Doc Gurley Pop Quiz!*
“Dare not speak its name” refers to (choose one):
1) Traditional Jewish law about the four-letter name for God
2) George Carlin’s send-up of TV censorship [WARNING: definitely R-rated video]
3) The CIA’s role in Guantanamo Bay interrogations
4) Homosexuality – Lord Alfred Douglas’ description of his relationship with Oscar Wilde
5) The pharmaceutical drugs Chantix and Ambien
Answer: all of the above. Chantix and Ambien (oops, was I not supposed to say those names?) have joined the ranks of God, gays, torturers, and seven kinds of profanity. How can that be? Widespread pharmaceutical ads for these drugs are running nationwide that specifically never mention the drug. Who would run an ad that dare not speak its name? Isn’t that crazy? Well, no, more like (as my Southern granny would say) crazy like a fox. The reason is that drug companies don’t want to say the name of the drug – cause then they’ll have to tell you how bad these drugs can be for you. All side effects (including heart irregularities, movement disorders, diabetes, and increased traffic accidents) are deliberately omitted. And, an even more ominous ploy is used in these ads – they mimic a public service ad. These ads create a desire to change in the viewer, who then looks for what they think will be unbiased information, but (ta-da!) it’s another sleazy drug sales-pitch. Imagine you’re the viewer who falls for this trap – wouldn’t you feel cheated? These devious ads manage to (simultaneously) 1) skirt already weak regulations regarding direct-to-consumer drug advertising, 2) deliberately imply no side effects, and 3) betray the public trust in public service ads. It’s a new day in for-profit shameful behavior. If you too are offended, write your representative, and/or the FDA. And, oh yeah, you can speak their names…
*Extra credit will be given
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Doc Gurley is a Board-certified Internist physician and the only Harvard Medical School graduate to have been awarded a Shoney’s Ten-Step Pin for documented excellence in waitressing. 
Dare Not Speak Its Name…
Chantix and Ambien have joined the ranks of God, gays, torturers, and seven kinds of profanity. How can that be? Widespread pharmaceutical ads for these drugs are running nationwide that specifically never mention the drug….
What medium are these advertisements? Are they masked somehow as public service announcements? I am curious as to how I am being manipulated.
My bad…. I am just reading the link provided.
Fire, Ready, Aim is my motto
Interesting, I have seen TV ads where Ambien is mentioned by name, along with the warning that “eating and driving while asleep has been noted, along with amnesia of the events” or some such sentence. From what I’ve heard (and seen), I’ll stay as far away from Ambien as I can get. People have no clue when they see these ads, even with the names mentioned.
Lately I’ve noticed the ads are one part ad and five parts disclaimers!
I’ve never seen a Chantix ad, but then maybe it’s because they don’t mention the name! : )
This direct-to-consumer adverts bother me. I’m all for patient education and consumer education, but not from a selectively worded advertisement.
[...] And drug companies will go to great lengths to loopholes in drug legislation, as Doc Gurley explains in Dare Not Speak Its Name [...]
[...] coming up: actually we were outraged by this approach) several months ago with the post titled Dare Not Speak Its Name, but a refresher course in awareness is a good thing, so we’re stirring it up again. [...]
the virus, which has killed an estimated 150 people in Mexico, is showing a sustained ability to pass from human to human. very worrying