Advertising rant

[bria]

"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's time to pause and reflect."- Mark Twain

Comments

Re: Even worse...

[bria]

I wouldn't call it actualised, exactly. I think if I had been more self-actualised, I would probably have been less suicidal. I just didn't understand why wearing certain clothes, or whatever, could make people like me, and I didn't know why I would want people to like me who only liked me for my clothes. I guess I had the freedom to think this because my mother only really cared that I behave in church and not be evil (oops... ;-) ), and if she noticed me at all, she would have preferred that I not hang out with non-Christian kids. I dunno. Anyway, wherever it came from, if the choices are being a loner or having "friends" who don't even want to know who I really am, I will generally prefer to be a loner. At least when I'm by myself, I'm not lonely. Hanging out with people who don't know me or care to... now that's lonely

Bad advertising???

[bloody_princess]

I don't think it's really a matter of being lumped into a demographic. I think what it really is, is what is popular culture today? What is basic societal standard right now? When I walk down Yonge Street what do I see?

Advertzing companies are like that. They try to sell what they can, where they can. Why? Because that's buisness. The econimy would be a hel of a lot worse if it wasn't.

I will admit that they are still vultures praying on the weakness of society. And that Weakness is ... "What has that person got, and where can I get something better?" or in short terms EGO!!!!!!

Pride has been the down fall of so many societies that i won't bother to prtend I know how many. But everyone has at least small amount of pride. It comes down to what do I have to impress a potential mate? That's all it is. And that's what advertizing thrives on even if they don't know it.

[mr_manifesto]

First off, I would like to say what a wonderful post this was. I had a good laugh at receptionist bit and your views on advertising are not only insightful but on the mark.

"There are also a lot of cell phone ads for kids - "Grounded again? Buy our phone, and you can chat with your cool teeny bopper friends! We know you kids don't think of anything but getting in trouble with your uncool parents for doing mildly naughty kid stuff, and chatting with your little friends." Well, that was a paraphrase, but I'm not even fourteen, and I'm offended. One wouldn't be so bad, but this is a series of ads, not just one, and it seems to be the only two things they "know" about kids. It may be true about a lot of kids, I don't know. All I can say is, if I were fourteen, and I needed a phone, I would rather not be lumped in with this demographic, and I would specifically buy another brand of cell phone. I think I will anyway. If that's the only way they can think of to sell it, I think they're probably too stupid for me to trust their service."So

[bloody_princess]

If only, if only. I don't even bother to vote. I feel it would lower my intelligence.

[bria]

Hmmm, I like this idea. I bet a quick multiple-choice test would be adequate. I doubt anyone would implement this anytime soon, though, alas. Yes, I've always kind of wondered what good voting would do, but for the first time this year, I am going to give it a try. I don't think it can hurt...

[mr_manifesto]

In the Quebec provincial election this year I voted UFP even though I knew that they didn't stand a chance (especially in my snotty riding of Westmount!). The point was to register a vote for the party that was most correct in ideals regardless of whether or not they had a chance. You must always make your voice felt.

I saw no point in voting for any of the three major parties because there ideals are inherently wrong. No matter what, your vote will be counted. And, unlike the a for mentioned stupid people, you must always vote for who you believe is right, not who you think has a chance to win, because that is the only way we'll ever change this horrible mess we've gotten ourselves into.

[kayt_arminta]

the one's i hate are "i'm with the brand".... even when i was IN school i adamantly refused to wear the fucking brand of choice for that season. i didn't see why i had to pay up to two hundred dollars more for a shirt just because it's got some logo on it. never understood why THEY weren't paying ME to advertise their fucking line! gaah

[bria]

Well, it's sad when they have bad ads for good products, but I don't mind when they have good ads for things I would never buy - like the beer ads, "out of the blue."

I guess it's okay if you didn't buy it for the ads! ;-)

If everyone was that smart - looking for the truth about products as well as people! - I bet we could solve a lot of the world's problems.

[caprinus]

Good ads don't annoy me because they are a little like public art, or poetry of the kind that used to be sponsored by wealthy patrons (who insisted that they illustrious families or gardens be the ones described in the paeans and elegies). Like poetry, advertisements try to appeal to our emotions by using association, simile, metaphor, word play. It's sad that so many creative young artists cannot make a living any other way than by flogging a product, but I am happy for them when their industrial lord lets them get away with something clever. It's also sad that so much money is spent on advertising lousy crap instead on worthier causes, or even R&D. But over all, intelligent, media-savvy people can appreciate a good ad and the fact that ad money goes to support things like web-sites, public transport, newspapers etc., without actually being affected by them. The easily-led are affected, some to the point of brain-washing, but the easily-led always were

True

[holdenisdead]

The only problem is, most people in this society LIKE capitalism. Its not that they truly understand it in all its @#@EVILNESS$#@#, but theyve been conditioned to like it anyway. They dont mind the 50 000 homeless people in Toronto. They dont seem to care, as long as THEYRE ok. Greed, to an extent. Lets face it, the successful people are the ones with most of the say in this world. And why would they want to compromise their corporate/political(I think theyre the same thing sometimes) strength and wealth so that poor people could live comfortably? I think the closest thing to a utopia that we will ever find is a capitalist state with socialized programs found within. Kind of like Canada, or maybe like Sweden, but with more funding put towards health care and shit that matters

[mr_manifesto]

"They don't make them like they used to" actually has a reason for existing. They DON'T make things very well anymore, so we can "break" them, and purchase more overpriced goodies!"

Yes this is a well known ploy of corporations. The best example is stereo equipment. If you bought stereo equipment in the 60s, 70s or very early 80s you would find that most of it is still functional today. However sometime in the 80s corporations started designing products that would purposefully cease to work after 5-10 years. They came to the conclusion that if they didn't do such a thing they couldn't get you to buy more. Why would anyone buy new stereo equipment every few years?

The only question that they might have had was brand loyalty, i.e. why would you buy Sony again after the Sony you just bought quit working on you? But the answer is simple, in this nasty corporate world we've created there is no alternative. The other brands are all corporations that engage in the same practices. So even if you feel burned by one corporation in a few years

[bria]

Everybody wants to cut costs. If you don't do it first, you end up with your high quality stereo on the shelf, next to one that looks exactly the same, from a brand that everyone remembers being good in the past, but that costs a hundred bucks less, AND makes a much bigger profit... How do you compete?

[holdenisdead]

I wont deny that Im way too paranoid.

But I still dont like it.