The Parable of the Car Commercial

One day while teaching, Josh was asked, ”Teacher, this whole profile picture equality sign thing on Facebook is silly right?  Who pays attention to stuff like that?” 

Josh spoke thus:

Two senior citizens were watching T.V.  A car advertisement came on.

“I don’t know why they bother,” the first senior citizen said while taking a can of beer from the new refrigerator, “It’s not like I buy a car because of an ad I see on T.V.  Who buys a car because of an ad they see on T.V.?  Do you want another beer?”

“I’ll take another,” the second senior citizen said.  The second senior citizen took a cigarette from the packet on the new coffee table.

“I research a car before I buy a car,” the first senior citizen said, “Did you switch cigarette brands?”

The second senior citizen nodded, “Want one?”

“I haven’t tried those, sure,” the first senior citizen said, “What do you think of this new beer?”

“It’s pretty much like the old beer,” the second senior citizen said, “Beer’s beer, right?”

“I just figured I’d try it,” the first senior citizen said.

“Same with me and the cigarettes,” the second senior citizen said.

“Cigarettes,” the first senior citizen said, “That’s something you don’t see a lot of ads for these days.  Say, is that a new shirt?”

“I got it from that new place in the mall,” the second senior citizen said, “I saw they were having a sale, so I figured I’d hop on over and check it out.”

“Those stores,” the first senior citizen said, “They’re always having sales.  It’s like that’s all they do.  It’s so you don’t really know what the price is for anything anymore.”

“I wait for the sales,” the second senior citizen said.

“You have to these days,” the first senior citizen said.

A second car commercial came on.

“Will you look at that?” the first senior citizen said, “Another car ad.  Who’s buying all these cars, anyway?”

“Not me,” the second senior citizen said, “Who can afford a new car?  I go to that place with the funny T.V. spot, where the guy is buying a new car at the full manufacturer’s price, and the salesman shows him how he’s been conned into buying a new car when a good used car is cheaper and just as good.”

“I laugh every time I see that guy,” the first senior citizen said, “What a sucker!”

“What a sucker!” the second senior citizen said, “People are such suckers for all that marketing.  They’re convinced they’re young and pretty because of what they buy!”

“Well I’m not young, and I’m not pretty,” the first senior citizen said.

“Cheers to that,” the second senior citizen said, “That’s why I like this new beer you got.  It’s for us older folks.”