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Brainwashed by society

Brainwashed by society.

We live in a world where media is everything. From advertisements coming in as text messages on our cell phones, to those ad placements we see in our favourite shows and movies.

Huge conglomerate corporations are large and in change of what we buy, who we are, and what we strive to be - or are they?

Most just follow the trend of what�s out there today; baggy jeans, XXL shirts and a huge condom with Hilfiger�s name on the rim sitting on people�s heads - right under their slightly tilted to the left ball caps.

If that�s what�s "in style" now, I guess I, and all those who don't adhere to that garb, must be "out of style"?

Same applies to what society sets as acceptable, and what is looked down upon. See, to me its all relative - just like our opinions here on TA. TV says you must look and act a certain way, eat certain things and say these catchy phrases to be the cool fool in school.

Are we being brainwashed to think and act the same?
By no means do I think this is a new phenomenon, just one that has been mastered in the recent couple years.

People are letting go of their "old" ideals, i.e. religion, culture, ect, just to fit into that new person the magazines are always telling them to be. Some adapt well to their new being, while others struggle to "fit in".

Depression is a western disease. Is it any wonder that depression is so rampant in the west? All those people who aren't millionaires by the age of 25 feel like they're underachieving. They are not conforming to the American dream - the American Idol. If your not a supermodel, TV/movie star, singer, DJ, or working on wall-street - than your a nobody!

We watch all these reality shows... why?
The psychology behind it is that we watch these shows to see these people fail, subconsciously of course. How shallow has society become?

May I ask what the purpose of the show "are you hot" is?
You have people coming out in bathing suits, being judged on their face, body and overall sex appeal. Some of those people who scored 9.5's I would have given 2.5's, while some of those who scored 7's or 8's, I would have rated them a perfect 10! How do the opinions of three judges tell us who we really think is the hottest person in America? It's all relative to the person we have grown to picture in our minds as that prince, or princess. Only I can tell you who I think is the hottest person in America!

Now there is the flip side to all this, we have people who try and go against the grain, those who want to be unique and an individual in all respects of the word. Let's take for example the "punk" generation.

These people envision being the outcast, they have their own views, their own clothing that sends out a message, they talk a certain way, and pierce 10, 15, 20 different parts of their body in attempt to start they're own breed of what�s cool and hip. Little do they know that this is now the mainstream. They are no longer that unique character they have longed to be, just another puppet on strings controlled by the almighty dollar.

The anti-war movement we have recently been seeing. Most of those who attended were kids who hadn't the slightest clue as to why they were really protesting! In most large cities throughout the world there are huge organizations persuading everyone to stand up to the "right thing"; say no to war. How many of those kids under the age of 18 really know what the Iraqi government is doing? It's just a movement that got a lot of attention and quickly became the new cool thing to do. So many Ads� came out to say no to war, along with America's favourite Hollywood stars protesting war publicly... it�s a mix that is sure to attract many. The ignorant and bored, the passive and conformists, these are the majority of who stepped up to protest. The media had temporarily held its noose around their necks.

But is it these huge companies/media outlets whose doing this to us, or is it us doing it to ourselves?
Could it be that we as consumers have built this monster called society?
This monster that sinks into the hearts and minds of billions in an attempt to "brainwash" them to be all the media wants them to be?
Or is it huge CEO's of the world�s 100 largest companies playing on our egos?

As globalization develops even more so, will the world conform to one look/personality ect more and more? Will we all loose our identities as individuals from different backgrounds, upbringings, morals and ethics?

We fought to abolish slavery, yet we accept the slavery that society has inflicted upon us.

Just felt like bitching about society a bit, some random thoughts while I�m at work. Anyone care to add their 2 cents?

quote:

We live in a world where media is everything. From advertisements coming in as text messages on our cell phones, to those ad placements we see in our favourite shows and movies.

media is a big business buddy Huge sums of money is involved, and it takes advantage of human curiousity. Say you see an ad on a billboard regarding shoes. The next time you browse a shoe store and you see that particular brand, it will certainly catch your attention more than the other brands, and in turn, making a big influence on your decision on which shoes to purchase.

quote:

Huge conglomerate corporations are large and in change of what we buy, who we are, and what we strive to be - or are they?

its more pressure from society. Corporations just do their part in making ads that are more enticing for us to view. Like having basketball players do commercials with a new Nike sneaker proves JUST how good the shoes are . Not to mention our friends coming along and commenting how great the shoes look on us when we do get them. Its that little thrill we get from compliments that satisfy our otherwise shallow lives These compliments are determined by "whats hot and whats not"...the latest fashion trends..or getting a DVD player just because it looks flashy in your hi-fi center yet you never watch any movies haha.

quote:

Most just follow the trend of what�s out there today; baggy jeans, XXL shirts and a huge condom with Hilfiger�s name on the rim sitting on people�s heads - right under their slightly tilted to the left ball caps.

LOL, that style is played now man. Its mostly young teenagers that dress like that(no offense to those that dress "urban"). Its more european fashion thats more "in" now.

quote:

Are we being brainwashed to think and act the same? By no means do I think this is a new phenomenon, just one that has been mastered in the recent couple years.

I think its more to do with global media and increased socializing. Since the popularization(is that even a word?) of the internet, global communication is just a few keystrokes away. This allows different parts of the world to collaborate and merge socially. Now, someone from India knows whats hot in the US and the fashion trends are...which in turn spread in India. And this catches on like the plague, and before you know it...everyone's doing it
Increased socializing, I'm referring to going out for a drink, or to a club etc. More and more youngsters are finding it the need to keep up with whats cool, or else they would look like fools when they do go out. It mostly has to do with peer pressure. Which is why you see many teens smoking/drinking at a very young age.

quote:

Depression is a western disease. Is it any wonder that depression is so rampant in the west? All those people who aren't millionaires by the age of 25 feel like they're underachieving. They are not conforming to the American dream - the American Idol. If your not a supermodel, TV/movie star, singer, DJ, or working on wall-street - than your a nobody!

these are the images that we see laid down by tv shows...movies and magazines. They show the glitzy aspects of being a celebrity, but fail to show what a miserable time these people do have. NO job is ever all good. But this stardom feeds our hunger for attention.

quote:

We watch all these reality shows... why? The psychology behind it is that we watch these shows to see these people fail, subconsciously of course. How shallow has society become?

because we enjoy watching reality because captured by a camera. We enjoy watching other people fail, because it makes us feel better about what we're doing. The FACT IS, we're sitting on the couch wasting time while these hotshots are making money. I havent been much of a fan for these shows, plus there are too many of them out

quote:

May I ask what the purpose of the show "are you hot" is? You have people coming out in bathing suits, being judged on their face, body and overall sex appeal. Some of those people who scored 9.5's I would have given 2.5's, while some of those who scored 7's or 8's, I would have rated them a perfect 10! How do the opinions of three judges tell us who we really think is the hottest person in America? It's all relative to the person we have grown to picture in our minds as that prince, or princess. Only I can tell you who I think is the hottest person in America!

excellent point! Its very true. You can sit down with 10 of your buddies and independently rate each one, only to find out that some of your answers are very different. Who's right? Everyone is. The sad thing is that after watching these shows, certain people go and try to look like them. Ive seen some NASTY shit looking models, yet they get big bucks to pose their skeleton looking figures. And these leads to young females inspiring to be these models to become anorexic

quote:

But is it these huge companies/media outlets whose doing this to us, or is it us doing it to ourselves? Could it be that we as consumers have built this monster called society? This monster that sinks into the hearts and minds of billions in an attempt to "brainwash" them to be all the media wants them to be? Or is it huge CEO's of the world�s 100 largest companies playing on our egos?

its definitely us consumers. If we didnt show the need to lust for these things, why would companies pursue such a thing?Its like when people ask why Eminem raps so explicitly. Its because PEOPLE WANT TO HEAR IT. Thats the bottom line, and his record sales are there to prove it numerically.

quote:

We fought to abolish slavery, yet we accept the slavery that society has inflicted upon us

awesome line, I like

Cheers!

quote:

Originally posted by King_Mack its definitely us consumers. If we didnt show the need to lust for these things, why would companies pursue such a thing?Its like when people ask why Eminem raps so explicitly. Its because PEOPLE WANT TO HEAR IT. Thats the bottom line, and his record sales are there to prove it numerically.

Is that really the case, though? Do we really want these all these things or are we simply socialized into a culture of consuption the minute we are born? Are the massive conglomerates that you mentioned earlier in your post not exercising hegemony on both global and personal scales? Is it possible to escape an indoctrinating superstructure that orders our lives along capitalist-consumer lines?
Is our free will not refracted through multiple media of control?

Can we escape these systems of imposed ignorance/imposed bliss? I ask myself that everytime I go to a movie, lace up my Nikes, listen to music, read the newspaper, or chomp into a cheeseburger...

Re: Brainwashed by society

quote:

Originally posted by melech_mike Brainwashed by society. We live in a world where media is everything. From advertisements coming in as text messages on our cell phones, to those ad placements we see in our favourite shows and movies. Huge conglomerate corporations are large and in change of what we buy, who we are, and what we strive to be - or are they? Most just follow the trend of what�s out there today; baggy jeans, XXL shirts and a huge condom with Hilfiger�s name on the rim sitting on people�s heads - right under their slightly tilted to the left ball caps. If that�s what�s "in style" now, I guess I, and all those who don't adhere to that garb, must be "out of style"? Same applies to what society sets as acceptable, and what is looked down upon. See, to me its all relative - just like our opinions here on TA. TV says you must look and act a certain way, eat certain things and say these catchy phrases to be the cool fool in school. Are we being brainwashed to think and act the same? By no means do I think this is a new phenomenon, just one that has been mastered in the recent couple years. People are letting go of their "old" ideals, i.e. religion, culture, ect, just to fit into that new person the magazines are always telling them to be. Some adapt well to their new being, while others struggle to "fit in". Depression is a western disease. Is it any wonder that depression is so rampant in the west? All those people who aren't millionaires by the age of 25 feel like they're underachieving. They are not conforming to the American dream - the American Idol. If your not a supermodel, TV/movie star, singer, DJ, or working on wall-street - than your a nobody! We watch all these reality shows... why? The psychology behind it is that we watch these shows to see these people fail, subconsciously of course. How shallow has society become? May I ask what the purpose of the show "are you hot" is? You have people coming out in bathing suits, being judged on their face, body and overall sex appeal. Some of those people who scored 9.5's I would have given 2.5's, while some of those who scored 7's or 8's, I would have rated them a perfect 10! How do the opinions of three judges tell us who we really think is the hottest person in America? It's all relative to the person we have grown to picture in our minds as that prince, or princess. Only I can tell you who I think is the hottest person in America! Now there is the flip side to all this, we have people who try and go against the grain, those who want to be unique and an individual in all respects of the word. Let's take for example the "punk" generation. These people envision being the outcast, they have their own views, their own clothing that sends out a message, they talk a certain way, and pierce 10, 15, 20 different parts of their body in attempt to start they're own breed of what�s cool and hip. Little do they know that this is now the mainstream. They are no longer that unique character they have longed to be, just another puppet on strings controlled by the almighty dollar. The anti-war movement we have recently been seeing. Most of those who attended were kids who hadn't the slightest clue as to why they were really protesting! In most large cities throughout the world there are huge organizations persuading everyone to stand up to the "right thing"; say no to war. How many of those kids under the age of 18 really know what the Iraqi government is doing? It's just a movement that got a lot of attention and quickly became the new cool thing to do. So many Ads� came out to say no to war, along with America's favourite Hollywood stars protesting war publicly... it�s a mix that is sure to attract many. The ignorant and bored, the passive and conformists, these are the majority of who stepped up to protest. The media had temporarily held its noose around their necks. But is it these huge companies/media outlets whose doing this to us, or is it us doing it to ourselves? Could it be that we as consumers have built this monster called society? This monster that sinks into the hearts and minds of billions in an attempt to "brainwash" them to be all the media wants them to be? Or is it huge CEO's of the world�s 100 largest companies playing on our egos? As globalization develops even more so, will the world conform to one look/personality ect more and more? Will we all loose our identities as individuals from different backgrounds, upbringings, morals and ethics? We fought to abolish slavery, yet we accept the slavery that society has inflicted upon us. Just felt like bitching about society a bit, some random thoughts while I�m at work. Anyone care to add their 2 cents?

For someone who says they are so adamantly against communism (or at least terrorism by proxy) it seems odd that would you would go on such a rant about globalization, which, for all its flaws, is still much more preferable to any sort of command economy.

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