Welcome to the official site of the Social Problems course (Soc. 215) blog. As I noted in class this morning, we will be using this site for a variety of activities over the course of the semester, the first of which I describe below. Remember that our blog begins with this post (Feb. 3, 2009). The rest of the material on this blog is from last Spring '08 class.
FIRST INDIVIDUAL EXERCISE: In the context of our critical examination of consumerism. I am sure you've all seen a print ad or TV commercial which struck you as nonsensical, dumb, or promoted a product (however popular) which you considered detrimental to individuals and/or society. For this exercise I want you to briefly describe (no more than one paragraph) one such ad and tell why you believe it was nonsensical, dumb, and/or promoted something you believe is bad for people or society. I want you to post your description by THURSDAY, FEB. 12TH. Following this, we will vote for the best entry, which will receive 2 bonus points. This exercise is worth 5 points.
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I was watching television the other night and a commercial came on advertising a hearing aid. The commercial began with an old woman playing bingo; she could not hear the numbers/letters being called until she had this extraoridinary hearing aid. However, this was not just your every day hearing aid for the elderly; it was designed to look like a bluetooth wireless device, and the rest of the commercial promoted the gadget for younger adults. It showed a woman that could hear her neighbors talking across the street, and a man standing in the corner of a party by himself with the earpiece listening to a conversation of women across the room. Apparently, the man was new to the apartment complex, and he was listening to see if the women thought he was attractive or not. Basically, one of the main selling attractions to this hearing aid was that one could easily eavesdrop on people's conversations. Our world has become sadly lacking in confidence and social skills if humans must rely on hearing aids to listen to others' conversations before feeling comfortable enough to go initiate a conversation.
One of the most useless items being promoted on television currently is The Snuggie. This blanket with sleeves seems to show up at every commercial break, and has been ridiculed in standup acts by many comedians. These comedians are right to make fun of this product, which is essentially a robe worn backwards, disguised as an innovative new creation. The Snuggie commercials entice potential buyers with promises of lowering their energy bills by not having not to turn up the heat in their houses. If people really wanted to save money, they would put on a jacket or a robe, and not waste their money buying a Snuggie. This is just another example of a superfluous item that Americans do not actually need.
All of the Vonage commercials promote the idea that even stupid people make the smart decision to use Vonage as their phone service provider. This one commercial that I saw was a young overweight, nerdy guy breaking up with an extremely attractive young woman dressed in a tiny black skirt and tank top with her stomach showing. She is driving an expensive red convertible. This commercial is placing an emphasis on the importance of physical features and sexuality in a relationship. The guy is considered dumb for breaking up with a girl that, in the physical sense, is out of his league. It's not surprising to me that the divorce rate in this country is so high and that many people have affairs. Looks fade over time as we age and if you marry a person completely based on how attractive they are, you are sure to be disappointed after a few years but our media is telling us we should date based on what the person looks like. The commercial is also pointless because in the middle of the break up the guy is hit in the head with a Vonage box. Why? I'm not exactly sure but they seemed to think it was a good way to advertise their product.
In reflecting on commercials lately that after watching I have either been offended, embarrassed or disturbed, a general genre comes to mind. I cannot count the number of commercials for feminine products that I have seen over the last few years, yet they still continue to amaze me. They always use young, attractive, “sexy” women to advertise products for a formerly private natural female occurrence that is still considered taboo in some cultures. I have never spoken with another female, or male for that matter, who are not made incredibly uncomfortable if not repulsed by these ads. On the flip-side for men, it seems like every other commercial is one for Enzyte, Cialis or Viagra. Like the need for feminine products, the need of these will always be present but it seems crass and utterly demoralizing to continually blast the American public on national television and radio with this propaganda. These ads illustrate how the American media no longer deems anything as personal or sacred.
Although I found this commercial funny and entertaining, I also feel like it promotes some negative habits. The Amp Energy drink "The Walk of No Shame" commercial is a musical anthem about having no shame for the one night stands (ie promiscuous behavior) and of course promotes the use of energy drinks (which I think is a growing trend that may be dangerous). The commercial makes it cool to have wild nights, wake up in strange places with strange people, make bad decisions, and drink highly sketchy energy drinks to make up for the lack of sleep and guilt. Though it is fun to sing along, it also suggests the acceptance of one night stands and alcohol/drug use (suggested in many ways in the commercial). These habits are arguably detrimental to society.
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