Posted on 12/16/2010 1:21:17 PM PST by Starman417
Desperate to pass something, anything, Obama signed legislation governing the volume of TV commercials yesterday. You have to wonder if it's Aprils Fools Day instead of Christmas with the title... "The CALM Act".
Whew... thank heavens! Why they've ignored such a pressing issue for so long, who can say? OK, sarcasm stops dripping now.
Yes, folks. If they can't shove thru Stimulus III via the continuining resolution, and pork up Stimulus II (the Bush tax extension) enough to their satisfaction, Congress wanted to have something to show while they're not out Christmas... er, "holiday"... shopping. Enter HR 1084, a bill introduced by Dem Representative Anna Eschoo of California in February 2009. If such a bill weren't embarrassing enough subject matter for the nation's federal government to address, she got 90 of her Democrat cohorts to sign on as co-sponsors.
The Senate's sister bill, S 2847 was introduced in the heat of the tax and spending debates on Dec 8th. Sponsor on that integral federal legislation was Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, RI's Democrat Senator, and his seven Democrat cohorts.
Voting? No records kept of the voice vote. Probably because everyone is too embarrassed to waste time on such nonsense...and they should be.
(Excerpt) Read more at floppingaces.net...
Does this mean at next year's "big game" Superbowl broadcast, everyone's going to be reaching for the remote to hear the commercials?
100% behind this! It is something near and dear to me because I live in a condo and have close neighbors. When I’m watching TV late at night, it is a constant full-on battle with the volume, especially when one of those noise-maker commercials come on.
I’m watching TV and everything is fine, calm and peaceful. Suddenly a commercial comes on and its shaking my walls and breaking my windows. I’m frantically looking for the remote, see it, and with diving roll get the mute on before the neighbors call the cops.
These commercials seem to pride themselves on making as much noise as they can, as loud as possible. I don’t even know what they are selling because I always am forced to hit mute, even during the day.
Explosions, yelling, whistles, horns, more explosions, whatever they can think of to make a loud noise.
Some may think this bill is silly, but it is not silly to me.
Sorry, the argyle lobby outbid you and now owns half of Congress.
I always fast-forward through the commercials. I almost never watch a commercial.
Just damn! There is going to be a run on those super packs of tube socks at Wal-Mart once that news gets out!
That one I can live with. If they’re selling something of interest to me I’ll listen. Otherwise I’ll just ignore it. Blasting it at me is not going to change that.
Yes it is annoying. It’s like that because it works. Anyone in agreement with this stupid law is inviting more federal intrusion into the free market. Damn!
Sad to see so many so-call conservatives supporting another government intrusion into the free market. Our country is indeed lost.
it’s april fools day everyday in washington
Well I AM old, and this totally screws up my lifestyle. How will I know the TV is on if they quiet down the commercials. Most of the time I keep the level low so if Obama is speaking I won't hear him, but a loud commercial reminds me to turn off the TV before I go to bed! :-)
It's too bad you have to make a "federal case" out of something so simple like this. I disagree with the feds legislating anything, but in this case, I might give them a pass, (I HATE THOSE LOUD COMMERCIALS). But I think we should have negotiated with the White House. We should have gotten our light bulbs back for the reduction in volume restriction. Hey, quid pro quo!
Then how do you know when to come back to the sofa btwn chores?
B.S. prattle. When I set my television volume to a particular level, I should not be assaulted by ear splitting volume increases in my home--without warning and without my permission. Following your logic, any commercial salesman should be free to march uninvited into my home with a bullhorn to sell his products. Poppycock.
I copy my DVDs (only what I legally purchase on the secondhand market or the occasional NEW purchase) for two reasons.
First it allows me to use a cheap 14 cent disc for everyday use (teenagers are hard on media) Thus saving the factory manufactured disc from wear and tear.
Second, it allows me to edit out all that damn crap the manufacturers put at the beginning of the movie. Commercials, public service announcements and those never ending screens of studio logos.
Also I hate those useless animated DVD menus. The first time you use the disc its sorta cool after that its just annoying.
I buy DVDs so I can bypass commercials, I hate it when they stuff that crap on the DVD. Disney is the worst. One DVD we have from Disney literally takes almost 12 minutes to get the movie to start after all the commercials for more Disney media play.
lol....good point.
Bravo! That’s just I was going to say.
Any guy with a bull horn can just go to any street corner any time of day or night and just randomly start blasting Extenz commercials at jet-engine volume.
Hey man, we don’t want to interfere with civilian commerce!
There are limits to everything. Salesmen will never restrict themselves in any extreme. Therefore they have to be limited by society.
Then change the channel. Or else don’t bitch when liberals run to the government to solve all of life’s small problems either.
I swear I can’t believe all the “so-called” conservatives embrassing government for everything.
The government is already involved. The people, that is, the government, own the airwaves. You have to get a license to broadcast over them.
The owners, we the people, hate hate hate loud commercials.
The broadcasters get plenty of mail and phone calls attesting to that. They’ve had every chance to address this issue. They ignore the complaints.
Put it this way: we’re the landlords. They’re the tenants. If they’re too loud, you kick them out. How is this objectionable?
Only a liberal would dictate my behavior in my own home. Embrass that, bucky.
Well, last year’s advertising “worked”.
I’ll never even think of getting an audi.
I doubt this legislation makes a rat’s whisker worth of a difference; digital sound technology will find a way to be loud without being “loud”.
Thank God for our elected representatives and the valiant strides they make in protecting us.
Think of the children, if this legislation saves one young lardbutt from a future of hearing deficiency, it’ll have been worth it.
Is there an exemption for political candidates advertising?
It’s statism and nannyism and lights the fire of righteous anger and indignation when it’s something we don’t agree with.
Otherwise, it’s a much needed solution by a thinking government to the sometimes nasty vagaries of our moderne human condition.
Second Hand Volume pollution, dontchaknow?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.