Prescription Drugs On TV: Mostly Worthless

73 percent of those new prescription drugs advertised on U.S. television had low therapeutic value, offering only slight benefit over other drugs already on the market, says a recent study. Those drugs accounted for $15.9 billion worth of advertising spending. Of the advertised drugs that had a value rating from Canada, France or Germany, 53 of them were classified as low-benefit, at best.

Back in 2015, the American Medical Association called for an all-out ban on DTC (Direct-to-Consumer) ads for prescription drugs and medical devices, saying they drive demand for expensive treatments despite the clinical effectiveness of less costly alternatives.

More:

“70% of drugs advertised on TV are of “low therapeutic value,” study finds,” Beth Mole, Ars Technica

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It’s Beginning ….

“It’s Beginning to Look Like Christmas,” written by Meredith Willson (1950), rendered by Perry Como through the magic of television.

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John Oliver on TV’s Law & Order

TV producer Dick Wolf created the Law & Order franchise in 1990 and, after more than 1,200 episodes, the show is still on the air today. The show’s depiction of the legal process is incredibly inaccurate, explains John Oliver. Just think: on Law & Order, the perpetrator is arrested in every case, and always gets a jury trial. Reality is very different. NYPD closes under a third of all cases (some say 5 percent), and 97 percent of all cases end with plea bargains, not jury trials.

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Vaccination on Sesame Street

Seasame Street wants U to get back together, after U get vaccinated.

More:

“Sesame Workshop, the Ad Council, COVID Collaborative and CDC Launch New PSAs About COVID-19 Vaccines,” press release

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Healthy, Vaccinated Families on Seasame Street

Louie and Elmo explain why you should get vaccinated.

More:

“Sesame Workshop, the Ad Council, COVID Collaborative and CDC Launch New PSAs About COVID-19 Vaccines,” press release

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Vaccinating Seasame Street

Seasame Street feels hopeful about vaccinations.

More:

“Sesame Workshop, the Ad Council, COVID Collaborative and CDC Launch New PSAs About COVID-19 Vaccines,” press release

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Why TV Sitcoms Stopped Using Laugh Tracks

When they filmed or taped TV situation comedies, producers found that studio audiences often didn’t laugh in the right places. Sound engineer Charley Douglass developed the Laff Box, and editors used it to “sweeten” sitcom soundtracks with “canned laughter.” Over the last 10 years, the laugh track has disappeared almost entirely. Cheddar explains why.

More:

“The invention of laughter: Charley Douglass and the laff box,” Valentina Palladino, The Verge

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It’s Beginning ….

On the shelves of Retail America, it began to look like Christmas the day after Halloween. The perfume and electric shaver ads began appearing a few weeks later. Try to dig yourself out of the blizzard of consumerist frenzy.

Trump’s Nightmare: Mueller to Testify Publicly on July 17th

Responding to a a subpoena, former special counsel Robert S. Mueller III will testify in open hearings of the House Judiciary and House Intelligence committees on July 17th. A notorious straight-arrow, he is not expected to divulge anything about his investivation of Russian involvment in the 2016 election and White House obstruction of justice that was not in his 448-page final report. That has not stopped President Trump from trash-talking him. Perhaps it is the thought of square-jawed Robert Mueller, decorated war hero, former Assistant Attorney General and FBI Director, testifying on television, in a Brooks Brothers suit, with all America watching, that is rattling our Reality TV President.

More:

“Robert Mueller to Testify to Congress, Setting Up a Political Spectacle,” Nicholas Fandos, New York Times

“Chad Pergram: Media coverage of Mueller testimony will be ‘off the Richter scale,'” Victor Garcia, Fox News

“Why do Democrats want to talk to Mueller if they know he won’t talk much?” Amber Phillips, Washington Post

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Image (“Trump’s Worst Nightmare”) by Mike Licht. Download copies here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com.

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Trump’s Worst Nightmare

President Trump agreed to allow Robert Mueller to testify before the House Judiciary Committee until he didn’t. What changed his mind? The thought of square-jawed Robert Mueller III, decorated war hero, former Assistant Attorney General and FBI Director, testifying on television, in a Brooks Brothers suit, with all America watching, and becoming an instant TV star. That would really rattle our Reality TV President.

More:

“Trump Doesn’t Want Mueller To Testify Because It’ll Get Media Coverage,” Nicole Lafond, TalkingPointsMemo

Related:

“House Republicans want Mueller to testify despite Trump opposition,” Kyle Cheney and John Bresnahan, Politico

“AG Bill Barr believes special counsel Robert Mueller should be allowed to testify,” Katherine Faulders and Mike Levine, ABC News

“Trump’s Opposition to Mueller Testimony Poses a Test for Barr,”Charlie Savage and Katie Benner, New York Times

“Trump ‘no conceivable basis to stop Mueller from testifying,’ according to legal experts,”Alex Henderson, Salon 

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Image (“Trump’s Worst Nightmare”) by Mike Licht. Download copies here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com.

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