RR#6

Mike Prado
English 100
Reading Response #6
2/23/2011

As I watch television, sometimes on a daily basis, I always get annoyed by the frequency of commercials. I mean every time I watch a show almost a third of it is just commercials. Then I notice how companies advertise their products everywhere. Whether it be on television, the internet, magazines, billboards, and many other media sources. Has it ever sunken in that in our current society that there is no possible way to avoid commercials? I mean unless you would want an Amish lifestyle, it is inevitable that you will watch a commercial or two in your lifetime. But as our society constantly watches forms of advertising, one has to think, what are these advertisements really do to us and the products they advertise?
In the article “Jesus is a Brand of Jeans” written by Jean Kilbourne, Kilbourne believes in the idea that society is starting to develop false “relationships” with products instead of human beings. Kilbourne explains that people are targeting by advertisements by having the advertisements attack human emotions and feelings. Kilbourne states that “We are surrounded by hundreds, thousands of messages every day that link our deepest emotions to products, that objectify people and trivialize our most heartfelt moments and relationships. Every emotion is used to sell us something.” Kilbourne basically states that if society is surrounded by advertisements that are aimed at human emotions and feelings than those products will be associated with those feelings. These forms of advertisements can really push ideas into the minds of consumers (or people) of what advertisers want consumers to think. Such as people can associate alcohol with having a good time as most alcohol commercials tend to do. When I grew up I always associated alcohol with the same idea which lead to my underage drinking as well. Or women could associate with only being beautiful by using a certain cosmetic product. Many women face self esteem issues due to these advertisements stating how women should look to be beautiful. Although some could find these advertisements to not harmful as an adult, but what do these advertisements do to children? Children are some of the most heavily influenced people in our society. Another problem Kilbourne addresses is how we associate certain words with product notification. Cleverly stating “Eternity is a perfume by Calvin Klein. Infiniti is an automobile, and Hydra Zen a moisturizer. Jesus is a brand of jeans.” This can show how humans are creating a relationship with these products as we associate them with words. This can be bad as This idea can be seen everywhere, for example, take McDonalds little harmonic and phrase “Dadada I’m Loving It” is know worldwide as there are McDonalds in most countries. If we associate these forms of advertisements in our lives than we only build stronger relationships with products not people.
I believe that a worldwide realization of the power of advertisements need to be taught in order to educated people into the harmful effects of advertising. If people are not educated on the influential ways of advertisements then people are sitting ducks to the manipulation that advertisers tend to force onto us. If people are aware on how to read advertisements and are aware of the false relationships they try to build with society then people will be less likely to fall victim to association through products. If an education through awareness is imposed on advertisements and the products they sell, maybe there could be reduced numbers in issues such as under the age alcohol consumption or women depression.