Have you noticed a strange trend toward commercials that glorify obnoxious behavior? They used to show shiny happy people smoking the Marlboros or whatever so that you, the viewer,  would be motivated to emulate that  behavior. Now they show jerks. 

Take that National Car Rental ad with the boorish guy who doesn’t want to talk to people and thinks control is sexy.  It may be, but he’s not.  The followup ad in which he’s talking to cars about why he’s not picking them adds to his cred as an MCP but I don’t see how it’s selling car rentals.  That is the point, isn’t it? 

How do you like the Experian ads that encourage folks to show their “credit swagger” which apparently excuses all kinds of asshole behavior. If any bozo or bozette has the nerve to put their feet on MY desk or shines a laser pointer in MY face,  they’ll be given the bum’s rush fast.   Of course I’m not a loan officer,  so I don’t have to put up with jerks on a daily basis. 

Civility in business will never go out of style.  Trust me on this.

END