Trisk

mmmhmm...just because we own products that have been advertised doesn't mean we buy it *for the advertisements*. MY toothpaste is a brand my friend reccomended to me. My sheets, I found in a store and bought because I liked the pattern/texture. I buy magazines to see the beautiful people and beautiful clothing but I don't go out and buy $500 prada shoes when I'm done looking through it (although I might like to).

Just because you are so weak-willed that you just do everything a commercial tells you and you have no self control, you shouldn't blame other people.
Negative self images should, if anything, make people more motivated to achieve higher and better themselves. The reason I started going to the gym every day is because I simply wasn't happy with how I looked. Instead of sitting around and wallowing in self pity and whining about how bad you look or how controlled by society you are, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. There is no media marketting telling you to NOT excersize. So why are so many people just sitting on their asses?

IN all seriousness...it doesn't take strong will to not buy a burger when you see a McDonalds commercial. How does pointing out that it's no one's fault but their own NOT help them? WHat ever happened to "the first step to fixing a problem is admitting you have one?" ONce people realize that their own actions can change things, they will start to take action (if they care).

And don't tell me I don't know what I'm talking about - I've been in a situation where I just felt like I had no choice but to fail at things and I just wanted to blame my parents for all my shit (I had abusive parents growing up). But I realized that blaming them wasnt helping ME. It was just inhibiting me to think that I wasn't in control. This is the same thing, only with a different subject.

But I really don't think it's going to help to argue with you. I just wish people would stop looking to blame anyone but themselves for where they are in life.