Dok's File of Things That Need Research When I Get Around to It.

[Freeky]

Interesting.  Rolaids claims to absorb 20 times its own weight.

Experiment:  Feed Filthy assistant 5 pounds of Rolaids.  Observe result.

20 times its own weight in what?

Acid, it says.  But it doesn't absorb acid, it neutralizes it.

So what IS it absorbing?  You tell me.

Let's have Filthy Assistant tell you.

Also, I'm starting to notice a trend of illiteracy (that includes using words wrong) in advertising.

[AFK]

A reflection of their audience. 

[Nephew Twiddleton]

Maybe. But it strikes me that your average joe was more literate back in the day than they are now. Ever read an old letters written by a soldier in the first half of the twentieth century? Hell even my great grandmother who taught herself was more literate than the average person nowadays (poor punctuation disregarded).

[Nephew Twiddleton]

I guess i mean that its not so much a reflection of the audience so much as a reshaping of the audience. Its apparently preferred not to be smart. Or at least not to give too much credence to "book learnin'" why else would intellectual be an insult?

[AFK]

Maybe. But it strikes me that your average joe was more literate back in the day than they are now. Ever read an old letters written by a soldier in the first half of the twentieth century? Hell even my great grandmother who taught herself was more literate than the average person nowadays (poor punctuation disregarded).

That's what I'm saying, a dumbed-down audience requires dumbed-down advertising. 

[Doktor Howl]

Maybe. But it strikes me that your average joe was more literate back in the day than they are now. Ever read an old letters written by a soldier in the first half of the twentieth century? Hell even my great grandmother who taught herself was more literate than the average person nowadays (poor punctuation disregarded).

That's what I'm saying, a dumbed-down audience requires dumbed-down advertising.

It's the other way around.  Advertising dumbs down the audience.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

Yes. Thats what i was trying to say. Its good for business if you try to keep the consumers dumb.

[Doktor Howl]

Example:  In the late 80s, there was a commercial for some household product.  The lady pitching it said something about the price vs the quantity and said, "that's value"...Which of course is an incorrect use of the word.  The commercial was hugely successful, and now saying that something "is value" means "this thing has a value that is positive in some way".

Now multiply that commercial by thousands, and it's no wonder Filthy Assistant spells the word "barrel" as "Barrul".

[Nephew Twiddleton]

Its the same reason why pop music is dumbed down love songs and why country music is now about taking pride in being a dumb patriotic redneck and more challenging stuff is underground. Its not just that theres more of a market for it. Its also that thats what they want you listening to.

[Doktor Howl]

Its the same reason why pop music is dumbed down love songs and why country music is now about taking pride in being a dumb patriotic redneck and more challenging stuff is underground. Its not just that theres more of a market for it. Its also that thats what they want you listening to.

Country music has been, since 1965, 49% dumbfuck jingoism, 49% pop, and 2% horrorfuck.

Before 1964, it was 98% pop, and 2% horrorfuck.

You still have to wade through 98% of the useless garbage to get shit like "The Lost Highway" and "Whiskey Girl".

[Anna Mae Bollocks]

Maybe. But it strikes me that your average joe was more literate back in the day than they are now. Ever read an old letters written by a soldier in the first half of the twentieth century? Hell even my great grandmother who taught herself was more literate than the average person nowadays (poor punctuation disregarded).

Ever seen kids novels and textbooks from the 19th century? And those people thought a woman on the rag shouldn't bathe because she might bleed to death.

I don't think anybody on my block could get through Beautiful Joe. 

[Anna Mae Bollocks]

Its the same reason why pop music is dumbed down love songs and why country music is now about taking pride in being a dumb patriotic redneck and more challenging stuff is underground. Its not just that theres more of a market for it. Its also that thats what they want you listening to.

Country music has been, since 1965, 49% dumbfuck jingoism, 49% pop, and 2% horrorfuck.

Before 1964, it was 98% pop, and 2% horrorfuck.

You still have to wade through 98% of the useless garbage to get shit like "The Lost Highway" and "Whiskey Girl".

Nashville politics. 

[Doktor Howl]

Maybe. But it strikes me that your average joe was more literate back in the day than they are now. Ever read an old letters written by a soldier in the first half of the twentieth century? Hell even my great grandmother who taught herself was more literate than the average person nowadays (poor punctuation disregarded).

Ever seen kids novels and textbooks from the 19th century? And those people thought a woman on the rag shouldn't bathe because she might bleed to death.

I don't think anybody on my block could get through Beautiful Joe. 

Fuck that, look at the advertisements from that time period.

For example, a .38 pistol made for kids, aged 8-13.

[Doktor Howl]

Its the same reason why pop music is dumbed down love songs and why country music is now about taking pride in being a dumb patriotic redneck and more challenging stuff is underground. Its not just that theres more of a market for it. Its also that thats what they want you listening to.

Country music has been, since 1965, 49% dumbfuck jingoism, 49% pop, and 2% horrorfuck.

Before 1964, it was 98% pop, and 2% horrorfuck.

You still have to wade through 98% of the useless garbage to get shit like "The Lost Highway" and "Whiskey Girl".

Nashville politics. 

You could have stopped at "Nashville".

Nashville should be nuked, and the ashes ploughed with cadmium.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

Seriously? Damn.