We have all had this happen at one time or another. For some it was the god awful beating of an achy breaky heart (now that will be stuck in your head). It is some song from the past. Repeated, ad naseum. For me, for the last two days, it has been, of all things, The Beatles - Do You Want To Know A Secret. All day yesterday, and then just when I thought all my troubles we so far away. This morning, god help me, I was singing; oh I am so ashamed to admit this one, but here goes, Bonnie Tyler - Total Eclipse of the Heart.
Why? Damn it WHY?
Just then I was informed that my hair was looking a bit like Alfalfa, and immediately, as if struck by lightning, the following came out of my mouth. It was just a reflex. I heard myself say:
"Alfalfa, will you swing me before we have lunch?"
"Sure Darla."
"Say, Romeo. What about your promise to the He-Man-Woman-Haters Club?"
"I'm sorry, Spanky. I've got to live my own life."
Those words seemingly came from nowhere. They had been stored in the deep dark creaces of my brain. They had entered my ear sometime back in 1981, and made their way through the hippocampus, to be stored in some fold in the gray matter, only to reveal themselves on a cool February morning in California.
The most frightening instance of earworms for me is you or someone you know, singing a jingle from a commercial. Oh holy hell. Isn't it bad enough that a thirty minute television program is only about 22 minutes because of the inane and incessant advertising that is eating away at our hippocampus? Is it really eating away? Is there actual destruction being done?
I have not found scientific proof (and I am looking). There is however, ample proof that the ear itself is physically destroyed by loud, continuous noise. When we are exposed to harmful noise—sounds that are extremely loud or last for a long time—structures in our inner ear are damaged, causing noise-induced hearing loss (think Pete Townsend - The Who). These hair cells, are small sensory cells that convert the sound into electrical signals that the brain detects. Once these cells are destroyed (they actually break off much like the teeth of a comb) they never grow back.
Just like loud, continuous sound has been shown to physically harm the ear structure, is it not possible that repetitive sounds might destroy the hippocampus? I have no idea, but what I do know is, since this area of the brain is involved in creating new memories, it is best that we make sure the memories we are creating are ones that we will wish to remember.Just as filling your fridge with the wrong food is bad for your physical health, I am convinced filling your eyes and ears with commercialized cotton candy advertising and pop (soda) music is bad for your mental health.
Just in case you didn’t have enough goofy ad jingles stuck in your head, ad agency DDB has added an earworm expert to their staff. The Omnicom unit has named Daniel Müllensiefen, a lecturer in psychology, music and computing at Goldsmiths University their “scientist in residence.” Actually, Müllensiefen’s brief goes far beyond earworms, those catchy tunes that rattle around in your head all day after you hear them on the way to work. DDB says that the new position will be part of an effort to apply neuroscientific theory and psychological testing to enhance client ad campaigns, making him their resident neuromarketing expert.
Oh great.
Sing sing a song
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