NationStates Jolt Archive

Corporate mass media. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a far-left loony, I don’t want to ‘smash the coercive mechanism of the state’ or anything like that. It just really, really bothers me that the greatest tools of education (indoctrination) and socialization are in the hands of a bunch of rich people with no accountability. I turn on the TV and it’s terrible, like mass media opium, mindless garbage staggered with advertisements for useless junk that no one ever needs. It sickens me that we’re all in this environment where the greatest impetus is to simply consume, day after day after day.

I have no problem with markets, with supply and demand. What I hate is that demand is effectively being dictated to us, the media twisting and warping our desires and expectations. How can any of us grow up and live free when every second of every day spent outside our house, rooms or apartments is bombarded with advertisements, commercial culture?

For the last year and a half I’ve done my best to reject consumer culture. I don’t buy manufactured goods, and when I have to I always buy used. I try and buy fair trade, organic when I can afford it. But it feels so futile when I go outside and everything, EVERYTHING is covered in ads, there’s no space for any other thought but consumerism. It’s so god damn depressing sometimes I don’t know what to do.

Well, I am a far left loony, but I agree anyways.

The best business is small business.

Amen to that, brother.

But the thing is, Corporations have no shame. They have no shame because we the people let them have no shame by accepting on the whole whatever ad campaigns or new ideas they want to throw at us. Several years back, Pizza Hut wanted to engrave its logo on the moon with a laser, I kid you not. And you know what the sad thing is? Many Americans would've accepted that, and would've learn to deal with the fact that their moon has been copyrighted. They'd go about their lives, wearing their Nikes, driving their Hummers, watching their AOL/Time/Warner TV, and thinking of Pizza pies in a more literal sense every time they see the moon.

Eventually, Pizza Hut opted out of that, as they realized subtle tactics work much better. Example numero uno: teenagers. Next time you see one, check what they're wearing. If they're not a goth and they aren't wearing at least one corporate logo somewhere on their being, I'll give you a twenty. It's insane the amount of control corporations excercize over us. In fact, in some places it's actually "cool" to get a Nike swoosh tatooed on your ankle. We're just that sad.

You see .. I have absolutely no problem with that.
It's mostly been like that just that it was the government that told people what they wanted. Many organized religions were like that. I mean .. would you accept Jehova as Hebrew freely if there was another fair share of gods, some which have gorgeous temple prostitutes? Hell no! But they were told that they want it, they were threatened and rewarded.

Bread and games for the people. Keep them happy and they'll play along. Humans are a lot like cattle in that respect and the government is a lot like a shepard. You keep the mass happy, you lead them to the grassy fields you want them to graze on and you pick out the rowdiest bulls who stir up trouble, and castrate them.

They don't only use marketing. They use the laws of the market that have existed since ... the dawn of civilization is a damn long time so I'd say somewhere around there or shortly there after. You can create a demand by limitinng a product in numbers or you can CHANGE the demand for products by saying "Sorry, we don't currently stock or sell (the first being a deliberate lie) product X but why don't you try product Y instead?"

And so on, I don't think I need to explain the mechanism to everyone.


As said: I seriously don't mind it. I don't hate the players, I don't hate the game .. I hate the game figurines that so willingly partake.

I can't stand people who buy into this crap. I really can't. Most people who have brand-pride, believe in the anti-bacterial mantra and swallow their version of the news (conservative, liberal, swazi, what do I care?) manage to make me flinch.

It's accountability. Everyone has no one to blame but themselves for what they believe or do. Certainly there are circumstances that force you into certain behavioural patterns (the need for shelter, social acceptance, etc) but even then you still have a choice to do it or not to.

So remember: Whenever you are saying stupid shit because you think SNL is funny you are making a young man sad/angry/flinch.