Beautiful commercial for something not so good

[thistlechaser]

It's rare that a commercial makes me pause it and rewind it so I can watch it from the beginning. This song is beautiful and I had no idea what it was advertising. Even as it got to the end the tagline had me guessing. "Believe in something bigger." Was this a religious commercial? I could buy that.

But nope...

Powerball. Sigh. People are free to spend their money on whatever they want, but your chance of winning Powerball is less than getting hit by lightning twice. Is hope worth something? When it's really just false hope?

When I had decided to move to California, I used my vacation time to come out here for a week. I gave two weeks notice at work, came out here for a week to get a job and an apartment, then went back to NY for a week to pack and such. This song was stuck in my head those whole two weeks, and I didn't mind it at all. It's so beautiful.

I can't blame Powerball for using it for their "We're coming to California!" campaign, I just hope... well. Unreasonable things. That people don't get into trouble with this, spend money on it they shouldn't, etc.

When I was younger, I just called lotteries "tax on stupid people", but not anymore. Maybe people have fun buying tickets? Maybe a few days of hope and happy thoughts while they wait for the drawing are worth a couple dollars? It's not like California had no lotteries before Powerball got here, so I'm probably worrying for nothing. (I know some money goes to schools, but I'm more worried about people spending money on this instead of doing something more productive with it.)

Comments

[evilgrayson.livejournal.com]

People are... people.

You can't protect them from themselves, it doesn't work - if they want to spend money they shouldn't, they'll find a way to do it, whether there's a lottery or not. And for so many people, it's the only hope they have of getting hold of actual money. The odds may be vanishingly slim, but it's a little hope that you won't have to work until the day you die and then leave nothing but debts to the children.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Yeah. It's understandable, which is why it works. I have a hard time not worrying over them though.

[kamalloy.livejournal.com]

There is also something about hearing a song you really like used in a way that just doesn't seem to fit. There was one I liked a few years ago that was related to Christmas, and doing good and hoping for better things rather than wanting stuff... and it ended up being used in a car commercial. So sad. :(

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Arg yes. There's that, too...

[kamalloy.livejournal.com]

To be fair, none of the lyrics showed up, just the melody, but that was enough. :/

[quistie.livejournal.com]

I am not sure why you're so anti-lottery. I mean, sure, it is possible to get addicted to anything, and lottery is no different. But like you said, a few days of hope and excitement in exchange for a buck or two isn't that bad of an investment. As far as vices go, there are far worse things.

And hey, if we get a cool commercial out of the whole deal, all the better! (I still won't buy a ticket, I don't think. When I think of the lottery, I think of the Shirley Jackson short story...)

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Oh, for sure there are worse things. But if you put your dollars in a jar for a year or bought lottery tickets with them, chances are very high at the end of the year the people who put it in a jar would have more money. It's hope and excitement, but it's a lie. How many people who play and hope realize just how impossible their chances are? Who would get their hopes up on such low chances?

I wish I could remember the quote I heard. During the last really big jackpot, someone said something like your chances of winning are the same no matter if you buy a ticket or not.