# Depressing TV



## Doglover (Sep 19, 2013)

I suppose this rant is mainly for UK members but our American friends might also be regaled with what seems a new trend of adverts telling me to arrange my funeral.  This is a recent phenomenon and I am beginning to get paranoid that whoever schedules these things is channelling them specially to people over 65, as I never saw them when I was younger.


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## AltMe (May 18, 2015)

Stop watching TV.   

Either that or arrange your funeral and forget about it. Cosmos might be trying to tell you something. It was me, so I stopped watching tv.


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## joyceharmon (May 21, 2012)

Doglover said:


> I suppose this rant is mainly for UK members but our American friends might also be regaled with what seems a new trend of adverts telling me to arrange my funeral.  This is a recent phenomenon and I am beginning to get paranoid that whoever schedules these things is channelling them specially to people over 65, as I never saw them when I was younger.


They're targeting the Baby Boom, because we're the 'pig in the python'. That's why there were suddenly so many ads for scooters that started a few years ago. We're an enormous demographic, so they want our business. And we're old now, so ads for old people stuff are going to be everywhere.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Not happening yet in the US--at least not in the Washington, DC area market.  Here there are a lot of ads for sexual dysfunction. 

Betsy


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## Lydniz (May 2, 2013)

The one ad I still remember from a trip to the US years ago featured a young woman who bounced onto the screen and began cheerily, "When I found out I had genital herpes..."


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## Doglover (Sep 19, 2013)

joyceharmon said:


> They're targeting the Baby Boom, because we're the 'pig in the python'. That's why there were suddenly so many ads for scooters that started a few years ago. We're an enormous demographic, so they want our business. And we're old now, so ads for old people stuff are going to be everywhere.


Oh, yes. I never thought of that. I feel better now and I can stop inspecting my television set for hidden cameras!


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## Doglover (Sep 19, 2013)

Lydniz said:


> The one ad I still remember from a trip to the US years ago featured a young woman who bounced onto the screen and began cheerily, "When I found out I had genital herpes..."


Oh, yes, they do that there don't they? I had forgotten. It has been ten years since I went to the States and I seem to recall an ad about erectile dysfunction or some such. Marginally less depressing than: 'you need to plan your funeral'. Ten years ago I had some clown phone up and without preamble ask: 'how are you managing your stairs these days?' I told him I was 58 not 88.


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## Annette_g (Nov 27, 2012)

My 45th birthday is coming up and for the past few weeks I've been getting spam email about arranging my funeral and walk-in baths!

I don't think I need either of those quite yet


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## Word Fan (Apr 15, 2015)

Doglover said:


> &#8230;a new trend of adverts telling me to arrange my funeral.


Yes, we see them here in the U.S. and one of them is from a funeral home called (I kid you not) *Amigone*!



(To be fair, "Amigone" is really the family name of the proprietor, but still&#8230


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## joyceharmon (May 21, 2012)

Annette_g said:


> My 45th birthday is coming up and for the past few weeks I've been getting spam email about arranging my funeral and walk-in baths!
> 
> I don't think I need either of those quite yet


Those walk-in baths look nice, though...


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## xandy3 (Jun 13, 2010)

Here in the US, we get "take this pill for your minor aches and pain.  Talk to your doctor about this great new pill.  Side effects may cause even worse problems such as seizures, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle spasms, stomach cramps, shortness of breath,  chest pain, bleeding stomach ulcers, and in some cases DEATH!"


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

I gave my daughter a note telling her exactly what I wanted. I made her beneficiary on one of my bank accounts to pay for the funeral. I bought a cute tin can (probably for popcorn) from Goodwill for $0.75. It's blue with little fishies swimming all over it. That's where my ashes go with rocks in the bottom so when they toss me over the side into the ocean, I'll sink.

I feel so much better now.


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## Annalog (Dec 28, 2008)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> I gave my daughter a note telling her exactly what I wanted. I made her beneficiary on one of my bank accounts to pay for the funeral. I bought a cute tin can (probably for popcorn) from Goodwill for $0.75. It's blue with little fishies swimming all over it. That's where my ashes go with rocks in the bottom so when they toss me over the side into the ocean, I'll sink.
> 
> I feel so much better now.


That's the opposite of this plan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S8Q2M4CBVU


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

joyceharmon said:


> And we're old now


NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

What I've noticed is ads on TV for "cheapie products" that used to be done by older (than me) celebs are now done by those who are more my contemporaries.


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## Doglover (Sep 19, 2013)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> I gave my daughter a note telling her exactly what I wanted. I made her beneficiary on one of my bank accounts to pay for the funeral. I bought a cute tin can (probably for popcorn) from Goodwill for $0.75. It's blue with little fishies swimming all over it. That's where my ashes go with rocks in the bottom so when they toss me over the side into the ocean, I'll sink.
> 
> I feel so much better now.


I wanted to be donated to medical science, but my youngest daughter got so upset about it I had to withdraw. They can leave me out for the dustman for all I care; I shan't be there to bother. I seriously object to lining some undertaker's pockets for more than I would have spent on a wedding. I drove past a funeral once which had a wicker coffin, but I don't think they are much cheaper. I think I'll go for the cardboard.


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## JamieL (Feb 23, 2009)

My local funeral home has been ads of this nature for years, I agree they're depressing.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Doglover said:


> I wanted to be donated to medical science, but my youngest daughter got so upset about it I had to withdraw. They can leave me out for the dustman for all I care; I shan't be there to bother. I seriously object to lining some undertaker's pockets for more than I would have spent on a wedding. I drove past a funeral once which had a wicker coffin, but I don't think they are much cheaper. I think I'll go for the cardboard.


NJ requires a concrete vault no matter what kind of coffin you use. The cheapest one was $1400.

Funerals are for the family. They can drape my urn with velvet if they're embarrassed, but I think the fishies are a fun touch.


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## Annalog (Dec 28, 2008)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> NJ requires a concrete vault no matter what kind of coffin you use. The cheapest one was $1400.
> 
> Funerals are for the family. They can drape my urn with velvet if they're embarrassed, but I think the fishies are a fun touch.


I like the fishies. 

Both DH and I have our driver's licenses marked indicating that we authorize organ donation. We wholeheartedly support reuse and recycling. Since I am working on losing more weight, I have already started on "Reduce, reuse, recycle."  DH has said for years that he would like his ashes made into a brick so that he could be useful. Another option we have discussed is being made into a pair of bookends since we are both readers. I do not want to be embalmed due to the chemicals used. I had always said that I wanted to be cremated if I couldn't be composted. Planted under a tree, unembalmed in a biodegradable container, would be another option I would like but it is not legal most places.


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## NapCat (retired) (Jan 17, 2011)

I get periodic coupons in the mail for contest with a *free cremation *as the prize !!


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## JumpingShip (Jun 3, 2010)

joyceharmon said:


> Those walk-in baths look nice, though...


They do, but I'm pretty sure you have to sit in them until they fill, right? I mean, you can't open the door with the water there. Sounds kind of chilly! Then wait for the water to drain enough to get back out.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

NapCat said:


> I get periodic coupons in the mail for contest with a *free cremation *as the prize !!


Now, that's depressing.



MaryMcDonald said:


> They do, but I'm pretty sure you have to sit in them until they fill, right? I mean, you can't open the door with the water there. Sounds kind of chilly! Then wait for the water to drain enough to get back out.


Never thought of that.



Annalog said:


> I like the fishies.
> 
> Both DH and I have our driver's licenses marked indicating that we authorize organ donation. We wholeheartedly support reuse and recycling. Since I am working on losing more weight, I have already started on "Reduce, reuse, recycle."  DH has said for years that he would like his ashes made into a brick so that he could be useful. Another option we have discussed is being made into a pair of bookends since we are both readers. I do not want to be embalmed due to the chemicals used. I had always said that I wanted to be cremated if I couldn't be composted. Planted under a tree, unembalmed in a biodegradable container, would be another option I would like but it is not legal most places.


After a certain age, they won't take your organs. Too close to the expiration date.

I always liked the idea of being part of a reef. Back to the fishies again. But Eternal Reefs has gone way up in price.


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## Old Marble (Sep 7, 2013)

Doglover said:


> I suppose this rant is mainly for UK members but our American friends might also be regaled with what seems a new trend of adverts telling me to arrange my funeral.  This is a recent phenomenon and I am beginning to get paranoid that whoever schedules these things is channelling them specially to people over 65, as I never saw them when I was younger.


That's what they do, the definition of marketing. I think our market driven society is borderline insane, but I'll leave that rant for another time.


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## anguabell (Jan 9, 2011)

We get a junk mail at least 1-2 times a week offering funeral and cremation services (we live in Florida). There are quite a few of elderly and/or sick people in our building, including a very ill young neighbor, and I just feel this kind of advertisement could be emotionally harmful. 
Yes, I know we should be prepared and all this, but for an ill or elderly person on a bad day, getting a mail like this... it's kind of hard to be "rational" 24/7. Some things might be just a bit less funny at different times of our lives and different circumstances.
Still, it's better than nasty letters from my health insurance company.


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