Why do you willingly pay to see advertisements?

Are you blind?  Are you stupid?  Are you not AWARE?

I'm talking about blatant, VERY annoying ads, before and during movies in theaters and on movie rentals.  Ads just like on the glorious FREE TV you get at home.

Advertisers are PAYING the movie house, PAYING the video companies to place their invasions into your brain onto the video and movie.  And you PAY to see it!

You don't pay $3.50 to rent an episode of "Friends" and sit through all the freaking ads every five minutes, do you?  NO!  You get it for FREE because the advertiser is PAYING the network to place its AD in the show.  This PAYS for the cost of producing and broadcasting the show, and then some.

But they are putting ADS into things that WE PAY FOR.  We've all seen them.   Sometimes they sneak them in between movie trailers.  An ad for a sporting goods company or a general merchandise store.  Say to yourself, "Why the hell is that there?"  "Why did I just pay $8 of my hard earned money to have the honor of viewing a goddamn AD!?!"  Get mad about it because they are ripping you off!

If there are going to be ads in (as product placements) and before movies, why isn't the price to see the movie lower?  Because YOU don't say a word as the ads gradually creep in.  If you don't say anything, you must like it, right?!  SHEEP!  COWS!  LEMMINGS!  I'm talking about YOU!

"What could I possibly do, I'm just one person...."  CHICKEN SHIT

Here is what you can do:  COMPLAIN TO THE MANAGEMENT.  Ask to speak to the manager of the movie house.  Ask to speak to the manager of the movie rental place.  DEMAND A REFUND!  This is the only way that I've thought of that can possibly send a scare up the chain of command.  MONEY.

I do this because I really get steamed at the uninvited invasion into my brain that I have PAID for.  I do not like being taken advantage of, do you?

Now, when I complain to a manager of a movie house, I do not actually expect to walk away with any sort of refund or rebate, not yet anyway.  I spend a few minutes of my time stirring the water with my demands and complaints, then I accept whatever they offer, usually a phone number to some answering machine, and back off.  The point is to COMPLAIN about it.

Complain LOUDLY so that other customers can hear you.  Spread the IDEA of complaining about it.  Wake people up to the knowledge that they are BEING USED.

It is fun!  It can count as your good deed for the day!  With more than one person in the whole freaking world complaining about this invasion, THINGS CAN CHANGE.

"But I'm not really the type to complain about things..."

Well, I wasn't either.  The first time I did it, I was shaking.  I was scared.  This was a confrontation.  BUT I DID IT ANYHOW!!!  Because it was important to me.

Now it is a piece of cake.  I can calmly and easily ask for a refund or rebate.  I can talk loudly enough for others to hear me.  I believe that I am a better and stronger person because I stood up for something that was important to me.  Even though it scared me.  Maybe BECAUSE it scared me.

What are YOU scared of?