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The delusion of happiness in advertisements.
Being someone who doesn't watch television (no cable), doesn't listen to the radio and has ad-blocking on all my web browsers, I sometimes come across advertisements that make me want to shake my head.
We know (as Buddhists), that "stuff" doesn't bring us true happiness. You can be a millionaire and still want to kill yourself, so it's especially shameful to see companies who try to sell us happiness.
Case in point on the following slogans:
Coca-Cola: "Open Happiness"
Bingo (various organizations): "Happiness is yelling bingo!"
Esso (1964): "Happiness is a quick-starting car."
Lucky Strike (cigarettes): "Be happy, go Lucky."
You get the point....
The world we live in, or should I say the world we think we live in, reminds me of the Matrix. Fortunately, some of us are awake enough to see this deception that is corporate marketing.;)
We know (as Buddhists), that "stuff" doesn't bring us true happiness. You can be a millionaire and still want to kill yourself, so it's especially shameful to see companies who try to sell us happiness.
Case in point on the following slogans:
Coca-Cola: "Open Happiness"
Bingo (various organizations): "Happiness is yelling bingo!"
Esso (1964): "Happiness is a quick-starting car."
Lucky Strike (cigarettes): "Be happy, go Lucky."
You get the point....
The world we live in, or should I say the world we think we live in, reminds me of the Matrix. Fortunately, some of us are awake enough to see this deception that is corporate marketing.;)
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Comments
Mtns
Yet talking to him, sometimes I feel like he can no longer see the difference between marketing hype and reality. If something/someone has sold themselves the best...then they are the best.
Speaking more generally, sometimes I feel like I'm speaking a different language from the folks that live for American Idol. In fairness, I do watch a limited number of TV shows..(I enjoy Caprica on SyFy
A bit pretentious, don't you think? If you think you're being "deceived" by corporate marketing, just don't buy it.
Just for the record, I don't watch TV either. My main media indulgence is country music and jazz music.
I do not think that the writers have some grand design, they just need a way to maximize their profits. In order to avoid advertissing, one must avoid all media outlets. Since that is not very practical, I simply am more aware of the marketing techniques and then laugh at how ridiculous they are.
But Lucky Strike really is mighty fine tobacco.:rolleyes:
Pretentious to be disgusted by advertising? It would be one thing if advertisements went something like this: "we have this new product. we think you'll like it. try it!"
but instead, advertisements use very deceptive means of manipulating people to buy their product. Using people's desire for sex (if you get this product, you will be more attractive to men/women), popularity (you will be cool if you have this product), etc. to make people buy their product is deceitful. What they are ultimately pushing is the idea that happiness lies right around the corner...if we only buy their product! This is the antithesis of buddhist philosophy and it is no wonder that someone one a buddhist message board would be critical of advertising. I'm kind of amazed that there is someone on here calling this criticism pretentious.
your idea of "well, just don't buy the product" is easy enough for an individual who can see through the manipulation. The problem is that advertising has a huge effect on the majority of the population. allowing manipulative, deceitful advertisement to persist has a huge negative affect on the well-being of the individuals of a society.
one example...fast "food"
another example..."beauty" products
the list goes on and on.
The advertising industry is very skilled at creating discontent, which leads to desire and craving. And of course to much suffering.;)
P
I think television could be used for good, that is, for educational purposes. Something about the combination of both visual and auditory stimulus makes the content so easy to remember.
However, even the best TV shows, like PBS NOVA, only skim the surface of the topic they are presenting. I think TV producers are scared to present anything intellectually challenging. It's a real shame, we all could learn so much from TV; instead we get "entertainment".
They are. In fact, the person who is considered the founder of modern day pubic relations (marketing) was Sigmund Freud's nephew. He basically invented the modern day marketing that is in use today. With the help of his uncle's theories of course. Freud's daughter also had significant contributions. This is a very interesting documentary on the subject. The Century of the Self The whole thing is up on google video and free to watch.
Don't get me started on public relations... :mad:
Here is a quote, I think applies to the discussion at hand, from a book I am reading right now. It's "The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying" by Sogyal Rinpoche, p.20-21:
"Sometimes I think that the greatest achievement of modern culture is its brilliant selling of samsara and its barren distractions. Modern society seems to me a celebration of all the things that lead away from the truth, make truth hard to live for, and discourage people from even believing that it exists. And to think that all this springs from a civilization that claims to adore life, but actually starves it of any real meanining; that endlessly speaks of making people "happy," but in facts blocks their way to the source of real joy.
This modern samsara feeds off an anxiety and depression that it fosters and trains us all in, and carefully nurtures with a consumer machine that needs to keep us greedy to keep going. Samsara is highly organized, vesatile and sophisticated; it assaults us from every angle with its propaganda, and creates an almost impregnable environment of addiction around us. The more we try to escape, the more we seem to fall into the traps it is so ingenious at setting for us. As the eighteenth-century Tibetan master Jimke Lingpa said: "Mesmerized by the sheer variety of preceptions, beings wander endlessly astray in samsara's vicious cycle."
Obsessed, then, with false hope, dreams, and ambitions, which promise happiness but lead only to misery, we are like people crawling through an endless desert, dying of thirst. And all that this samsara holds out to us to drink is a cup of salt water, designed to make us even thirstier."
Thanks for sharing this, I have watched the first part and have found it very interesting so far. Amazing how easily persuaded we are to do things that are not only are unnecessary but even cause us harm.
Great quote!
From my experience, however; marketing can influence me because of an inner weakness I already had. In other words, marketing can exploit my weakness, but it isn't the cause of it. Even if I threw my TV out the window, the basic fear or grasping would still be there. If I could throw grasping out the window, so to speak, ads would lose their power forever.
Until that day, I agree, it's really good if we can be aware that the "solutions" ads are selling to us (if you buy this, you'll be happy) often only exacerbates the problems.
You know, they say smell is tied to memory even stronger than are sight or hearing. Now I'm just waiting for the TV you can watch, listen to and sniff!
I, too, try to avoid commercials when possible, and when not possible I ignore them. Every once in a while I feel their pull... and sometimes I even get caught in them. It's just another area for daily practice
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59OJ17raqWw
What irritates me is the jingles in adverts, those daft little songs that go round in your head.:crazy:
P
That's what dogs have at the end of their noses
Mtns
Watching video now. Thanks for the pointer.
making you unhappy by making you feel like you miss something or you're in need of something (often a partner, friends, expensive stuff, you can't get your toilet sparkling clean smelling like a field of flowers).
Then happiness is being offered.
Buy product A to fix problem B so you're becoming C (happy, having a clean toilet, having a relationship).
it's not nice...
Many years ago some bright spark started the ball rolling and realised they could make money selling a product to people they do not actually need. It has spiraled out of control in my opinion to the present day where you have to look a certain way to be accepted into society. You need to have certain things to fit in. It is truly disgusting and I am sure it has made many people become depressed as they buy into this image and it does not result in happiness.
It may seem as if I am going over the top in stating people may and have become depressed, but it is true. Think of the young boy who is overweight and a bit chubby, or the girl who does not have the 'right look' They have done nothing wrong, that is who they are but they are made to feel bad daily due to this ideology that has been fed to the masses. CONSUMERISM, end of.. That's my rant over and done with
tom
Meh. You know how they say, "Commercials are the soul of commerce.". So yes, they are selling delusions, but always think that commercials offer the postive side of things, covering the terrible bad side things have.
HAH! this just made my night. ridiculous.
although, i do have to admit... in my opinion, i'd rather drink a PBR than a Tsingtao. just sayin.