5
THE GUILFORD lAN
When mass mind control is protected by free speech
Joshua Fraenkel
Guest Writer
Television advertisements are one of a
handful of instruments in this society which
are subjugating the people under their con
trol. They are placing an entire nation under
their grasp, using an ingenious network of
people's favorite celebrities, and using them
to invoke dependencies on certain products.
We trust that these celebrities want the
best for us, and we start habits that eventu
ally bring our ruin or addiction. We no
longer choose anything of our own free will
because one of the most powerful inven
tions ever created has been used against us.
This invention is more powerful than cars,
bombers, or war itself. It creeps into every
home where every individual lets down his
guard and relaxes before his secret TV dic
tator.
Television is such an ingenious medium
that it has us believing we are in front of it,
watching our favorite show, of our own free
will, when we actually despise being forced
to go before it with nothing to show in the
end. I know, because every Sunday I am
inevitably dragged before the TV for foot
ball as I scream and plead in des
peration to be allowed to complete
piles of my homework.
Advertisers know that every
one of us have these cravings at
certain times of the week and very
cleverly slip before us appealing
commercials selling beer and other
objects that creep beneath us and
lead a path to addiction. This analy
sis may seem hyperbolic, but it is
not, considering the following
happenings: a child's head is blown off by
a fellow student for a pair of Reebok Pumps;
a throat is slit for a leather jacket; fellow
citizens are robbed of possessions by some
Letters
>• continued from page 2
to tolerate, but our obligation. Until we realize
this, we will have all the problems in this world
that we already have and many more. It is time for
us to wake up.
David Eyre
Columnist's
Wrongly Linked to
The Handmaid's Tale
To the Editor:
I am writing inresponse to Tanya Stiegler's
letter of November 15, 1991. In her letter, she
makes various attacks on beliefs that she has
assumed I hold. Her basis for these attacks is The
Handmaid's Tale, a book which I have read (and
I've seen the movie), to answer her question. To
ascribe the attitudes and beliefs expressed in that
book to me is a gross misrepresentation of my
one who is controlled by this longing deep
inside, as if for crack, telling him, demand
ing of him to update his wardrobe with these
fascinating shoes that will bring him re
spect, and even all those gorgeous girls and
boys shown in the ads.
Ads rule the impoverished by making
them believe that they become something
they are not by only possessing a certain
product. It creates hope in minds —hope that
if they get a pair of shoes like these, they will
become another Michael Jordan.
These are the more obvious examples of
ads having people by the neck, commanding
their next buy. Consumers are lead to pur
chase on loan, to be paid for years after, the
most updated, technologically advanced car
that no doctor in his right mind would be
caught driving. TV ads are so convincing,
being motion pictures, that people believe
they portray reality.
Families feel it is their duty to uphold
middle class standards and not betray their
bretheren by having anything less than Tide
near their washers. Television and its ads are
so imbedded within our consciousness that
we fail to distinguish them from reality,
thinking, "What's the big fuss. Of course I
This invention is more powerful
than cars, bombers, or war itself. It
creeps into every home where every
individual lets down his guard and
relaxes before his secret dictator.
am heading over to KFC like Magic Johnson
told me to; he's such a god he ought to know
what I'll like."
These ads set the very values and trends
ideas. There is no basis in my article for implying
that I hold any of the political ideas of the regime
depicted by Margaret Atwood. Ms. Atwood has
not met every person who believes that abortion
is wrong, and as a result, her book is an alarmist
generalization of pro-lifers' integrity as citizens
of this country. Ms. Stiegler'suseofherbookto
attack me is evidence of the accpetance of The
Handmaid's Tale as a legitimate representation
mine > ." I '^ e opinion, which it is not, especially not
Convincing is someuu.. e .
discussion and education. Persuasion is'tfie^USl 1 -
nerstone of democracy. I in no way advocated
coercing women into thinking that abortion is
wrong. That would fail, as Ms. Stiegler asserted.
I am well aware of that. That is why I said that
people must be convinced, and why I did not say
they should be coerced into changing their views
on abortion. That is why I said thatpeople cannot
be legislated, i.e. coerced, into thinking that abor
tion is wrong. I in no way advocated, nor do I
advocate, tyranny over the mind of anyone.
Ryan Page
Perspectives
of society, and are one of the greatest threats
to American freedom. But, the populace
calmly sits by, blindly urging that advertis
ers not be denied their free speech, unknow
ingly signing off
their own personal
freedoms. Adver
tisements grip us by
the throat and mind
while we calmly
proclaim that free
dom of expression
should not be de
nied.
The Constitution
purposefully favors
individual freedom
over the freedom of
speech of colossal figures such as advertis
ers (and king George III), which have a
powerful Hitler-like hypnotic effect in sway
ing the masses with their oratory. These
advertisements don't innocently proclaim
solely the merits of products, but expertly
attach hidden promises and Cinderella fan
tasies.
And then rebellious masses, upon hear
ing of the fight for the banning of all TV ads,
proclaim that they are mature and adult
enough to think for themselves. This argu
ment is totally soundless, as if crack addicts
werealso mature enough before and even
during their addiction to protect themselves.
Was not the entire population of Germany
mature and brilliant enough, with all its
scientists and ingenious men, when it popu
larly elected Hitler and supported his war
efforts and efforts to exterminate the Jews?
Ads aren't so powerful, one may argue;
they are simply cute, innocent pictures. If
you feel that way, you may accompany me
when I help out at middle schools (or visit
one yourself) where kids make comments
about others' cheap shoes. For example, the
Cobb Misguided
To the Editor:
I am writing this letter in regards to Ashley
Cobb's article "Meat, when used properly, is
healthy for your diet." First of all, meat is not
used. It is eaten. Secondly Mr. Cobb's article
lacks the "flashy statistics or quotes from au
thoritative sources" his article needs. If his state
ment sounds a bit fishy to you, you are in good
company. The reason he has no sources in his
article is because there are no authoritative sources
supporting his viewpoint What Ashley Cobb
considers "common sense and common knowl-
Sianism S K tffe° medical ct " Ve 8"
mention the most environmentally aware°uic°
Food derived from plants, except coconuts, palm
kernel oil and chocolate, contain no cholesterol.
Heart disease is directly linked to the consump
tion of cholesterol. Meat consumption is also
lined to health problems such as; colon, breast,
prostate, ovarian and cervical cancer, not to men
tion ulcers, intestinal problems, arthritis, kidney
and gall stones. This has nothing to do with the
way meat is prepared, as Mr. Cobb naively claims.
other day a girl said to a boy, who com
mented that I had on Converse shoes instead
of Reebok Black Tops, "Boy, you don't
know your shoes."
Where
does one go
to be updated,
after feeling
pressure from
peers to learn
their tables of
shoes, cars,
clothing, fast
food chains,
and soaps—
TV of course.
Ads thus per
petu a t e
cycles which lead to ridicule, robbery, vio
lence, addiction and death. No matter, the
American people would certainly be willing
to sacrifice these things for advertisers' free
dom of expression. Certainly we wouldn't
want to take that precious medium of soci
etal reflection away, for without it the masses
would be at a loss to judge or make decisions
for themselves. Nevertheless, there is still
hope that everyone could be weaned off the
advertising bottle and have a hand at deci
sion making and freedom of thought.
I propose that all television commercials
be banned. Up to this point the reader may be
convinced, except for a major reservation:
"What about my TV, my Simpsons , my
Santa Barbara, my Oprah Winfrey, my
soaps." Don't start having coke depravation
spasms due to my proposing the withdrawal
of commercial TV funding by industry. You
could still keep your television with a very
realistic non-utopian, economic solution.
Channels would be rented monthly in a
similar fashion ascable television. This might
>■ continued on page 6
Ads control the very acts of our
freedom, thwarting personal deci
sion making. Advertisements grip us
by the throat and mind while we
calmly proclaim that freedom of ex
pression should not be denied.
November 25, 1991
As for Mr. Cobb's concern for our health, we can
receive a more than ample amount of everything
we need, this includes calcium and protein, from
a purely vegetarian diet. In fact, the way our
bodies are made dictates a vegetarian diet.
Mr. Cobb's summer farming experience is
not representative of how the meat we eat is
produced. I wish it were. However, the meat we
eat was most likely produced in a factory farm.
Factory farms show no concern for our well
being. The meat we eat contains artificial hor
mones, pesticides, growth stimulants, larvicides,
antibiotics, tranquilizers and radioactive isotopes.
He is basing his argument on personal experience
and not fact. Furthermore, his comment that meat
consumption is natural, necessary, and has been
part of "Man's experience" makes me wonder if
* 7 • "hp'jld look into a Women's Studies
course m addition to icaw. 0 c , .
on factory farming and nutrition?" Perßapi °v£t
next time Mr. Cobb decides to state his viewpoint
he should be aware of the facts.
Kelly Hannum
The information in this editorial is based on informa
tion from the books Diet for a New America and Fit for
Life.