barryg@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Lee Gold) (03/29/85)
My own pet peeve among advertising stupidities is the use of the moronic IS (oops, make that the moronic "*I*S*"). I first noticed it years ago in the ad "Paul Newman *I*S* Hud." I've seen/heard it ad nauseam since then. Now there's a dumb commercial running which says, "Dannon *I*S* Yoghurt." My usual response is either "Nope, he/she/it isn't" or "Yeah, so what." Then I dig out the remote control and mute the damn thing (on TV) or turn the page (if it's a newspaper ad). I've got nothing against tropes most of the time. Synedoche (part for the whole--or whole for the part), metonymy name of a thing/concept for that of a related/greater thing), etc. are usually okay...in moderation. But this *I*S* ...is beginning to get to me. --Lee Gold