That Enzyte commercial...

What's sauce for the goose..............................For years I have heard this running argument. Women's personal products and female ailments have been the fodder for TV advertisers for years, but men's stuff had been taboo. (How many jock itch ads have you seen on TV?)

Now Bob Dole broke the taboo by announcing nationally that he had a problem in the bedroom. (Bob, that was much more about your life than I ever wanted to know). Looks now that all is fair in TVads now.

It is one thing to discuss medical breakthoughs on the TV news. To me, it is quite another to have ads splashed all over the screen hawking medications to help a person have an erection. Isn't ANYTHING sacred anymore?

I am particularly annoyed by the ad which issues the caveat about being careful about having an erection that lasts more than four hours. In my mind's eye, I can just see all the middle aged men rubbing their hands (?) together in glee!

Ha! I like the Japanese one, but Enzyte is a crock. Male sexual disfunction can have many different underlying causes, sometimes physical, sometimes psychological. There is no one pill that can cure erectile problems across the board, as much as the public seems to want to believe it.

advertising is a grubby business

Advertising is Hitler's handmaiden. The bigger the lies, the more people will buy buy buy, and believe.

Is anything sacred anymore? It sure doesn't look that way!! I found these Enzyte(sp?) commercials with the humor which they were intended. I think it's a matter of changing times. People are much more open to discuss things that were a bit taboo in the past.

There are prescription medications to help with male sexual problems. Being a nurse, people often do wish to discuss private matters such as this. Male sexual dysfunction isn't exactly a subject men feel comfortable discussing with family or friends. They will tell a sympathetic nurse, that shows them kindness, a lot more than you really want to hear. They are graphic, but not crude. Just when you think you have heard it all! lol!!

I think it is a good thing that people are more comfortable to discuss problems such as this, which are very common. It is nothing to be ashamed of when your body doesn't work as it should. These men do need someone to discuss this problem with. Why is it they only trust a nurse? They don't feel like being made fun of or anyone's discomfort, which only makes them feel worst than they already do with problems such as this, which are very important to men.

Just because nurses are professionally obligated to listen to a patients needs, why can't other people act like adults that understand adult problems? I let them talk, which is all they want, someone to listen. It is helpful to men to listen when something is really upsetting them without fear of being made fun of or made to feel less than a man. They don't want or need advice. They only want understanding and compassion, which anyone should be capable of giving who cares about that individual.

I might add this one. The majority of men who seek 'male enhancement' are not suffering from any dysfunction at all. A man's sexual performance is has strong relation to how they feel about themselves as a man. It is important for their psychological well being to enable sexual performance. Men are very devastated by any type of sexual dysfunction at all.

I do not believe the majority of the market for drugs, such as the huge popularity of Viagra, is by men with any problem at all. The normal male can perform sexually for a very long time. The better and longer they are able to perform is very desirable to men.

I just asked my 42 year old husband about this to confirm my thoughts on this subject. He has no health or performance problems at all. I asked if he would try Viagra. He was reluctant because of drug reactions that can cause death. I reminded him that he was on no medication at all and this drug would not cause death in his circumstance. He agreed that he would try it. Why did I ask him? Now he is curious! He also agreed that if he suffered from sexual dysfunction that he would be profoundly affected feeling that he was an inadequate man.

I feel it is childish to make anyone feel like a leper over something that is upsetting to them. Women do have a monthly cycle. Like men don't know this! I see no benefit in keeping very human subjects at taboo. It's part of life, as we know it.

Here is the commercial I hate, Herbal Essence. I will hate it until I see an ad using men who find it so orgasmic! I love the Enzyte ad and so do men. It is funny!

Wildflower63- As you are a nurse, I can understand that you are pleased that hertofore "taboo" subjects are now spoken about openly. But I see another problem.

Advertisers are hawking prescription medications like corn flakes. As a result, patients are clamoring for specific types of meds. I am particularly thinking of stuff like Nexium, Lipitor, anti-hypertensives, and certain anti-depressives whose ads I am seeing on TV.

As a result, since the patients want them, doctors are prescribing these very pricey meds, when an older, much cheaper drug may do just as well.
The problem is, that the patient would feel "cheated", if he were not perscribed the state of the art stuff.

I had recently read a study on HTN where the results found that a simple, cheap, diuretic is just as effective for many patients as some of the newer medications. But patients, (and doctors) have been sold a bill of goods that ****NEW**** and ****IMPROVED**** is better. So the patients are taking the newer stuff, even though they really may not need it, they are exposed to possible more serious side effects, and the pharmaceutical companies are cleaning up.

There is something wrong going on here.

I don't quite get that either. I don't see any grand point to advertising prescription drugs on television at all. Have you noticed the scary stuff at the end? Who on earth would want the drug after hearing that?

I can understand making people aware of a drug that may help a medical condition. Realistically, doctors aren't going to hand this stuff out. They are the medical expert when it comes to treating a patient. If they don't think this will help them or have a less expensive alternative, they will tell patients of this. Who wants to pay for a product when there is a cheaper alternative? These are expensive drugs.

Ambien, a sleeping pill, is also being advertised. This drug is addictive. Doctors don't like scripting this sort of thing out. It is often used for hospitalized patients because of the high stress level they are dealing with. I haven't seen a doctor send a patient home with this drug yet.

I think these ads are not going to be as profitable as the drug companies would like them to be. Doctors recognize the same problem you do with this issue. People understand when their doctor describes to them why a drug they saw on TV may not be right for them. It is good that people are informed of options. Agreed, this isn't the way to do it.

As you said, most aren't any grand breakthrough. They are a differing form of a know drug family. I see some of the more extended release drugs as a possible improvement over taking more than one pill a day. Is it worth the price difference to people? Probably not.

Just curious, im looking for the Enzyte commercial where "smiling bob" is in the Hardware store, does anyone know where i can download it? Thank you.

I could never understand the Herbal Essences commercial either. I mean, the women always have their hands in their hair! Now, let a guy do that commercial - he'll show you how it's done.

How about the one where his friends are over for drinks and hors d'oerves? Did you catch all the phallic symbols?

The martini shaker, the vienna sausages, etc.