this post was submitted on 14 Jan 2024
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Starting from the premise that we owe corporations the opportunity to subject us to mental abuse for any reason is the problem. Let's not forget what ads are and how they work.
I agree with you for the most part, but at the same time people need a way to find the things they want. There are lots of products and services that genuinely make life better, but without advertising you may never even know what you're missing.
That position is completely in the distance behind where we are now, with the pure exploitation and manipulative marketing, but it's still a valid point.
That's valid.
Thank you.
My rule of thumb has always been, since I was a child: if it's advertised on TV, it probably isn't that good.
TV advertising is expensive. The business needs to pay for that advertising, and they also expect to profit from it. Thus, the customers have to pay for the advertising, the profits to the business for the advertising, as well as the product, and the profits to the business for the product. So, in general, if it's advertised on TV it's probably not worth what they want you to pay.
Recently there's been an online therapy service that has grown massively called Better Health. It sounds really good, and content producers I like have apparently thought the same and started advertising it themselves - Behind the Bastards host Robert Evans actually voices an ad for them on his own podcast. However, I've also recently seen advertisements for their service on TV. Now, I'm wary, and I'm just waiting for what I think will be the inevitable controversy over their service.
So yeah, advertising has some valid purpose, but it's also basically complete and totally open warfare. Marketing executives are probably worse than estate agents at this point. At the same time, a person just promoting their idea might not be so villainous - at least right now, who knows what they'll do later?