“I recognize you – you’re the guy from the ads for the heart attack drug on TV.”

“Ha, ha – yeah, that’s me.”

“Congratulations on recovering so well from your heart attack.”

“Well, actually, I never had any heart attacks, thank God. I’m just an actor playing the role of a man who had a massive heart attack and recovers taking that drug. I can’t tell you if the drug works or not.”

“Ask your doctor if this drug is right for you, huh?”

“Ha, ha, that’s right.”

“Does that bother you? I mean that some people watching that might think you’re a real heart attack victim?”

“Well, I thought there’d be some disclaimer on the ad, letting the viewer know we were actors – that’s the way they used to do it. Then I saw the ad on TV and realized there was no disclaimer – that kind of bothered me, but it was too late to do anything about it.”

“How do they get away with it?”

“Some new law says they don’t have to tell the audience they use actors anymore.”

“Those ads are on all the time – you must be doing pretty well from them.”

“Oh, yeah, the residuals pay very well, but my career in TV and movies is over.”

“Really, why?”

“Because when people see me they think, ‘Isn’t that the guy from the ads for the heart attack drug on TV?’ and, anyway, I’ve got a rider on my contract that prohibits me from working on any other TV shows for a year after they stop running those commercials, to preserve the credibility of the spots.”

“That’s tough.”

“I’m not complaining. I was going to retire anyway. And there’s always dinner theater, ha, ha.”

© 2010 RS Janes. LTSaloon.org.