Thursday, April 18, 2013

HOW ADVERTISING BLURS YOUR REASON AND IMPAIRS YOUR JUDGEMENT

   
IF PEOPLE WOULD ONLY STOP
AND THINK .
 
Have you noticed the ads that say, "Limited supplies" or "This offer is for a limited time only" - and yet they keep advertising the same thing for weeks, months, even years? What is the "limit" that you are supposed to be worried about? Eternity?
 
And then there are all the ads for medications that will end your pain. The actors and actresses who do the ads are always smiling from ear to ear to get you to pay attention to the pretty people, while the American requirement to report side effects tell you - in a cheerful voice - that this medication can cause kidney failure, diabetes, high blood pressure, impotence, loss of vision - or even death. But you will be so happy if you buy it, and everyone will love you.
 
And then there are the ads that cheerfully show you how people can steal food from each other - and from their little children. "Leggo My Eggo" - and Cheerios, where the boy steals the little oat circles from the baby in the high chair. And Lactantia, where the mother steals her daughter's milk by sending her on a wild goose chase.
 
All sorts of junk draws millions of dollars once it is advertised on T.V. Torn blue jeans are an excellent example. When I was young, blue jeans cost $3.75 a pair, and we threw them in the garbage when they were frayed. Only labourers and farmers and factory workers wore jeans.
 
But the advertising industry sold the public a glamorous image of garbage and kids pay thousands of dollars for that garbage. What fools these mortals be ! And a university education doesn't seem to help. People are hypnotized by TV advertising and the desire to be ahead of everyone else - on the fast track to hell.
 
Brain-washing is a hugely profitable business - in advertising and in politics. Who dares to think - and escape?
 
 
 

1 comment:

Phyllis Carter said...

HOW ADVERTISING BLURS YOUR REASON AND IMPAIRS YOUR JUDGEMENT
http://phylliscartersjournal.blogspot.com/2013/04/how-advertising-blurs-your-reason-and_18.html

Selma Al-Ka'bi - This does not occur only in advertising and politics. There has been much brouhaha from so called mainstream journalists, who write for 'established sources' re the veracity of news stories. Even that word 'story' - not a news item, but story, has connotations of the fabulous, the imagined, made up, fake. Their argument is that any old dross can and is published via the internet, but established journalism is the only way forward, and is the only thing that can be relied upon. Hmmm, let's see.. does the general public know when it is being duped, when it reads a news article, (which happens to have a new book/website/service mentioned in it). Does it think that the people featured (apart from the author/CEO etc), really exist? The cosy photos of families, victims, long lost relatives finding one another, magical stories - they all must be real. No. Many are not real at all. Many are publicity stunts, devised by PR companies for their clients, and distributed to any medium that will publish them. Some make the front page, buy into the propaganda, buy the book, sign up to the service/website featured. Advertorial - that is usually flagged up, but PR stunts are not - they are published as if bona fide news items. A reader sees a product reviewed or endorsed in that which appears to be an objective editorial piece in a magazine. No, it's not objective, an advertiser usually ,(but not always), pays the magazine to feature items such as these.

Thank you for these insights, Selma. I am sometimes at a loss to know if an item is true or not. I try very hard to be careful when I publish something on Facebook or on my blog. I check the WWW for info before publishing. But it is possible that I might be deceived. You will see that, on my blog, PHYLLIS CARTER'S JOURNAL, I state clearly that I do not endorse or support anyone, but I publish information that I consider interesting and worth considering.
Phyllis Carter