Sam: On Being Exploited by Marketers

[we're watching TV; I start to fast-forward through the commercials.]

Sam: "Mommy, Mommy, stop! Why are you doing that?"

me: "Because we don't want to watch the commercials. They're just trying to get us to buy stuff we don't need."

Sam: "But I really LIKE commercials."

me: "You LIKE them?"

Sam: "Yeah, me and Dad both like commercials." [True. Steve loves commercials. He's in marketing so it's a professional interest and stuff.]

me: "Blah. I just don't understand why you like them. They're so annoying."

Sam: "Well, see, it's simple. I like commercials because they tell me what I'm supposed to think about stuff."

me: "Oh, geez. That's so Fahrenheit 451."

Sam: "They also remind me that I'm hungry."