This thread is one of my favorite ones ever posted on any internet forum I've seen.
I have a question for you all -- do you think this mass media thing is inherently negative? I mean, sure it can be bad in certain contexts. It can also be entertaining. It can also be very fascinating to think about how it shapes our lives. It's also an insight into our collective psyche, relative to where you're from and what types of media has influenced you.
I've learned to recognize propaganda from a relatively early age. I really tend to associate that with mass media mind control. I guess the bad part of it can come from when people don't realize they're being taken for a ride. For me, it can be fascinating and totally hilarious at times, too.
Also it can be nostalgic:
(Compilation of 80's TV commercials -- I remember almost all of them, reminds me of my childhood)
I love seeing that shit again!!
(Hello Ladies!)
Smoking sure is sexy! A sure winner!!
(Watch, Ride, and Report!!! Completely ridiculous, but I actually had seen this poster on the Brunswick line (DC-area light rail in Maryland))
Does anyone think that sometimes the mass media intentionally goes over the top, either a) just to see who falls for it; b) maybe for a purpose that appears to be legit, either political or monetary -- whatever theirs may be; or c) just for comedy purposes? Is their intention really to take advantage of us, harm us, or perhaps provide entertainment for the people who "get it"?
It really seems to me that a lot of the creators of this material almost know what our different reactions are going to be beforehand.
If I was in mass marketing, I think I'd go for the comedy option just to see how much I'd get away with. Remember, 9 out of 10 doctors smoke Camels!