The Joneses

The Joneses
Mark Twain called them the “unnecessary necessities.”
He may have well been talking about what is promoted to us.  Merril and I like to watch Gruen and see the ads and hear what those in the advertising industry make of them.  They seem to be concerned about the construction of the ad and how effective the messaging is.
One of the panellists when talking about the effectiveness of a worldwide ad said “only advertisers have the power to change thinking.”  The point was made maybe other things do and his response was “that’s different.”  But the point he was making I believe had some validity in this time.
Apparently advertising has changed big time over the years.  Once upon a time products were promoted on the basis of why it was better than its rival.   Because most were from farming backgrounds, there was an appreciation that only goods that were needed were promoted.  It used to be that anything that was required was provided through neighbours.  Each known to each other helped each other.
Homemade was in vogue.  We watched another show last night about gold hunters.  They were in Bolivia and came across a device being used by a family to extract gold.  The guy in charge commented that everything but the pump was homemade and in his country you could buy the product.
Two things apparently changed in the West.  World war and the vast majority of people moved to the city.   World war meant there were vast industrial complexes that needed to be repurposed to remain relevant and viable.
Advertisers took a leaf from the Nazi’s playbook.  Their propaganda promoted the drives of want and fear.  They worked on the premise that if people could be manipulated in wartime then they could do the same in peacetime.
Hence today it is predominantly desires that are promoted rather than needs.  Advertising suggests that if I just “have this” I will we happy.  Naturally, food, shelter and safety will always be needs, but so much is built on the desire to have rather than the need to have.
How does all this affect me?  For me so much is summed up by what a person from a third world country said to me. “In my country we repair, here you discard and purchase anew.”  As Dylan sang “you gotta serve somebody.”  Unfortunately advertisers would have me believe my identity is in what I have, not who I am.
I like to see myself as acting based on independence.  Yet it seems to me I am independent to choose, and not choosing is a choice I make that allows choices to be made for me.
I am chuffed if I can purchase an advertised item cheaper when I need it.  Yet I must remain careful I don’t purchase an item I don’t need because it is 40% off.  Who I am is not based on keeping up with the Joneses, but in keeping up with supplying my needs.