Yes, the Target store... Materialism, Commercials Advertising
By Shaun Stanert
AN ARTICLE CONSIDERING THOUGHTS ON BUDDHA, TARGET STORE COMMERCIALS, CLEVER ADVERTISING, AND MATERIALISM IN OVERDRIVE!
-----Quote from: The 7th Dalai Lama"Hundreds of stupid flies gather on a piece of rotten meat, enjoying, they think, a delicious feast. This image fits with the song of the myriads of foolish living beings who seek happiness in superficial pleasures; In countless ways they try, yet I have never seen them satisfied."
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The words of the 7th Dalai Lama remind me of the "Target" commercials.
You know the ones where a woman is singing or more aptly moaning in a somewhat bewildered, anxious, anguished, seductively throaty voice the whimsically captivating words: I don't know what it is but I gotta' have it and I want more. ....or something very close.
I really admire those commercials from a marketing prospective.
They really conjure thoughts of shopping and likely touch the soul of quintessential consumers, where ever or whenever it is aired.
The message is mesmerizing by inference, and in its blatant truth.
It simultaneously, albeit subtly, mocks viewers while managing to catch them and wrap them tightly within a ubiquitous projection of their digitized plasmarized, LCDed, air-waved web of common human desires. A web that ensures that we, me, us, you, I ... will all soon turn into loyal customers. A web whose televised waves may bounce around the universe endlessly, perhaps embarrassingly, extolling the essence of our collective humanity.
Wouldn't it be better if we had commercials bouncing around the universe singing in an bewildered anguished, anxious, seductively throaty voice about the horrors of war. The wasted billions spent on a war and the pitiful waste of young vibrant lives.
Nevertheless, those clever commercials always stop me. I always pay attention, much to my chagrin.
It must be the fanciful rapid-fire, syncopated scenes that seem to enterprisingly highlight each product in surreal multiples, as if infinitely reflected in a fun-house mirror.
Still, the message, and its delivery method as ingenious as it may be, always makes me feel a momentary twinge of hollow melancholy in the pit of my abdomen right at the solar plexus.
The solar plexus Chakra BTW, according to some beliefs, is the vortex of mental functioning, power, control, freedom to be oneself, career. It is known as Manipūra, its color is yellow, it's element fire.
Hmmm.............It's interesting that it hits me there. Wonder what that means?
Maybe I resent being manipulated is such a pleasantly entertaining way.
Would I ban the commercial if I had the power?
No. In fact, if I were giving out a Madison Avenue advertising award this resourceful production would certainly get one. Why? Well, it does exactly what an advertisement is supposed to do, and it does it in a low key but nudging memorable way.
As far as advertisements go, It works!
In any case, so much for the blah blah blah.....When it comes to consumerism, if I am being honest......I'm GUILTY! Sometimes. Even as I ever strive to not be.
As a fellow human, conspicuous consumption both repulses and fascinates me. The good thing about it is that it confirms that I am a human.
That also indicates, however, that I am not a Buddha.....not yet an enlightened one.
END
https://newhopetoday.blogspot.com/2017/04/on-target-materialism-commercials.html
https://newhopetoday.blogspot.com/2017/04/on-target-materialism-commercials.html
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