstanding, and they are mild--light either end--Pall Mall”.

Even in my own bathroom I am plagued with

“It keeps going & going & going--Energizer”,

or while standing at the sink “Look, Ma,

no cavities--Crest” thinking I “Wonder where

the yellow went--Pepsodent”,

and I freely admit that I am partial to

“Cheap Sunglasses--ZZ Top” & cheap watches

“It takes a licking & keeps on ticking--Timex”

while fully realizing “Sometimes you feel like a nut,

sometimes you don’t--Almond Joy”, knowing that

every single day we should strive to “Be all you can be--

US Army”, for at present when I “Let my fingers

do the walking--Yellow Pages” they are stroking

divers keyboards “Do you...Yahoo?”, smiling wide

as I am welcomed “to the Human Network--Cisco”,

always happy to “Hello Moto--Motorola” .

But seriously, there is something amiss when

you discover that “Just do it--Nike” was realized

when Gary Gilmore, while strapped to his death

chair, uttered his last words,

“Let’s do it.”

Glenn Buttkus

August 2013

Posted over at dVerse Poets Poetics

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