Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson for October 09, 2023

I’m being defiant by not watching tv.

Another career idea for Calvin!

There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture.

We are controlling transmission. If we wish to make it louder, we will bring up the volume. If we wish to make it softer, we will tune it to a whisper. We will control the horizontal. We will control the vertical. We can roll the image; make it flutter. We can change the focus to a soft blur or sharpen it to crystal clarity.

For the next hour, sit quietly and we will control all that you see and hear.

Oy! The more things change, the more they stay the same, only worse. Now we have “influencers.”

A friend was a teen during the 60’s. She was into expressing individuality and dressing accordingly, of which all her peers did the same. She said that sometimes, she just wanted to wear a nice dress. Then she would get all kinds of grief from her peers at school.

So much for individuality.

Isn’t Calvin too young to be watching ads for Viagra??

The now defunct Laura Ashley chain of stores were selling an “emotional experience”, according to their last CEO. Which may explain why the chain is now defunct.

Hobbes and the advertiser have different ideas.

Cal proposes. Hobbes disposes.

Expressing your individuality by wearing name brand clothing with their logo emblazoned on it, providing free advertising for which you’ve already overpaid for!!!

Rule-Abiding Rebel

I always loved Mr. Watterson’s depiction of television. The frenetic effluence of outrage-inducing tripe and “buy this now!” advertising is perfectly encapsulated by a jumping box spewing grawlices.

Before my retirement as a teacher, if a student asked me to sign their yearbook, I’d write, “May you stay unique in your conformity”.

Calvin is totally controlled by TV and mass marketing….

A TV commercial is more likely to influence me NOT to purchase a particular product. There’s a particular burger place… What’s their motto? Something about ‘Fallen Arches’, or the like. Anyway, I haven’t spent a dime there in decades.

So he’s a rebel just like everyone else. Lots of that going around while conforming mindlessly by what they are told by the Ministry of Truth rather than what the see and experience.

Leave it to Hobbes to be the refreshing voice of reason!

Then you’ve got people who think like Hobbes’ to the extreme; bragging so much about how corporations and the media will never ever be able to brainwash their smart selves, to the point they almost end up acting like the person in the ad. Ya just can’t win.

Politicians now do the same thing on social media.

Behind the camera, the director is telling this guy what to say, how to say it and what to do while he’s saying it. He’s basically a puppet.

God how I love this comic strip!

Cal, just remember that you are you and truly unique…just like everybody else. :D

“The Mysteries” is supposed to arrive tomorrow! So excited!!

The ads are obnoxious, gross, lewd, crude, condescending, loud, intrusive, etc.

In a one hour show ads take up 20 minutes+ and counting….

Now pharmaceutical ads are making mini musicals about meds. And serious diseases …what kind of SICK AND WRONG minds do this?

Show the world that you are a free and independent mind.

Get some tattoos, an Apple phone, et C.

Shades of the Marlboro Man cigarette ads.

I feel bad for the old Malbrough man.

CNN explained in a comic strip.

I’ve been wondering – how do we convince commercial directors that shoving someone’s face right up into the camera lens is fine for youtube but is really annoying on any screen larger than 15 inches?

Kids these days! Back in my day, we only got shadows projected on a cave wall! And we liked it!

What ad was this?

wow! just like watching the news today!!

I notice all the ads for trucks have men with the deepest voices ever. They have to make sure the audience knows they are a Real Man.

More marketing madness.

I like how Hobbes’ height changes when he becomes “real”. When he’s a stuffed animal I’m pretty sure he’s around the same height as Calvin. But here he’s tall enough to stand behind the chair and look over it.

Somewhere, sometime I heard that it’s possible to go “television-less”

sounds a lot like what we call influencers today

The only commercials say is: “BUY THIS PRODUCT!!!”

Gen Z in a nutshell!

Let’s not forget that if you buy this car, you’ll have wonderful outdoor adventures.

Works even better in politics.

I read the Hidden Persuaders when I was a kid. One thing I learned is that a primary subtext of ads is to promote consumption in general.

wow, 131 comments…lol

Is the maverick a huckster or an influencer??

This is SSSSOOOOO true! My favorite right now is for the medical practice chain that has a senior coming our of his car, straw-hatted, sport shirt open to his sleeveless tee, DANCING his way into the doctor’s office, being handed a cup of…something, presumably coffee, dancing into the exam room, TAP DANCING on the little stool that helps you up onto the exam table, and LINE DANCING WITH THE STAFF on the way out. This is absolutely moronic and I have to question the attitude of this practice toward their target audience that they think this would resonate with them. I wouldn’t touch this practice, no, make that I wouldn’t let THEM touch ME, with a ten-foot pole.

Yeah, I’m with Hobbes on this one.

CIGARETTES

The budding consumers are sitting ducks for the marketing blitz. The advertiser’s can make the tv rise up and express the point to perfection. Love Bill’s version of switched on buzzing tv.

Be a rebel just like all the other rebels, not by being true to yourself but by conforming to the socially accepted ideal of a rebel.

Strange, that way of thinking never landed for me.