Proud (and
hideous)
brainchild of the collective
consumer industries (
Omni Consumer Products perhaps?), with a
focus placed on its
subdivision the
entertainment industry. The
corporate marketing departments spend billions of dollars on
research into
mainstream culture, then churns out
ads,
fads,
magazines and "
cool" items for the hungry deluded masses to
devour. It is called "smart business".
The profit-driven corporations spend its considerable resoruces to alter the minds of the young generation, for their minds are malleable and the herd-like nature of these youngsters make it all the easier and cheaper for the corporates to play around with. Just like packs, there are "leaders". If the "leaders" can be convinced to adopt these new things, others will follow. See also The "in" crowd.
The main weapons of this unholy campaign are advertisements. The use of attractive people in ads are important, as the shallow nature of mainstream youth is much more drawn to physical beauty than other assets. If these brainless people can be used to display the product in question in a "cool" way, people will immediately be drawn to it. Ways to do this:
Anti-authority, ads must bash figures of authority
Attractive people doing "cool" things
Appeal to the depths of these peoples' souls (not too hard, for they are shallow) and show their paragon using the product. Ka-ching! (cash registers going crazy)
There are probably many more ways to do this, but I am no marketing major, so I will not dwell on this issue.
Magazines, such as Seventeen, Y&M, Playboy, Maxim and others, despite claiming to have other content, are corporate vehicles to prominently display their products. Proof? What is in 90% of the pages of Vogue or Seventeen. What are they? Ads. THe other 10% are filled with brainless pseduo-articles on what to buy (indirectly, ads) and columns on sex. In men's magazines, Playboy, etc., all contain many men's status symbol ads. In addition to the regular ads. Ads ads ads ads. It's always there.
The entertainment industry is the ultimate weapon for these corporations when it comes to mind control. Since the industry is filled with icons (sic), models and many people whose examples are followed by herds of brainless youngsters, so all they have to do is to throw products to these pawns to display. This is seen by the many corporate endorsements seen today in the entertainment industry.
Corporations that have succeeded wildly beyound their imaginations in twisting culture are (ones that are prominent in Cornell University anyways and I can flip off the top of my head):
Gap and subsidiaries (Old Navy, Banana Republic, et al.)
Nike
Abercrombie and Fitch
In today's brainless consumer culture, these companies have exploited it admirably well. Congratulations.
Yes-Man: The heathen unbelievers, The "Out" Crowd, will be converted shortly, Mr. Chairman. We will not be denied our market share and the sweet, sweet profits.
Chairman: Excellent.... (clasping hands in satiscation)