You are currently browsing the tag archive for the 'business' tag.
‘Advertising is the art of convincing people to spend money they don’t have for something they don’t need.’
– Will Rogers
We’re hoping this week’s message—delivered by way of an illustrated (and clean!) audio clip from a 2005 performance by comedian-satirist George Carlin—will have you smiling and shaking your head at the same time!
Carlin, who passed away nearly a year ago, weaves together a three-minute barrage of the advertising slogans we’re confronted with every day and hits us with them all at once. The result is an eye-opener!
While these advertising “tools” are intended to stimulate us to want, need, buy, and otherwise consume all manner of goods and services, the force of them humorously being hurled at us all at the same time is bizarre to experience. It illustrates the power packed behind the messages of advertising as the industry relentlessly attempts to influence us into believing there is so much more we must have in order to enhance our lives.
Our resilient nature
On the upside, while it’s questionable as to whether any of these marketed goods and services will add significant value to our lives, we can give ourselves credit for the extra work we do each day to filter through the onslaught of such sales messages and make sensible (well, most of the time!) decisions for ourselves.
Carlin helps us to see the extent to which we are working against the grain: the strong current of advertising that pushes, pulls, and ultimately tries to seduce us into spending as much as possible.
George Carlin
Click here to watch this week’s video
What do you think?
- How well do you believe you are able to detect the influence of advertising hype in your purchasing decisions?
- Can you come up with examples of instances where advertising content was either helpful or unhelpful (or both) in leading you to buy certain goods or services?
- What might help you personally to strengthen your resilience to the subtle and powerful messages of advertising?
- What advice might you offer to others, especially to young people, to help them guard against the seduction of advertising?
Please send us your comments! Your insights and ideas could light the way for others…
E-mail 
Recent Comments