April 27, 2009 - PPM -Sticker Ads

This week’s PET PEEVE MONDAY (PPM) is ADVERTISEMENTS, more specifically NEWSPAPER STICKER ADS.

It all started with telemarketers’ relentless calls. They always phoned during dinnertime hawking something you didn’t want or need. These nuisances were mostly eliminated by the introduction of the “DO NOT CALL” registry. It was probably the most desired legislation to come out of Washington in the last 10 years.

Next it was the SPAMMERS. They clogged the inboxes of every email account with their messages and offers from IRS help to weight loss programs. They are hawking products from Cialis to Snuggles. I want to email the folks at Cialis and ask them, “What is the deal with the nonfunctional bath tubs on a beach?” but I’m sure it would only add more unwanted messages to my Spam folder.

Thankfully, email providers have come up with Spam Filters and Pop-Up Blockers to reduce unwanted content on your PC.

The latest ADVERTISING GIMMICK is the front-page sticker ads on my newspaper.

Not satisfied with ads on EVERY page of the paper causing single news stories to be started on page A1, continued on page A8 and completed on page A16, these papers now paste a STICKER AD on top of the headline above the fold on page one.

Now readers must carefully excise the irritant, making sure not to rip the copy in the process.

Can’t I just read the news without having to ponder another career choice?

Is someone really going to suddenly realize, “Wow, I can go to night school and become a nurse?”

Do you really want your next hospital stay managed by someone not nimble enough to peel the adhesive off the paper? Their inability to get the sticky label off of the newsprint doesn’t bode well when the remove that Band-Aid or the tape around your IV. Talk about a hair pulling experiences.

OUCH!!!