as banner ads blink overhead, i realize there's no need sermonize to you on the evils of advertising. but i saw a commercial on tv yesterday that's been working on me ever since, and i just now realized what is so sinister about it.

it's for some detergent or washing machine or something, and it's this guy in a voiceover talking about his lovely, young wife, and there she is, looking animated and nurturing, laughing and tossing her hair in a hazy, blurry, slow motion wonderland. he tells us about her underwear, how she used to wear the sexy magazine model type. pay attention now. 'now she wears the kind i used to see in the hamper when i was a kid.' just take a minute to get your mind around that one...ok? 'there's something comforting about white cotton underwear with faded yellow flowers.'

and then she comes on and says, 'there's just something so comforting about his OEDIPAL COMPLEX!!!!'

no, she doesn't. but she should.