my careless contagion

Everything has Changed (a song with a rather passive title) by Taylor Swift (and some English guy named Ed) is a good metaphor for spring. When before everything was coiled in sleep, colored in grays and browns, and dead, now everything is new again. (And, one could argue, spring is also a good metaphor for a woman, as both can be unpredictable.) We all go through seasons. What season am I living through now? Could it be a season of rebirth? Renewal? Life springing out of the once-dead ground? This song even has an organic sound, all guitars and voices and brushes, much like what goes on during springtime. The melding of male and female voices could also point toward spring. And, well, love is an incredibly organic yet spiritual thing that often defies explanation. It grows under sometimes the harshest of conditions, poking out of dry earth or miry snow, undaunted. Love and spring are both miracles. All I know is my heart is as adamant and undeterred as spring. Am I taking this too far...

Here we go again. Clownin' around. Looking to add a special glow to your hours of fun and fancy. Whatever that means. I don't understand why clowns come up so frequently in old advertising, but perhaps we can find out! Dare to follow along? No? Want to stay here with the creepy clowns instead? That's what I thought. Here we go!  What's worse than a clown sipping soda? Possibly nothing. Except maybe a dead clown hawking ice cream. Why are his eyes exed out? This is the universal symbol for dead in cartoon land. Some things we'll never know. Perhaps the 50s were more accepting of clowns. Personally, I think they're creepy. I'd hate to let my personal bias affect my audience, but let's just agree to be done with the clowns for now. Actually, the Sealtest brand is no longer alive, as I found out. Might it have something to do with Martin Luther King Jr. telling people to boycott the brand? Maybe. But I'm sticking with the clown theory. People don't l...

Grab your Green Giant leotard and saddle up your exercise bike. We're going for a ride! We're going back in time, when telephones had cords, hair was plentiful, and carpet was often as green as grass. I know this isn't technically an ad, but it is too fun to pass up. By the end of this post, I hope to feel just as self-satisfied as she does. If only I can find a giant mirror in which to admire myself.  Speaking of the Green Giant, what is it about this guy? I know, every product has to have a mascot. But this guy is creepy. Is it just me? Has anyone else read Jack and the Beanstalk? I'm pretty sure he's offering you peas so you'll open your door so he can then grab and eat you. Just sayin'. There is more going on here than I want to dissect. Where is her house? Why are even his eyes green? She looks way too happy to see him. Lady, look at the size of those peas. You don't need a basketful; you need one or two pods. His peas are way too big for you.  Spea...