Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Designer brand manipulation

Take a look at what you're wearing today, is any of it brand specific? Does it fit social standards of any kind? Why did you pick it? is it fashion sense or is it mental conditioning? Now before you all put on your tinfoil hats and call it conspiracy, just think about advertising and how it is used in the modern world. To give a great example of what I'm talking about take this quote from Edward Bernays, the supposed "father" of public relations, wrote in his book "Propaganda", "The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. ... We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of. This is a logical result of the way in which our democratic society is organized. Vast numbers of human beings must cooperate in this manner if they are to live together as a smoothly functioning society. ... In almost every act of our daily lives, whether in the sphere of politics or business, in our social conduct or our ethical thinking, we are dominated by the relatively small number of persons ... who understand the mental processes and social patterns of the masses. It is they who pull the wires which control the public mind." Now bear in mind that Mr. Bernays was the beloved nephew of Mr. Psychoanalysis himself Sigmund Freud, and he adopted many of his uncles principles in his execution of these theories that to control the individual, you must control the masses. Think for a moment about the subconscious mind and how little most people understand about their own. The problem with that is there are people who make a living understanding it and are using it to control our habits of consumption and interaction. Now again I'm not talking about "the powers that be" or mystic cults. I am talking about government officials and large corporations. Is it really absurd to think that they would use this power of persuasion for monetary gain and political power? When will we realize that capabilities such as this, which can be used for more than harmless advertising, are being used to make us feel and act a certain way? So I'm not asking anyone to take up arms and rally in the streets,(although that would be nice), I am simply saying next time you reach for that designer pair of jeans, or light up your favorite brand of cigarette, ask yourself why? Next time you "rock the vote" or watch the news, ask yourself, Why? Stop swallowing what they are feeding us, and think for yourself. I know you think that you already are, but hey.........That's what they want you to think.