Life in Mandela's South AfricaHow to free yourself from the mediaEverybody knows that the source of all evil in the world is the media. That is a statement easily made, but how true is it ? Are the media really to blame ? Who is the media ? What can we do to stop them ? I have the answers all ! The trouble ... with the media ... is that they have become too good at what they do. Long ago, when there wasn't the incessant carping about the media that there is today, it was easier to distinguish between reality as it is and reality as served up by the media, simply because the technology and techniques used were not as sophisticated as they are today. If you compare today's commercials (this applies to all media -- commercials, films, print, whatever) with those of forty years ago, you will find that those of today have a more natural feel to them. This makes perfect sense, if you're a marketer, because the focus of commercials has changed. It is no longer enough to get the consumer to know the name of your product. There are thousands of products, so why should they choose yours ? No. In order to get the consumer to buy your product, you have to seduce them with it. Make them feel one with it. I am the product. The product is me. For this to occur, the viewer has to feel empathy for the actor. Ergo, natural-feeling commercials. This is where the problem lies. Consumers no longer know where the commercial ends and reality begins. This is great for marketers, because this means that they can alter the behaviour of consumers. In effect, they can get consumers to do just about anything they like.. Having said all this, I think that the media should be congratulated. They do what they do very well, which is getting you to buy or watch something. What you need to do is realise what they are doing and why. Immunise yourself from glibness. Say that's very nice but I have my own brain and it's telling me not to believe you. So if you're no longer going to take any notice of the media, what are you going to do ? Believe it or not, there is a wealth of thought-provoking, stimulating, enriching culture just waiting to be discovered. I think that as a society (Western) we need to rediscover the writings of those who went before us. We need tap into the collective wealth of knowledge of our own, and other, civilisations.
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