Tis the Season...to have a disability and get a gift

I'm going to again harp on Christmas commercials here, one, because they continue to consume me, and two, because it's fun.

My focus in this short post will be the new Best Buy ads. You know, the ones where some no-name deadbeat on the Best Buy floor (who works there during the holiday season solely for the employee discount) talks about how providing people with gifts really makes his Christmas.

Basically, your typical sappy Christmas shit. Until you get to the one about the blind guy...

This is so subtle, I didn't even realize it for the first several viewings. But here's the premise: a humble, benevolent Best Buy worker (aren't they all?!) decides to stop smoking weed in the stockroom and service the people on the floor. Turns out the latest customer is a blind man.

So, filled with the holiday spirit, our lowly floor representative decides not to ignore the man who can't see him and aid in his holiday request.

Quick! What would a blind man be shopping for?

Is it a new toaster? No, it's not a new toaster.

Is it a new iPod dock? No, it's not a new iPod dock.

Is it something that will restore his power of sight? No, it's the opposite!

It's a new plasma screen TV! Of course! The first thing any blind man would want is a new high definition screen! High definition is the only kind of TV that blind people can watch! (They're kind of needy...)

I understand the need to watch TV. I've been doing it for most of my life. But don't you think our friendly, neighborhood blind man could have gotten away with a tiny, black and white TV with a killer radio?

Oh, no you're right. We should probably sell him the 48" plasma screen TV and the parakeet with its head taped back on.