Last night while watching an NBA playoff game with my son, a BetMGM app ad was shown. The slick “Make It Legendary” campaign features Jon Hamm shilling gambling and airs across major sports broadcasting, digital platforms, and social media. Throughout, at the bottom of the screen is a “responsible gambling disclaimer.” In all caps, it starts with GAMBLING PROBLEM: CALL 1-800-GAMBLER and then lists the corresponding states along with numbers for HOPENY, NEXT STEP, BETS-OFF, etc.

I spoke out about the irony and hypocrisy. Then my son turned to me and quietly said, “Men are the population most affected by gambling problems.” He’d noticed what I had.

With the two opposing forces, there’s a perverse duplicity to these ads. The dazzling seduction of betting is in grotesque contrast with the help hotline displayed for legal compliance. It’s a particularly American absurdity—the same country that permits direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical ads, where the recitation of serious side effects is quietly rattled off while the actors frolic. Dystopian and Kafkaesque, and entirely normalized.

As a footnote to the absurdity, Jon Hamm has been publicly open about his recovery from alcohol addiction.

My next painting will have to express absurdity. Because it’s strong, for now, I’ll repost Crazy.