Why Encourage Bad Behavior?

I'm an admitted TV junkie. It's always on at our house ... from the moment I wake up (it's usually the first thing I do actually...turn the TV on) to after I fall asleep (thank goodness for the timer).

So I also end up watching a lot of commercials - when I'm not watching a recorded program so I can fast forward through them of course.

I've noticed lately that there are a lot of commercials that seem to promote bad behavior.

The one that bugs me the most is the Cheetos commercial. In all the recent commercials "Papa Chester" says he's proud of some person who has done something quite rude or at least socially unacceptable. The worst one (to me) is the lady who wipes her orange cheesy fingers on a (admittedly snotty) lady's white jacket. After which the cartoon tiger says "Papa Chesters Proud of You."

But why? He's proud because she wiped her dirty hands on someone's jacket? Why is that a good thing? It's okay to let your Id out now?

Then there's the new Kleenex commercials for their lotion Kleenexes. Which I do love by the way...I swear we should own stock in Kleenex as much as we use them. But as the people go on "touching" things throughout their day and finally "feel" the Kleenex ... they then swipe the whole box of Kleenexes.

Why is that a good thing? Kleenex wants people to steal their products from others? Huh?

The latest one I've seen is for Dannon Yogurt (which I really like by the way) Light n Fit. A lady is in the grocery store and the yogurt is just SO good that she slurps it all up right there in the store.

Um...hello? My mom taught me that that was called STEALING!

A new little message has appeared in small print at the bottom of the ad now though...I noticed it last night ... something about always paying for products. ha! Well, duh. Except your commercial is telling people that it's somehow okay to eat food before paying for it.

Which you probably know is one of my many pet peeves. I HATE seeing people (even kids) eat or drink food before paying for it. DRIVES me batty.

So what is with these commercials? Do we really need to enforce the idea that bad behavior is acceptable in society? Don't we have enough problems with people not behaving properly?

I certainly plan to pass on to my children the same message my mom gave me ... stealing is WRONG. Taking samples in the bulk section or fruit section is stealing. Eating or drinking something before you pay for it is stealing.

It really boggles my mind that companies are encouraging such anti social behavior.