It is amazing the amount of TV commercials that air these days.  Infomercials have overrun Saturday morning TV so much so that there are only a handful of cartoons to choose from.  Even with the advent of specialty channels such as Nickelodeon and The Cartoon Network, commercials are everywhere, choking the life out of seemingly beautiful programming.  The additional rub coming from advertisers is the blatant targeting of audiences at a particular viewing time.

For the early morning viewing audience (that is before 8am when people are getting ready to go to work) you have coffee, car, financial responsibility ads and the like.  From 9am till noonish, you have ads for baby products, feminine hygiene, toilet paper and birth control.  In addition, they insist on reminding you that your soul job is to clean your house.  After lunch you have the young, just got out of bed, crowd who work late hours in the bars and restaurants and nightclubs in our lives.  These happy folks enjoy shows like Judge Judy and are bombarded by commercials that promise to get you out of debt and get you the money you deserve now. 

By the time others get home from the 9 to 5, the commercials move towards more responsible advertisement, you see allergy ads and hotel commercials that promise you a relaxing break from the work week.  The four C's rule applies during the evening hours, clothes, credit, clean and cars.  By the late hours of the evening the commercials begin to speak to the lonely guys with seductive ladies whispering the words, “call me” and injured workers on disability who, “Just want their money now.”

But the latest niches are the gay market and eco-conscious folks.

As travel becomes more expensive and in some cases more dangerous, the travel industry is branching out to insure their potential customers the world is a safe place to visit.  Orbitz Travel has come out with LGBT travel destinations that are hitting the community by storm.  When you are on the mainstream TV channels such as History, Discover, ABC, you see Orbitz ads depicting heterosexual couples having the best time of their lives at the destination of their dreams, but when you turn to LOGO, the gay and lesbian channel, the Orbitz commercials are quite different.  Here you see same-sex couples also having the time of their lives at the destination of their dreams.  There are even travel destinations that are 'gay friendly' promising an accepting, accommodating stay. 

Ads on the web are segregated in the same way with a section of the site dedicated to gay and lesbian themed trips as well as additional ads for products offered. It is safe to say that their intended audience is the gay and lesbian community, but not just those who identify as gay or lesbian, also those who may be afraid of identifying themselves in one or more colors of the LGBT rainbow.  Orbitz promises that you will travel and stay with like-minded folks and if you feel insecure, don't worry, you will not 'stand out' for being out. 

Take for instance this section of an ad on the Orbitz travel site concerning a trip to merry old England.  This text appears on the site, “From Edward II to Oscar Wilde to Virginia Woolf, queers and London have always gone hand in hand. And London is once again in top form as a spellbinding, modern, international capital of culture and fashion, just as it was in its 1960s heyday. Its LGBT scene is massive and can't be tackled in just one trip. Most of the homo-happenings are focused on Soho in the middle of the West End, with the pulsating, bar-filled Old Compton Street as its vibrant gay center.” (www.orbitz.com)

Queers and London?  The ad is filled with nostalgia and the promise London still remains the carefree place it once was in the 1960's.  Placing gay icons as representatives of an accepting city, which at the time were not accepted in the least. They paint a picture of nonstop fun and suggest that you try and contain your “homo-happenings” to the Soho area.  The more I look at this ad, the less I want to book my trip with Orbitz.  

The language is filled with stereotypical gay ideas and interests.  Even the term “homo-happenings” smells a little like the writer has never met anyone from the LGBT community or at best has no real friends that are gay. 

Take the same vacation on the same Orbitz travel site and listen to the language for the 'straight' folks,  “The sounds of Brit-pop and techno pour out of Victorian pubs; experimental theater is popping up on stages built for Shakespeare's plays; upstart chefs are reinventing the bland dishes that British mums have made for generations; and Brits are even running the couture houses of Dior and Givenchy. In food, fashion, film, music, and just about everything else, London, as it moves deeper into the 21st century, stands at the cutting edge again, just as it did in the 1960s.” (www.orbitz.com)

What happened to the 'straight-happening scene? Oh yeah, experimental theater.  In addition, this warning on the same travel promise was not included in the gay version of the ad, “London is still recovering from the bombings of July 7, 2005. Time will tell how these attacks shape the character of this city over the long term -- but it would be foolish to define this city by the terror that was inflicted upon it. The Queen would not stand for it.” (www.orbitz.com)

I think there are many other queens that would not stand for it either, if they knew that is.

Even now Orbitz is beginning to target the Eco-friendly people of our planet.  Consider the language in this ad, “for people looking to take an Eco-friendly vacation, there are lots of ways to minimize your impact.” (www.orbitz.com)

Even before you have left the comfort of your own home, the ad begins to target your Eco-awareness and plays on your guilt.  This is not necessarily the fault of Orbitz writers. Ecologists have not yet been to change the attitude and behavior of the general population; logic and reason have done little in the fight to save the planet, so many have turned to guilt and doomsday tactics to further the cause.  Orbitz is not trying to attract the Eco-unaware but are targeting those who already have a sense of responsibility for our planet. 

From this page in the site, there are very little Eco-friendly travel destinations promising an impact free stay.  Actually all the site promises is that while you are having the time of your life, someone is coming right behind and cleaning up your mess. 

“If air travel is unavoidable, consider buying carbon offsets. Companies such as TerraPass, Carbon Neutral, and Carbon Fund have websites that allow you to calculate the impact of your flight, and then buy offsets to counter CO2 emissions. In turn these companies channel your money to green projects such as re-forestation, wind farms, or to help reduce the cost differential between renewable and conventional energy.”(www.orbitz.com).

I am in no way against the idea of taking care of our planet, but I find the continual manipulation a little annoying.  The message seems to be that if you have to travel, which you know will hurt the planet, please be gentle and don't make a mess.  Sounds a bit like it is the planet’s first time and popping the eco-cherry is a privilege not to be taken lightly.

All I am saying is when you decide to travel, consider the sales pitch that you hear and remember that you are the one paying for it and you need all the information before you go.  Don't be swayed by glow stick words and hemp lined promises. Travel and be who you truly are.  Life is short and vacations are few. Have fun…but pick up after yourself.

Robert Moore is a personal life coach and a counselor. He can be reached at giantrevolution@yahoo.com. Revolution Life Coaching: Every Revolution Starts From Within.