There was a day not so long ago when I had some self-respect.
I didn’t give in back then. I stood my ground. I waited in anticipation. I wouldn’t cave to my peers. I’d say “Pooh, pooh!” to the “in crowd” and their water cooler talk. I wore whatever the hell I wanted, said things that went against the grain, rocked my mullet and refused to give in.
But it’s not that bad. I still have my little quirks and kinks I hold near and dear to my heart, things I practice day in and day out. I’m still a hold out. I refuse to subscribe to the use of a Keurig. There’s not a single thing wrong with a hand-crank can opener. A broom works just fine, thank you very much. I shun dishwashers preferring to do dishes by hand. I iron. (*gasp*) I’d much rather take the stairs than the elevator if I have a choice. I make my own coffee and I shred my own cheese.
Despite my adamancy, things have changed. And that change — for better or worse — has happened rather recently. I’m pretty certain it started when I began writing for CliqueClack.
You see … I really didn’t have a choice in the matter. As a writer, you have to concede certain things in order to fit in … to be a team player … so that you keep up with the Joneses. Previews and discussion become a matter of fact. I do my best to resist, but even I get caught up in my fellow colleagues’ mob mentality sometimes. (I mean … I even watched Glee this week. *whimper*)
Case in point is the incoming wave of Super Bowl commercials. I’m going to resist anything new that comes my way before it airs on Sunday. I’ve already swum in the wake of immediacy by getting caught up in the recent Ferris Bueller Honda ad featuring Matthew Broderick. Not only that, but I wrote about it as well. Additionally, I was ridiculed (*cough, cough*) for doing so. I’ve never claimed to be perfect.
But not this time. You can’t make me.
I may simply be setting myself up for a ribbing of enormous proportion coming at me from all sides, but I’m going to hold out and be pleasantly surprised by the main events in between breaks during The Big Game.
You see … there was a day, not so long ago, when I had some self-respect …
Clacked by Michael Noble 
on Feb 01, 2012 @ 18:54 EST5EDT
Self respect and advertising do not mix. Madison Avenue’s primary goal is to rob people of their self-respect so that they’ll attempt to gain it back by buying their featured product.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go order my Katy Perry souvenir Proactiv/Shamrock Shake before the limited supplies run out due to high demand. Call now!
Snort.
*still gasping for air over the revelation that Michael irons*
Shades of “Thirty-Something”, “Kate & Allie”, and all the other chronicles of the sell-out of the VW bus hippies to become mini-van driving yuppies. Or even perhaps the decline of F. Scott Fitzgerald portrayed in “Beloved Infidel” after Scotty goes Hollywood.
Self-respect doesn’t pay the light bill. It’s as simple as that.