Since I have been unemployed this recession, I have found myself with a lot more time to watch television. I am sad to say, but I have noticed that some things have changed since I last spent time in front of the tube. Disturbing changes that have the power to damage your hearing, or more realistically, annoy the heck out of you.

Now, we're Americans, so if we're doing nothing more than sitting on the couch watching TV, then yes sir, we're hungry. And the best time to get food from the kitchen is during the commercial break. However, all is not well. The commercials have figured out we are ignoring them. What is their response? To yell. They raise their voices so we can hear them from the kitchen. Anyone know what I am talking about? I am serious, commercials are sometimes twice as loud as the programs on television. I have Comcast, so I know this happens on cable. I used to work at a bar that had Dish Network, so I know it happens on satellite, too. So it is obviously the broadcasting stations themselves doing it. They are purposely raising the volume of the commercials.

The only other explanation would be a misuse or, more appropriately, unsupervised and deregulated use of audio compression. (See my forthcoming HUB on Audio Compression and the music industry for more information.) I refuse to believe that this is the sole reason. I do believe carelessness and deregulated use of audio compression is a major issue facing the music industry, and know that the television industry cannot be that dissimilar in audio production respects.

But back to my point: the networks are intentionally raising the volume on commercials. I can be watching the Portland Trail Blazers and enjoy the volume level comfortably only to have the experience ruined by a guy who needs a shave singing a jingle about how he is glad he finally knows, without a doubt, he has bad credit. This is borderline invasive. I had to learn where the mute button was on the remote control (I usually do not care about what the commercials say, so unless something is going on I leave the volume up). Now I am a muter at all times. I have already learned the hardway that the one time I don't, I will get an angry, photo-dislodging knock on the wall from the next door apartment because my commercials are too loud.

Then, the next night, just watching sitcoms on cable, there was a local commercial for a used car lot that was so loud I gave up on watching television all together for the evening. I am not overly reactionary, but the level was so much higher, I thought to myself I couldn't hear that guy's voice again, not even once more. I had to turn the television off. It was at that point I knew I had to write this HUB.

I know I jest about it literally causing pain, but if a commercial is so much louder than a basketball game that the neighbors can hear it, something has gone wrong. And here we are caught in the middle. I want to hear from you guys. Do your commercials yell at you? What have you done to fight back? I tried turning it down so I could still listen, but then getting the volume set right for your program gets tricky. I don't like to mute everything because, believe it or not, sometimes I want to hear that a preview for a new film, or an important news bulletin is on the air so I can pay attention. I don't want to have to abandon my right to the commercials I enjoy just for the sake of the ones that endanger the hearing of children within a five mile radius, but for now, it seems I have no choice.