Is it a matter of imagination or...

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Is it my imagination , or is it true, that more and more commercials on tv seem to be utilizing louder and louder high-pitched (torturously so) female voices to hawk wares and services.

In fact, one commercial, around here (?) , features a little girl, at the very first painfully long opening seconds of the piece, who is facing the camera , full-screen, very closely, as she screams at the top of her lungs , demanding something-or-other .

I keep the tv remote at hand so I can quickly mute such assaults on the ears.

Has anybody else here noticed this / felt this way, or is it my imagination ?

[Rufus T. Firefly]

There used to be regulations regarding the increasing of volumes of commercials. Probably are not being enforced or were rolled back.

Answer is to watch less television,

[robert.]

Some time about 10 years ago . The fcc made a volume law. My wife and I would like it enforced. I'm with you on the watch less TV.

[HONDO74]

Some time about 10 years ago . The fcc made a volume law. My wife and I would like it enforced. I'm with you on the watch less TV.

That's like asking for the "Do NOT Call" law to be enforced. Not going to happen

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Some time about 10 years ago . The fcc made a volume law. My wife and I would like it enforced. I'm with you on the watch less TV.

That's like asking for the "Do NOT Call" law to be enforced. Not going to happen

Both were initially. Clearly pressure was brought to get regulators to look the other way - money talks.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

...
...Answer is to watch less television,

I don't even try. In fact, I often leave it on as background as I go through my day in the house.

(Looking forward to Spring and resuming my 2mi walks.)

[Rufus T. Firefly]

...
...Answer is to watch less television,

I don't even try. In fact, I often leave it on as background as I go through my day in the house.

I put on music - internet radio 1st floor and in basement office both.

(Looking forward to Spring and resuming my 2mi walks.)

If it's above 40, we are doing our walks now! Well, until my knee tells me that it's time to make a return.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

I don't have the guts for such 40• walks, though the gut remains

[v8vega]

Unpopular thing to say but if you came here from Mars and used the TV to see what the population looks like you would think we are 90% black.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

I don't have the guts for such 40• walks, though the gut remains

Layer up, get out there, and get some sun - it'll do you good!

[chuck]

The rules re "volume" are still on the books/enforced. The problem is that the people making the ads are tweaking the frequencies to get the most punch out of the ads. Overall volume (db's) which can/are measured is the same. We just hear it as louder as they shifted the energy to be maximized in the lower mid range where most of us have the highest sensitivity to sound. Female voices tend to be naturally in this pitch range so the little girl "sounds" louder. Technically she is but the allowed overall db value is the same as the less annoying full spectrum ads.

For those of us that did not use ear pro with power tools, yard tools, engines (aka anything loud) this is the first area of your hearing to go. I guess if yu look at it in this light you could see going deaf as having some positive benefits?

BTW, there are other ways to "cheat" using compression and audio delay to shift the power curve to their advantage and they are using every trick in the book. Just hit mute and turn on the CC if you really want to know what they are hawking.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Just hit mute and turn on the CC if you really want to know what they are hawking.

What we really need is an app to install in the TV to mute all commercials.

[chuck]

What we really need is an app to install in the TV to mute all commercials.

But that's why the "main" program is there. To hold our attention between the ads! My wife dvr's almost everything to be able to skip through the ads. She'll even DVR something she is watching "live" and delay the start by five minutes so she can scan over the ads.

Some of the "on demand" free shows disable the video control during playback, particularly fast forward, to MAKE you watch the ads. Fortunately they can't control the MUTE button.

[robert.]

Most modern TVs allow you to set a commercial's volume. smart TVs can keep a constant level of volume without going over a set amount.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

What we really need is an app to install in the TV to mute all commercials.

But that's why the "main" program is there. To hold our attention between the ads! My wife dvr's almost everything to be able to skip through the ads. She'll even DVR something she is watching "live" and delay the start by five minutes so she can scan over the ads.

Some of the "on demand" free shows disable the video control during playback, particularly fast forward, to MAKE you watch the ads. Fortunately they can't control the MUTE button.

I am aware of all that; I suspect however that such an app exists.