I...I really, I just don't know.

As I walked back to my apartment from my always traumatic experience of grocery shopping at Jewel, I immediately took note of this ginormous billboard advertisement featured prominently on the side of a building directly off the red line stop at Grand and State. This picture obviously does not do the ad justice (thanks iPhone), so for clarification purposes; it is a picture of a bottle of POM's pomegranate juice with a noose around the "neck" of it featuring the slogan, "Cheat death". I had to take a moment to process this advertisement. Literally, I stopped in the middle of the sidewalk (and consequently took a picture with my phone). I was interpellated by it but it bothered me for two days (plus) as to WHY I was so affected by this image. So I did as I always tend to do whenever attempting to work through any psychologically rooted dilemma...I made a checklist.
-I wasn't shocked by the image. Check that off the list.
-I wasn't outright offended. Check.
-I wasn't opposed to its placement. Check.

The list went on and on...until that always welcomed, "aha" moment finally appeared. I can see WHY people would be offended and I can see HOW people might be shocked by its audacity, but for me, it's just a matter of innaccurate and dumb advertising aimed only at gaining attention. You probably can't see it, but at the bottom of the ad it states, "The Antioxidant Superpower". This ad was intended to highlight the potential health benefits of drinking this POM juice, ultimately being able to "cheat death" by staying physically fit. Well, a noose to me represents two different reasons for death (i'm pretty sure i'm not alone in this): 1.) Self-infliction
2.) Racial discrimination

So POM, unless you're trying to tell me through your advertising that you can either cure me of my mental illness or rid the world of discrimination based on ethnicity, nix the ad. I have never heard of a "Superhero" that saves the world from depression or discrimination so it just doesn't make sense and it creates confusion around real issues that deserve real consideration.