Commercials and Music

One of my friends mentioned a commercial he'd seen recently, and it made me realize how absolutely unacquainted I am with a couple of things.

The first, of course, is commercials. I have no idea what commercials are airing on TV right now. I have no idea what commercials are airing on the radio right now. Between DVR and podcasts, I don't have any exposure to commercials beyond the quick flashes that appear as I speed on to the next segment of my shows.

This actually means I watch less TV, not just because I don't sit down and flip through channels any more, but because I don't see the commercials for other shows I might like.

So as far as my own subconscious is concerned, the same commercials that were airing a couple of years ago are frozen in time, perpetually airing as I blip through them without paying attention.

Of course, because of the podcasts, this also means I have no idea what's popular in music right now. Since I don't touch the radio any more, I have no idea what bands are popular. My entire exposure to music comes from Radio Disney when my kids are in the car. It's as if I've been sucked into an alternate reality where rock, pop, and alternative have been sucked into space and been replaced by Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers, and the cast of High School Musical.

I'm sure there have been a couple of musicians come out who are the new Beatles, and that my life would be dramatically altered if I just heard the uplifting message of their latest hit single, which would speak directly to my soul with both it's musical structure and it's lyrics.

But I don't consider to be that big a loss, really, except it means there will be even less chance I'll know any of the songs being parodied on Weird Al's next album.