I’m not exactly sure if this is a plug for the grocer Safeway or if I’m merely falling into a marketing person’s trap. For years we’ve been warned about the subliminal aspects of advertising and I never thought that I’d experience a Pavlovian moment until now. This commercial drives me nuts:

[flv]http://heyitcouldbeworse.com/media/Safeway_USA__Commercial.flv[/flv]

It seems fairly innocuous, doesn’t it? It’s merely a commercial from a grocer extolling their virtues. Low prices, healthy foods, exemplary customer service are themes which are casually mentioned throughout the piece. What drives me bat shit insane is the music in the background.

Many people that know me know that I enjoy a good old trip to Las Vegas. I have a short attention span and I love the constant visual stimulation. What you normally don’t take into account are the sounds as you’re strolling through…well, almost anywhere in Vegas. What’s in almost every building in Vegas? Slot machines. Slot machines that draw you in and make you sit like a zombie while a cocktail waitress brings you free drinks and you smoke your Marlboro Reds.

Don’t believe me? Feel free to go to YouTube and look up “slot machine sounds”.

Whenever this thing pops up on the tube it makes me want to drop what I’m doing and pack my bags for a 3 day trip filled with cigars, booze, shows, women and gambling. My ears literally perk up and I become a little disoriented. This, of course, could be rectified one of two ways:

• Stop watching television
• Visit Vegas soon.

Bet you can’t guess which one I’m leaning towards…