The mute button is your friend

As my previous post indicated, we rely heavily on the mute button when watching TV. (Why listen to annoying commercials, interviews, and news segments when you don't have to?) One of the best things about the new political-campaign ad rules, where the candidates have to announce that they personally endorse their own commercials, is that you immediately know it's Mute Button Time. This is an actual exchange between J. and the TV back in the spring:

TV commercial: "I'm George W. Bush, and I approved this message."



J.: I'm John C. Zhaba, and I don't have to listen to this crap. (Click.)

A more recent discovery is that, if you time the mute button just right, you can get the candidate to say "...and I approved this mess." (Making the commercial both shorter, and considerably more accurate...)