Advertisements are the devil. They know exactly how to tempt us, and we aren't all Jesus so we often end up emptying our wallets for something we don't really need.
Okay, so advertisements aren't really the devil - sorry Mama Boucher - but they certainly tie the idea of happiness to tangibles that don't actually provide it.
According to quality of life surveys, American responses indicate that a high quality of life is represented by a happy family life, self-esteem, relaxed leisure time, and loving relationships, among other things. All of these things that signify a high quality of life are social, not material.
The truth is, companies can not give you happiness. But they can make you believe you can find happiness with their product.
Gentleman, are you having trouble with the ladies? Just spray on some Axe and voila! Do you have some free time tonight? Hit the clubs and down a few drinks. And if you drink Bacardi, I bet you'll get laid too (Have you seen the latest mint mojito Bacardi commercial? It teems with sexual innuendo). Oh, and if you're looking to lose weight - yes ladies, 125 pounds is simply too fat - be sure to call Jenny; you can even eat dessert too!
Advertising companies don't care about your happiness, they want you to buy their product, so they'll subtly allude (sometimes not so subtly) that their product will make you skinnier, relaxed, likable, etc.
Let's try a little interactive exercise. Flip through the pages until you find the Villas on Apache advertisement in this paper. Got it? Good.
Look at the attractive couple with smiles on their faces. Then the other pictures: several friends enjoying their free time, and two guys playing a video game. If you move into the Villas, your relationship with your significant other will be good, and relationships with friends rewarding. This ads intentions are rather harmless and very subtle, but all of these things are so subtle they're often processed in our brains unconsciously.
Advertisements also help enforce the American drive for monetary gain, because if we don't have money, then we can't be happy because we can't buy a luxurious car. But it's not the car that makes us happy. It's the commercial where we see mom and dad smiling because baby daughter is quietly watching Shrek in the back seat during a two hour car ride. Ads have rewired our brains to associate happiness with material things.
There's also the banal topic that certain ads target a young audience, altering their perception to believe that a normal girl has no curves and weighs less than a hundred pounds.
You don't need to drink Bud Light or Miller Light to be with the in-crowd, and a mini-van won't necessarily make your family life better. However, I have sprayed on Axe before, and the ladies really do start acting crazy while singing "Bom Chika Wha Wha!"
God bless America.
Kyle Snow is going to sign up for Enzyte so he can be as happy as Bob the smiling guy. Tell him what you think at kyle.snow@asu.edu.
