Guest Writer - Flying - Nadia

From Nadia, writer of Who Gives A Blog?:

Your Ad Here

We’re being bombarded from all sides on a daily basis. Not by weapons of mass destruction, but by another arguably evil force: advertising.

We see it everywhere: newspapers, magazines, television, radio, billboards, buses, Google ads, those annoying expanding ads that come across whatever web page you’re trying to read. Even our Rogers cable guide displays a Tim Hortons ad. Promise after broken promise:

- Our beer will get you laid, or at the very least surrounded by sexy, scantily clad women (if you’re one of the rich, good-looking studs on the commercial)
- Our diet plan guarantees results or your money back (but good luck actually getting a hold of us for a refund)
- Our cell phone network is the most reliable (within city limits, off peak hours, and in ideal weather conditions)

But what put things into perspective was our recent Air Canada flight to the Dominican Republic. We boarded the plane, a flight that cost us hundreds of dollars each. I started going through the entertainment menu on the little screen in front of me: Movies, television shows, and more, with previews to ensure you select the right diversion for the next couple of hours. Then you hit Play.

I was anticipating the beginning of my selection when I was instead subjected to commercial vomit: nearly 10 minutes of Air Canada self-promotion, credit card ads and tourism ads telling me where I should fly to next. No way to exit or turn it off. You just have to bend over and take it.

You’d think that forking over the money for a flight would buy me a little commercial-free air time, but you’d be wrong. Is there nowhere left we can go, to escape the clutter and the noise?