:: Life on Planet Dan-E ::

:: Friday, October 14, 2005 ::

:: (So called) Truth in Advertising ::

I've had a few moments to ruminate about life in the last week thanks to my current state of unemployment (I was "unemployed" while at school but I was student at the time so it was ok; now I'm just an out-of-work slacker). I was looking over some mail about my student loans and I was reminded of a conversation I had with a buddy of mine who graduated last quarter.

We were discussing our current financial state and how we look forward to the day our student loans are completely paid off so we can officially be elevated to "broke" status. We both owe so much (not quite as much as say, med or law school students but we don't make as much either) that I'm certain it'll be a whole new decade before it?s paid off. When it does eventually happen, we agreed that we'll invite each other to our "We're Finally Broke!" parties.

I also thought about the few times I talked to a good friend of mine who's getting her MBA at MIT. She was telling me how she has a 15-year plan after graduation to becoming a real-estate mogul. I told I thought it was cool and that I'm sure she'll succeed. I countered by telling her that I have a 15-year plan to pay off my student loans. She laughed since she knew I was joking. It shouldn't take more than twelve.

This is the kind of humor advertising creatives have, by the way. As far we're concerned, it's ok to be tortured and long-suffering as long as we're not suicidal or social miscreants as long as we make self-deprecating jokes and drink a lot of beer and/or hard liquor. (It also makes me wonder why in the two years I've been doing this, I've only been drunk once.) Part of that is because a good number of us are beleaguered, frustrated artists and writers who basically sold out after realizing that things like paying rent and eating are required of us. So we choose advertising since we do get to exercise our visual and literary skills. It also providing us with material to gripe about and in some cases, keeps the pot stash full. (I'm only sort of kidding.) Having a sense of humor (and a Herculean liver) is a necessity.

It's also the only industry where "creative" is also a noun.

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 7:54 PM [+] :: | 0 comments
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