But it looked good in the commercial...

Shortly after my most recent blog on the romanticism of Marine experience through their television ads, I saw another commercial that seemed to be riding the romanticism bandwagon too. It was an add for Nutrisystem weight loss product. The commercial portrayed several different men and women who had supposedly used the product with success. They talked about how great and delicious the food is, and how quickly and easily you loose weight. There were pictures of all the great food you get to eat, and it even looked pretty good.

It was clear that the ad was romanticizing the Nutrisystem product. It was making it seem easy, quick and even delicious; three words that usually are not characteristic of a weight loss program. I learned how untrue all of this was when my own parents started to use the product. They eat it every day, for every meal, and according to them: it sucks. The food looks absolutely terrible, and judging from my Dad's cringing face after he eats it, it really is awful. I took it upon myself to try it, just for fun. I thought maybe a Nutrisystem chocolate chip cookie could be decent....wrong. As I threw half eaten cookie into the garbage can, I thought back to the commercial. No wonder it contained so much blatant romanticism. Without it, my parents and many like them would not be forcing down tiny, flavorless microwaveable meals every day.