Episode 27: Resist Your Brainwashing
Alright, people, time for a bit of an education about how the device we had formerly known as "The Tube" is brainwashing you...and how you can resist it.
Tonight, as I was sitting here at my desk, drinking my coffee, a commercial came on. It's the typical anti-smoking ad and it's one that stirs the old repressed desire to grab a pack and light one after another, after another. It was then that one line struck me. In red letters against a white screen were the words "Talk To Your Doctor." All the while, the voice said, "Talk to your doctor about prescription options...blah, blah, blah."
It was then that I wanted to know who funded the commercial. I already suspected but I wanted to know. Too bad I didn't see the fine print in time.
I still suspect that the emphasis on the Talk To Your Doctor line wasn't just coincidence. With all the Chantix commercials that drone on incessantly about how effective it is (despite the harmful effects of using Chantix) my suspicions were that it was an ad fully paid for by the pharmaceutical companies.
Look, it's pretty simple. Haven't you ever seen those commercials during election times where Politician A conveniently approves of all media that portrays him or her in a positive light? Doesn't that ever strike you as odd that they never seem to disapprove them or approve the messages that cast them in a negative light? Of course they won't.
Let's go with product marketing for a second as well. Skullcandy is one of the world's best manufacturer of earbuds and headphones. Consider this for one minute and, if you doubt me, go buy a pair and you tell me how you like them. I've used them and can attest to their quality. For a moment, just consider the name...Skullcandy.
The name alone suggest a pair of sweet buds for your head to transmit sound. The packaging displays artwork comprised of skulls grinning back at you in the hopes that you'll recognize it as being conducive to a counterculture tool and then the package's shape is in that of a skateboard.
Is anyone other than me seeing that the target demographic is skateboarders and trick cyclists? Without even realizing it, you and I have bought into the image of being a Xander Cage sort by simply purchasing a pair of headphones that will no more make us cool in that respect than any other headset on the planet.
AT&T and Verizon's media war also continues with Verizon's "There's A Map For That" ad that conveniently leaves out the Edge towers that AT&T still has in operation. AT&T's response is to show you how you'll need two phones to take advantage of simultaneous voice and data on Verizon's service. What they conveniently leave out is the fact that all of your push data is what's coming in as you talk on your smartphone and the fact that they desire to cap the data per month on the iPhone. Nevermind that you're paying for "unlimited" data. What Verizon also fails to tell you is that they have the highest rates of all the carriers and they have no intention of dropping them anytime soon.
After doing a small bit of research it becomes apparent that the only thing that you can count on is that companies everywhere will tell you the truth as long as they get to leave some of the truth out of the equation. In the end, you can't say they were misleading because they can back up their initial claims.
My advice: Look Before You Leap.
Tonight, as I was sitting here at my desk, drinking my coffee, a commercial came on. It's the typical anti-smoking ad and it's one that stirs the old repressed desire to grab a pack and light one after another, after another. It was then that one line struck me. In red letters against a white screen were the words "Talk To Your Doctor." All the while, the voice said, "Talk to your doctor about prescription options...blah, blah, blah."
It was then that I wanted to know who funded the commercial. I already suspected but I wanted to know. Too bad I didn't see the fine print in time.
I still suspect that the emphasis on the Talk To Your Doctor line wasn't just coincidence. With all the Chantix commercials that drone on incessantly about how effective it is (despite the harmful effects of using Chantix) my suspicions were that it was an ad fully paid for by the pharmaceutical companies.
Look, it's pretty simple. Haven't you ever seen those commercials during election times where Politician A conveniently approves of all media that portrays him or her in a positive light? Doesn't that ever strike you as odd that they never seem to disapprove them or approve the messages that cast them in a negative light? Of course they won't.
Let's go with product marketing for a second as well. Skullcandy is one of the world's best manufacturer of earbuds and headphones. Consider this for one minute and, if you doubt me, go buy a pair and you tell me how you like them. I've used them and can attest to their quality. For a moment, just consider the name...Skullcandy.
The name alone suggest a pair of sweet buds for your head to transmit sound. The packaging displays artwork comprised of skulls grinning back at you in the hopes that you'll recognize it as being conducive to a counterculture tool and then the package's shape is in that of a skateboard.
Is anyone other than me seeing that the target demographic is skateboarders and trick cyclists? Without even realizing it, you and I have bought into the image of being a Xander Cage sort by simply purchasing a pair of headphones that will no more make us cool in that respect than any other headset on the planet.
AT&T and Verizon's media war also continues with Verizon's "There's A Map For That" ad that conveniently leaves out the Edge towers that AT&T still has in operation. AT&T's response is to show you how you'll need two phones to take advantage of simultaneous voice and data on Verizon's service. What they conveniently leave out is the fact that all of your push data is what's coming in as you talk on your smartphone and the fact that they desire to cap the data per month on the iPhone. Nevermind that you're paying for "unlimited" data. What Verizon also fails to tell you is that they have the highest rates of all the carriers and they have no intention of dropping them anytime soon.
After doing a small bit of research it becomes apparent that the only thing that you can count on is that companies everywhere will tell you the truth as long as they get to leave some of the truth out of the equation. In the end, you can't say they were misleading because they can back up their initial claims.
My advice: Look Before You Leap.
posted by Lord Genocyde at 10:10 PM
1 Comments:
Believe me, I can attest to the negative effects of Chantix. I watched the husbandthing go from his normal, happy-go-lucky self to a crazed psychopath in the space of a month. But, he was convinced the stuff was a miracle and went to "talk to his doctor" to get it, simply because of brainwashing.
TV (and even radio) ads are nothing more than the corporate world's attempt to grind into our brains that we need things that we don't, that if we spend money we don't have we'll be happy, and in general just perpetuate the Wal-Mart culture of America. I admit I've fallen victim to it myself (just ask me about the Smooth Away hair removal system). No one is immune, but damn, if people would just think they'd at least be a lot more resistant.
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