There are many, many things that our local, state, and national government should be working hard on these days to keep our great country moving upward and onward. I ordinarily think interfering with legal, private enterprise should be last on that list, if at all. Let the marketplace determine the winners from the losers I say. Usually.
But California state representative Anna Eschoo (Gesundheit!) has had enough and I am right there with her. She has introduced a bill that will lower the volume on television commercials. Amen. She says, "I've had it with these loud advertisements. If I'm not close to my remote control to push the mute button, it practically blasts you out of the house. It's that annoying. And it's totally unnecessary."
The bill is called the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act, or CALM. I love it and I love Ms. Eschoo and I want to vote for her for something. Seriously, if my iPod can play everything at the same volume then there must be an easy way that the shows and the spots can pay at the same level too.
I watch TV to be lazy. Don't make me work while I do it, even if it is only handling the remote and no, that's not a euphemism.
Click here to read more about the proposed law and read the lame excuses that advertisers and television executives are already giving my sweet Anna. Courage.
My television automatically adjusts everything to the same volume so I don't have that problem anymore.
Posted by: Steven | June 17, 2008 at 07:29 AM
Hellz yeah!!
Posted by: K | June 17, 2008 at 07:43 AM
I'm 100% behind Anna. I hope she is able to pull this off. Advertisers need to be told they can't just do whatever they want like this. It's super annoying.
Posted by: mel | June 17, 2008 at 12:29 PM
Could she also work on banning commercials for feminine hygiene products and impotency/"E.D." medications from the airwaves?
Posted by: Diane | June 17, 2008 at 12:48 PM
I'd back her. how can I complain about the neighbor's music when my tv commercials are waking the dead?
Posted by: dana | June 17, 2008 at 02:14 PM
I think I love her ....
Posted by: 1/8th Mile Mom | June 17, 2008 at 02:56 PM
BEAN! Long time reader, first time commentor. I too am in love with this idea! Especially since that OXY Clean guy keeps coming up with products to yell out to me!! What's his problem!
Posted by: Jerry | June 17, 2008 at 05:28 PM
'"We get lots of complaints about various things, but I haven't really heard any complaints about this issue," said Dan Jaffe, executive vice president in the Washington, D.C., office of the Association of National Advertisers...'
I see Mr. Jaffe's eardrums have been blown out already - he obviously can't hear the sound of a regular human voice.
Posted by: Stacey | June 17, 2008 at 05:35 PM
Can someone please pass a law stating that your low-rider's boom boom bass can't be heard (or felt) over those commercials?
Posted by: Rochelle | June 20, 2008 at 01:42 PM
If you watch a quiet drama with just 2 people softly talking, then it goes to a commercial with music, dialogue, narration, sound fx... it's gonna sound louder no matter what.
Posted by: Dan | June 23, 2008 at 12:27 AM