This Commercial is About You!
June 27th, 2009 | Author: Oxhorn
I seem to be composing a long list of “things that trouble me” instead of offering you all the lulz I know you want—and for that, well, I’m sorry. To keep from breaking tradition, however, I’ll add to the list one more thing that troubles me.
Take a look at this commercial:
Now, had the title of the video not been overlaid onto it at the beginning, I’d bet you’d be hard-pressed to figure out what the blasted thing is trying to sell, until the last five seconds when—lo and behold—we discover that it is selling Scientology. At the risk of sounding like some prepubescent 4chan trolling moron who thinks calling himself “anonymous” is cool, Scientology truly is a disturbing cult that damages lives. Why I am still taken in by this commercial, then, is the perplexing focus of this article.
What is this commercial about? You. It is all about you. Your life, interests, hobbies, spirit, music, feelings, loves—you. There is a reason the Scientology marketing guru responsible for this commercial decided to make it all about you, and it is because he knows that you are what you are interested in.
Of course, Scientologists are not alone in this discovery. I am not going to go scouring the net for commercials with a similar theme, but I think that simply mentioning all the laptop, car, deodorant, condom, adult-diapers, pain killers and online technical college commercials that depict super-contented people prancing through a too-green field and staring confidently into the camera with a self-assured little grin is enough to demonstrate my point. People can sell things today, not by highlighting its merits or explaining why it is an exceptional product, but by simply convincing you that their product reminds you of you. And that is what troubles me.
Advertising has always been a magnifying glass on culture, and ours is one preoccupied with the almighty Self. I wrote an entire page contemplating the causes for such egocentric character defects, and then a long list of cures, but I’ll sum it all up by listing two cure-alls: hard work and self-denial. What do I mean by hard work? Painful, physical toil. Long nights of excreting creative energy to make a deadline. Biting, kicking and clawing your way through a job until it is done. What do I mean by self-denial? Denying yourself warmth, comfort, friendship, and maybe even love in order to get your job done.
If we embrace these, we’ll be less likely to buy the “it’s all about you” pill. And I think that’s pretty important.
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Agree. I also take issue with the “you deserve” philosophy in advertising that usually has to do with buying something frivolous that you definitely don’t need, but rather because as a human being you owe it to yourself to be treated supposedly.
I don’t “deserve” a 40,000$ luxury car with climate controlled seats. I don’t even deserve any car until I’ve earned enough to pay cash for it.
I don’t “deserve” diet ice cream that tastes good, as I don’t really deserve ice cream unless I’ve made it with my own hands.
I could also contest with the content of the commercial that “I” as well as everyone else is in fact defined by our failures and our past as those shape who we are, but it’s not like I expect Scientology to be remotely truthful even in a commercial like this.
Simply put it’s liberal bs.
I find it interesting that in the first part, they seek to remove your identity by saying you’re not who you are, then imposing their own idea of who you are over it.
Like hell my name isn’t part of what defines me. It’s my connection to my parents, family, and clan.
Our job does define us. If we don’t like it, we eventually change it until we finally get one we do enjoy. Those who are blessed get to do what they always wanted, which is also part of their character.
My clothes define who I am as well, as they do everyone. Most people don’t just slap on whatever, but we choose styles we like, or in my case create fashion pieces that reflect our personality.
I picked a house in a neighborhood where I’d be happy to live in just in case I never get to sell and re-locate or build later. Again, it defines who we are as well. All points this commercial argues against.
As a writer I’m perhaps more aware of how things define our character than most, and how connected we are to the things around us. By tearing down those connections they’re opening a hole by which they can insert their own re-programming. Just say no!