Last week, Best Friend and I were talking about the incessant number of dietary supplements and drug pushing on television.

“It seems like that’s all there is on cable,” I remarked as I took another handful of popcorn from the bowl.

“True.  Hey!” Best Friend countered.  “Why don’t we turn on regular TV and see what they’re hawking there.”

“Sounds good.”

And off we went to a local television station.  We needed a break from the war news anyway.

“Give your cat XYZ to keep her calm all day.”

“ABC will stop your pet’s neurotic behavior.”

Best Friend and I looked at one another and started laughing.

“Oh, geez,” I said between guffaws.  “Cable’s commercials advertise these people – Little Balls of Sunshine – swearing by gobbling down fruit and vegetables in capsules, and if you suffer from aches and pains from opening those bottles day in and day out, there’s a relief factor – little pills to take.  Then – when you can’t sleep, take a relaxing pill, and soon your head will hit Your Pillow that the businessman-turned carnival barker makes and sells.”

Step right up, Folks!

Best Friend added, “And when your pets are too much to handle, there are dietary supplements to shove down their throats to keep them out of your hair.”

Soma, anyone?  Is this too “1984?”

I wrote about this earlier last year in  Pssst!  Wanna Buy Some?

©2022Colcannon Metropolis, excerpt from “Thoughts on the Terrace on a Rainy Day”