How Product Endorsements and Commercials Affect Our Lives

I just read David A. Reinstein, LCSW's article "The Lanikai CK-T Curly Koa Tenor Ukulele: Reviewed." Although I am most certainly not musically inclined; I read all my followers articles and comment as often as time will allow. While reading this, all I could think about was about sixty years ago and Arthur Godfrey and sure enough I was not the only one; Carl Benjamin commented in the same vein.

Now Godfrey was known as "The Old Redhead" although black and white television did not allow the distinction, as it could have been green for all I knew. But he drank his Lipton Tea on every show and any other products that Lipton made. I know my grandmother never drank anything but Lipton tea because of him. One day I was sick, and bless my parents' hearts, I was sick a lot when I was a kid with every childhood disease ever invented for kids. I had no appetite on one particular occasion and could not keep anything on my stomach. Finally after doing everything to get me to eat something, I announced; "I want Arthur Godfrey soup." This is also known as Lipton Chicken Noodle Soup, the one in the box with two packets of noodles and a lump of chicken soup stuff that you have to boil in water to make the soup. Well ever since then it was known by that name in our family. Now my sister was born twelve years after me and is my only sibling. A few years ago she had the flu and I called to see how she was feeling. My brother in law answered the phone and told me she was sleeping but he said she did get up for a short while and he made her Arthur Godfrey soup. When he said that I was taken aback and asked him if he knew who Arthur Godfrey was. He replied to the effect as "how the Hell do I know, I guess he made the soup." I replied; "I thought you made the soup" and started what became a kind of Abbott and Costello "Who's on first" routine.

So over the years, we have seen so many product endorsements by celebrities and just consider them associated with those products. Back in the days of live television there were lots of commercials that became part of the program that they appeared on. We remember Andy's Gang and Buster Brown Shoes, Howdy Doody and Hostess cupcakes and Twinkies and Wonder Bread with those red, yellow and blue balloons on the package, Lassie and Campbell's Soups and I remember the dancing Old Gold cigarette packs that danced on Ted Mack's Amateur Hour. The best had to be Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show when Ed McMahon was doing an Alpo commercial and the dog would not eat, so Johnny Carson went over on all fours and acted like he was eating the dog food. I laughed until I cried. Live television is a great trip down memory lane. Thanks David and Carl!

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