Today, EVERY business (including musicians, actors, athletes.... everyone) thinks they need to have a stance on political, social, environmental issues.
Instead of Starbucks making coffee, they sell you carbon neutral, LGBTQIA+, ethical sourced coffee...
Instead of some musician singing a song, they take a knee, and give an interview of what BLM means to them after the concert.
Instead of someone making clothes, they sell you an anti-war message (during OIF)...
Instead of listening to a female singer, you need to endure their lecture about how you should use a single piece of paper to wipe your ass.
Everywhere you turn today, business is virtue signaling and basically advertising their product or themselves if they are the product.
It all started with “conceptual advertising” and the idea that people consume products not based on the products cost vs. features/performance, not based on any tangible quantifiable aspects, rather “how it makes the consumer feel.”
How else could you sell cigarettes? Buy this because you're an independent working female that is making it her own: Virginia Slims. You're a Cowboy tough guy: Marlboro. You're a stylish black guy: Cool. Other than a self image that people wanted to buy and signal to their friends, family, coworkers... what was tobacco selling? An expensive product that makes you stink, yellows your teeth, gives you emphysema/cancer, coats your car and home in tar, could light your home on fire or burn holes in things, gives the woman a raspy horse voice, makes you out of breath, and the pecker limp?
How many tough guy mountain climbers actually smoke Winston?https://file.vintageadbrowser.com/2wixjeptbkxljm.jpg
Business today sells “feelings” more so than a product. Show me a car commercial today that is selling a car based on performance, features, warranty, value for money? Do you hear them talk about anything real, or is it all conceptual?
Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeAXi5ShQ90 What is the cubic capacity of the trunk? Horsepower, torque, warranty, type of leather used in interior, is it a conventional automatic or a DSG type, what exactly have they told you about this product? Why should you buy it? What are they really selling?
You are told to buy a Mercedes because you're successful. Buy a Jeep, Chrysler 300, Miata, Jag, BMW, Tesla, because you have a certain self image you want everyone else to see. The car is a statement about oneself and we pay tens of thousands of dollars to let people know how we want to be seen.
You need to get used to it. Doesn't mean you need to be an idiot and be part of this mindless consumer society, but you have to accept it to some degree because you cannot get away from it. If you want to escape or refuse to play along, you will quickly realize that practically every business (clothes, cars, coffee, even restaurant chains), musicians, painters, poets, actors, are doing this. Only a few do not play the game or even dare send a message that is counter to whatever the common accepted virtue signaling themes are of the day.
The point is that the NFL, all these clown musicians, all the companies advertising their products know what the virtue signaling themes of the day are, and most will play along because there is benefit in doing so, and negative consequences if not (especially if going against it).
People have come to EXPECT every business to embrace these themes and just singing, acting, or building a car, making some coffee or clothes isn't good enough. While it might offend you, think about other products or services where you agree with the values being signaled by the business. Does that bother you? You are expected to make a statement today. Yesterday it was to take a knee, vefore that it was saying how great LGBTQIA+ is, today it's wearing a mask and who knows what it will be tomorrow.
*** Just making a product or offering a service that is of the highest quality, most advanced, packing new features, with the best warranty, really good customer service and at an incredible price, isn't good enough. If Kirby vaccume cleaners wants to become a brand everyone is talking about again, they need to jump on the bandwagon with one of these themes.
Cast aluminum housing, big motors, high quality assembly, excellent warranty, won't sell the product (https://www.kirby.com/)... You can take a simple cotton shirt made in China, worth $.87 and charge $30 for it (Nike) and the difference is in the intangibles, the feelings and perceptions people have.
*** Quality in the eyes of the consumer today include intangibles, non measurable aspects because it's all about the experience and feeling from consumption. If business didn't take a side, people would critisize them for not taking a stand on these issues!
That was a good post. I can tell you understand what I feel is my dilemma.
But I feel that I just cannot let it go. What if my bank is one taking funds from GiveSendGo and giving them to the government? What if they are defunding Mike Lindell or Remington?
Should I continue to patronize them? Heck that just one single example.
I don’t do this thing with everything, but I try where I can.
I bought a 3D printer the year before last, and while I could have purchased a comparable printer from China at perhaps 2/3 or half the price, I paid the extra money to buy an American made one. I paid my pound of flesh on that, and it was worth it.
People who say “Don’t buy anything Chinese” either don’t buy anything at all, or don’t follow their own advice. I know.
I try to look for the country of origin, but I have found it is no longer prominently displayed anymore, and I don’t think that is an accident. And even if you do see “Made in America”...what exactly does that mean?
I have gotten to the point I cannot listen to music because of the artist. I cannot watch a movie because of an actor. In both cases, it isn’t because I am not listening to make a point. The enjoyment is completely removed. One of my favorite artists used to be Pink Floyd. About 15-20 years ago, I went to a Roger Waters concert, and it was a 2-3 hour multi-media anti-American show, which made me steam. Granted, I should have known, but that was before I began listening to what these people were saying. I used to just like music and movies, and I can’t anymore.
This does bother me.