We all have our pet peeves.  Irritating advertising is one of mine.  I love to gripe about the following:

1.  Car ads that include the term “pre-owned.”  What ever happened to used cars? Can you imagine “never trust a pre-owned car salesman”?  Seriously, why can’t we call a not-new car what it is—used?

2.  Prescription drug advertisements.  If big pharma didn’t advertise, consumers might not ask for the big purple pill when a generic would do.  So our healthcare tab goes up, not just by the cost of advertising, but also by the added cost of the more expensive drug.

Then there are the lists of possible side-effects. Some annoying examples:

• “Seek immediate medical attention for erections lasting more than four hours.”
• “Dizziness or fainting may occur upon standing.”
  
• “Get medical help right away if you have symptoms of a heart attack.”
• “Fatal events have been known to occur.”

3. Big retailers (I mean you Macy’s) claiming “Biggest One-Day Sale of the Season!”   “Preview Day Today.”  That’s one day? 

I guess I could turn off the TV and avoid reading the newspaper.  But then, I’d have less to complain about.