I just saw a commercial for a television manufacturer who is obviously trying to sell more televisions. Their advertising slogan is, “Change your TV, change your life.” Okay, that’s just wrong. Unless your life truly sucks, a new television isn’t going to change your life. Or unless your television truly sucks! If you are still watching a 12 inch black and white set with aluminum foil twisted into an antenna, then pay attention to the commercial, your life actually might change with the purchase of a new TV.
I love to watch television. I watch a lot of it. I watch the national average of television per day and then some. I rail about this a lot but sorry folks, I’m not in the same category as the people I rail against. I watch TV because I am on TV at least 2 or 3 times per week and it’s helpful for me to see what is being said by the people who will be interviewing me and the people I will be debating. Next, I don’t have kids at home that require my time. Third, I do commentary on popular culture and the economy and politics and the news of the day and all the other stupid crap that happens so I have to watch a lot of news to have something to rail against. Mostly, I justify my television watching because nothing else in my life suffers because of it. I still read a book a week. I still communicate with my sons and my wife – sometimes more than they want! I still go the gym, get out of the house regularly to run my errands, and every bit of my work gets done. My priorities are all in alignment and nothing doesn’t get done. Therefore, it’s okay. Can you answer the same way? Is everything getting done before you watch your 4 – 5 hours of tube per day?
But the biggest issue I have with the commercial is the message it sends that a better life (a changed life) can happen as the result of a purchase. Sadly, that message has been SOLD to the American people and we bought hook, line and sinker (with the sinker being your credit card!) A better life is the result of recognition, education, and good old fashioned hard work. To imply that buying stuff will change your life is irresponsible and plays heavily on the stupidity of the buyer, of which there is no shortage!
This time of year, it’s popular for advertisers to lure us with advertisements in order to boost sales. I do it myself right here on my website and through my email blasts. I don’t apologize for selling my stuff. I have no problem with blatant promotion of any product by any retailer or manufacturer. I expect the consumer to be smart enough to decipher the information and responsible enough to not buy things that they can’t afford or don’t need. That’s the point here: how responsible are you? What do you expect will happen as the result of you buying whatever it is you are buying? Will your purchase help you achieve more or become more? Will it REALLY help you “change your life” like the television ad promises? Can you afford it? If the answer is yes, then get after it.
Think about that this year as you buy your gifts too. Will your gift help the person become more or achieve more? Be thoughtful this year and steer your purchases toward gifts that will last a lifetime, the gift of knowledge.
Now, MY effort at blatant promotion: My new book, People Are Idiots And I Can Prove It: The Ten Ways You Are Sabotaging Yourself and How To Overcome Them is being released December 30th. Here is my offer: If you pre-order OR buy the book the week of January 5th (that week is most helpful to me) you will receive a FREE book. Not an e-book to download or some other gimmicky promotion like a lot of guys do. Just a real book that you will receive in the mail. A book by one of my buddies that has been contributed for this special promotion. If I run out of their books, I’ll be sending you one of my other books instead. Bottom line: you get another real book. So go to Amazon, or Border’s or Barnes & Noble or to any other bookstore you want, find my book and buy it before January 9th. Keep your proof of purchase and send it to me (how to do that will be in the upcoming promotional piece you will be receiving.) When you do that, I’ll stick a book in the mail to you from one of my buddies (each is a top selling author/speaker/consultant in their own right.)
You mean we can’t buy it the day after it comes out? Because I have it budgeted for the 31st and I’m not that patient…
Lili – you can buy it ANYTIME between now and the 9th and qualify for the promotion. SAve your receipt!
The sad part is that some people do believe that a new TV or other unnecessary purchase will change their life.
I don’t need a new TV for Christmas. I won’t be buying one as part of my life-changing New Year’s resolution. I have enough stuff. I don’t need anymore candles, picture frames, goofy gadgets that talk and are supposedly funny, or anything else for that matter. It’s a shame that we have lost the ability to just be with one another for the holidays and give the gift of time and friendship – for some, that is life-changing.
However, the gift of Larry’s books is always appreciated.
I got rid of my TV in my last year in college, becuase if I ever watched anything, it was DVDs (and I could watch those on my computer, if need be). Basically, I cut out the expense of cable TV, and since I didn’t get good reception where I was living at the time, I decided to raise a little cash. And you know what? Didn’t miss it at all.
That was over a year ago. Since moving in with my girlfriend earlier this month (who can’t wait to replace the mammoth tube TV she has now), I’ve seen a little TV, but I found something shocking: I really prefer the TV to be off, even if I am home alone. I really don’t care to watch a lot of the “reality” shows, or the reruns of things I once did watch religiously. I still go to the movies (on a rare occasion), but I find that I’m a much harder audience member to please.
Don’t get me wrong. I do contract work for the web (amongst other things) in my studio at home, and I run DVDs in the background (mainly for noise – though I am also capable of pencilling at my drawing table and watching a movie at the same time). That, and I have a small number of sites I check every morning on the web (news, a little entertainment, etc.) In other words, I’m not living in a vaccuum. I just find that going out and about in the city with friends or family is usually more satisfying to me. If I have a choice between sitting in my house and watching a slew of shows on the Travel Channel, or going to McFadden’s in Kansas City’s Power and Light district with friends for a football game’s worth of beer, snacks, and socializing, I’ll always pick the former.
To be honest, though, I find the place I “waste” the most time is in bookshops. I can’t stop looking and planning to buy (within reason, obviously – I’m not being irresponsible).
MK
PS: Maybe I’m weird, but when people ask me what I want for Christmas, I literally have no clue what to tell people. Mainly, because I don’t really think about it – all I’m concerned with is being there with family and looking forward to some turkey and stuffing. In other words, if I received no gifts, it really wouldn’t bother me in any way. Like I said, maybe I’m weird…
Larry – Can’t wait to read the new book. Given all that has happened in the financial/energy/jobs sector, the title of the book is most appropro. Even the wealthiest or loftiest or politically connected can be idiots (perhaps at a greater rate than the average population) – only they take down more people than the common folk. They have NO personal responsibility, integrity, values or honesty. “Live life to the fullest – regardless of what my actions do to others” seems to be the mantra.
Keep up the rants, keep ’em honest and keep us on on the right path to true success and happiness. BTW, for Christmas, my wife and I bought 2 books for each other – that is it. We want for nothing and give our money to charities. Enough of the degrading commercialization of Christmas and Hannukah – religious, not commercial, holidays.
Larry,
I have all of your books!!! I even have the ones where you’re rockin’ the blazer!!!
Ditto on that tv thing. I haven’t had one in six years and don’t miss it at all. Every tv show I do like I can watch in streaming video on line, or get the dvd of at the library. With a new writers’ strike on the horizon, there’s likely to be more “reality” programming, hysteria news, and strident commercials, all the more reason to take command of the kind of information that comes into the house!
I’m right behind you on stupid commercials…how about the 501 jeans commercial, where this couple is undressing all the way to the appartment and when they get there he confesses he lives in his car and she confesses it’s not her appartment…whoa! talk about teaching our children to lie, have indiscremanent sex, and breaking and entering….I will never buy that brand of jean again…add this one to the Carl’s Jr commercials of the past (they are starting to clean theirs up…)
Thanks for letting me rant with you….Love all your books, have your next book pre-prdered…and I give them as gifts too.
one more question….Why are you releasing your book after the holiday season….you did that with your last one
thanks….keep releasing the books, no matter when they come out!!!
Mike Considine
I like TV too. However, I’ve learned to make good use of the DVR and record the worthwhile stuff e.g. American Experience, POV, good classic, indie and foreign films and of course Larry’s appearances. ’tis amazing, with the fast forward feature, you can zip right through annoying ads.
There are 2 TV’s in my home, a small 13 inch with a built in VCR bought many years back and a big ol 32″ inherited from me mum. Both work just fine. When they go to electronics heaven, they’ll be replaced with the newer models. ’til then, they are more than sufficient.
Mike, to answer your question about why release a book after Christmas: The best time of the year to release self-help books is at the New Year. Every bookstore has a New Year – New You section at the front of every store where people go to search for information on how to improve their lives in the coming year. I’ll be there!
My next book is a gift book that will be released next fall. It’s a quote book – a “best of Larry” based on the best lines from all my other books.
Larry
M Keener you’re not weird. I’m like that to. I’d rather have friends and family by my side than a pile of junk. When I make up my short Christmas list it’s either something I really want or something I need. That’s how it is with birthdays too. That helped me a lot on my birthday this past year since I’m a freshman in college and needed some things I could use while I’m at school. So no, you’re not weird.
Larry, the end of this rant (about being more thoughtful in your gift-giving) is so true. I answer Santa letters from underprivileged children at Christmas, and one of them this year–a precious 4-year-old–asked for either a certain doll, or a Disney learning laptop. The laptop was obviously more expensive, but even though I’m as poor as the proverbial church mouse, I chose to send her that instead of the doll because I felt the educational benefits provided by it would be far more valuable to this child and her future.
Hello Larry!
Great post! And wonderful segue to your book! All perfectly timed too. I applaud your writing and publishing efforts. Full success wishes to you.
As a bookstore owner in a small resort community I love learning about new information and new trends, and reading an author’s perspective.
Thank you again Larry for encouraging and promoting books, and reading. It is all about the words.
Best,
Cheryl C. Cigan
Known Books
Larry
thanks for the answer to my question (why release a book after Christmas). I am a mental health therapist, trying to make it in a business where I have been told that good money cannot be made. I don’t believe it.
Thanks to your answer to my question, I now have a marketing idea for next year!!!!
thanks again….
Mike
But Larry, the economy runs on people buying craps they don’t need!