This is an Ad, This is Only an Ad

The best thing about L.A. radio -- West Coast rap! I miss Chicago, but I love not being constantly dosed with payola-like amounts of R. Kelly and Kanye West. Out here, you get lots of old Cube, Snoop, Pac...it's beautiful, baby!

The worst thing about L.A. radio -- the ads. As in Chicago, they play the same freaking radio spots over and over again every commercial break. As in Chicago, you get national spots for companies like State Farm and the WB. One difference is that in addition to the standard Lasik surgery, Proactiv acne treatment, and diet drug ads, out here you also get spots for breast augmentation and liposuction in the middle of the afternoon. Gotta say that's a relief from the overplayed "not satisfied in the bedroom" male enhancement crap they insist on playing all day long in the Chi on Black radio.

But here, the other huge difference that I'm finding even more offensive, is that they hide the local spots. They pretend that they aren't really commercials. There's one that starts with a male voice saying, "We'll be back in a moment. But first, this breaking news..." He goes on to tell you about some no-money-down, interest-only, 100% financing loan. And you have to call today. That's if your last name begins with the letters A-K. All other listeners can call tomorrow. Do they think we won't see through it? Do they think people won't call if they just call a spade a spade and make it clear that it's a paid advertisement. Do they think they're actually fooling us? Granted, my six-year-old was concerned when he heard a similar ad in Chicago that we would call on the correct day. But he's six.

What really crosses the line (my imaginary line that the FCC should probably enforce) is when the DJs play the game. Sometimes it's Michael Baisden hawking the local Nissan dealership. The biggest whore is Ananda (yes, Ananda Lewis is an L.A. radio jock now -- what happened to her?) who does these fake interviews with D-list celebrities, which turn out to be nothing more than time-share resort advertisements. I said it. Whore. What happened to clever ad writing? Clever, not deceptive. Is it that hard?

- Inda