As my access to streaming video has gone up, my attention to written works has gone down. I still find entertainment in books, but it usually comes from the how-to practical edutainment books that I’ve been into recently as opposed to the novels and volumes of poetry I once preferred. Am I tuning out because of the obscure, inaccessible, or esoteric nature of most written poetry? I once enjoyed concise abstraction over clarity. Why the onset of boredom with the written rhyme? I believe cultivating and nurturing one’s sensitivity is the way to appreciating this written form. I now heighten my sensitivity through meditation, a confluence of focused attention, mindfulness, and nothingness. This seems to be the only way for me to get into a mode of appreciation for this art form. I’m attracted to poetry partly because it’s a hard problem to solve that never has a solution. It’s a challenge to get into a mode where I can appreciate it and it’s even harder to discern the meaning the author intended. The meaning we personally find in reading poetry is our default understanding and still very important in deconstructing a piece. However, the value in sympathizing with the author’s meaning, stepping outside of our own minds and into that of the author is more rewarding at times. How do we find poetry interesting again aside from heightening our sensitivity? I’m still susceptible to the very stimulating video abyss with favorite shows like Billions, Girls, Broad City, and Baskets. However, If I conflate the art of poetry to encompass the spoken writings of screenwriters and actor improvisation as well as the craft of copywriters of video, digital and print advertising, than I can truly broaden the bounds of poetry to something I can appreciate everyday. I especially admire the struggle of the sullen, poet ad-man, Don Draper, who seems to be part of a self-referential milieu that sums up the relationship of poetry between advertising.

The “ad-free” shows we watch are merely ads for the monthly subscription fees we pay. If we’re not paying monetarily, the price we pay as consumer’s of media is our attention to ads and time waiting for the ads to finish. Advertiser’s have been aware of this time-suck and have long since made advertising a source of entertainment itself. I’m seeing less of the Draperesque, timeless, heart string oriented ads and much more of the ridiculous, senseless, expectation shattering ads that trigger me to forcibly repress laughter. My will is often broken by the very good ones. Ads have lost the poetry and have become contrived meme-mimicking brain candy. I’m jaded by this ridiculous Old Spice, GEICO, Squatty-Potty ad experience and can hardly muster up an audible laugh anymore and loathe the chatter these commercials muster amongst friends. I don’t know if this is something I just tell myself and i’m truly programmed to enjoy the ridiculous. I think this might be the case when considering Veatch’s Theory of Humor. As consumers, we now expect the unexpected and this type of novelty seems to lack the authenticity that builds long-term brand loyalty.

What if we just did away with the ads and let humor be humor? Not likely to happen soon, I know. What about putting some poetry in advertising? I don’t mind laughing at commercials, but If my time is going to be wasted I at least want to get some profundity out of the commercials that are wasting my time. A tall order? …Yes.