I hardly ever watch NBC these days, but I remember when they used to run these commercials called The More You Know that featured actors from NBC shows, usually comedies like Will and Grace or some such. They were PSAs about how drunk driving might be a bad idea or taking drugs could potentially screw your life up, that kind of thing. I was always greatly amused by these commercials. The idea is that there’s someone out there that’s going to hear Chandler from Friends tell them that they shouldn’t drink and drive … and this person is suddenly going to be like, “You know, he’s right. I’m going to stop drunk driving right now and you know what? It’s all because of Chandler. He taught me something there. I’m a more educated man after hearing this PSA.” And the next time this man is out drinking, and he’s stumbling out of the bar and he falls up against his car and he’s fumbling for his keys, he’s going to stop and remember that Matthew Perry commercial. He’s going to straighten himself up like a man, drop his keys in his pocket, go back into the bar and call for a taxi.
If there’s someone out there who has been influenced by one of these commercials in such a manner, let us know. No common sense went into these PSAs, I’m sure of it. There’s one I remember that had an actor from Will and Grace. I don’t know who he is off hand. He played the thinner gay man that wasn’t Will. He did this PSA where he informed viewers that using hateful language about other races or those with different orientations or what not is something you shouldn’t do, especially around your kids. Every time I saw this I pictured a KKK member sitting in a shack on a hill or wherever KKK members live, and he’s dressed in full attire with hood sitting back in an easy chair with his kids watching TV on the floor. He slowly takes his hood off and looks at his kids with a tear in his eye and realizes that he’s been wrong all this time. Of course, we forget to mention that the guy giving the PSA plays a gay character on TV which you know, might have a detrimental effect when you’re trying to get those with stupid beliefs to listen to him to begin with. Whoever casted this commercial FAILED.
I’m reminded of this because MSNBC is running similar commercials now featuring that woman from Morning Joe who’s name I can never remember. She did one commercial about drunk driving during the holidays which is all well and good because it’s the holidays and there’s a shitload of morons on the road. However, MSNBC is running a new one now with her informing parents that they might want to keep an eye on their kids and make sure they don’t drink any household cleansers or some such that may poison them. I’m potentially going out on a limb with this, but if you’re at a parent and you don’t realize this on your own your own, you’re got far worse problems than anything MSNBC can help you with. But hey, maybe there’s that one person out there who’s path in life will suddenly altered by the advice of Alex Witt.
