pomo arrigato, mister roboto

sometimes it's difficult to tell where parody ends and painful sincerity begins. it seems that pomo has staked such a claim on us that the true is unthinkable.

i was first reminded of this on thanksgiving day, when in the midst of the buffy skewer's choice marathon, there came a-callin' an ad for that grandaddy of home fitness machines, the bowflex. it featured two members of the illustrious USMC, who had brought it along with them to the middle east (or somesuch place) as their lone luxury item. they described how their choice in frivolity had made them the most popular boys in camp, because everyone was just dying to use their bowflex.

i couldn't believe it. not at all.

i could not believe, despite their round, pasty, corn-fed faces and their super-sincere midwestern accents, i simply couldn't believe that these people werefor real. i thought it was along the lines of that at&t wireless commercial with the ferret...only slightly less obvious.

they had to be poking fun, much like michael ian black throughout VH1's epic "i love the 80's."

imagine my horror and my dismay upon coming to the conclusion that such was not the case.

and that's really all i had to say. i have no other examples leaping to mind immediately right now.

can stress actually turn your brain into jell-o? if it can, i'm already there.

wheeee!