Thursday, October 22, 2015

Clean TV



Advertising is one aspect of marketing that has taken control of all types of media. Whether one is simply watching television reading a magazine, a seemingly large percentage is allotted to ads. I believe that certain ads should be banned from established media, such as television and online videos. Advertisement is intended for influential audiences, they may promote dangers, and are ultimately irritating.

The vast majority of people who watch television programs or online videos are children and young adults. These audiences are easily manipulated. With that being said, Children along with teens can learn foul language and behaviors from commercials because they are at an age that they absorb everything like sponges. For example, there is a hot sauce commercial whose slogan is “Franks Red Hot, I put that (censored word) on everything”. Anyone over the age of 7 clearly knows that the word being bleeped is shit, and because it’s on-air children can mistake it for normal expression. Young adults, who are no longer under the watchful supervision of their parents, can go ahead and buy the “brand-new, state of the art, limited edition” electronic cigarette and pick up the nasty habit of smoking tobacco along with it, even though it is being advertised to help smokers quit. One study found that “youth exposure to electronic cigarette advertisements on television increased by 256 percent from 2011 to 2013 and young adult exposure to e-cigarette ads jumped 321 percent in the same time period” (RTI International). Alcohol is another advertised product that can cause health, social and legal problems. “Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for people younger than 25; alcohol is a factor in those accidents more than 40 percent of the time” (Feldman). Even though alcohol can cause said problems they seem to be in every other sequence of commercial time. These audiences are being absent-mindedly controlled by unnecessary garbage called propaganda.

Since these audiences are so easily tricked into believing what they’re seeing, dangerous aspects of commercials are perceived as cool and acceptable. Many commercials such as those with cars cruising at high speeds, or people doing “adventurous things” like rock climbing, BMX biking, or skateboarding can make impressionable people replicate said acts. For instance there is a Nike commercial where the protagonist is showing off the newest in footwear while traveling through the city doing parkour, an invigorating yet extremely difficult and dangerous sport. A 12 year old is then put into an arm brace for falling off a concrete bench trying to reenact said commercial. This is just one example of the many cases hospitals receive of child injury after propaganda reenactment. A commercial in which a Jeep is taken off-roading and mudding through traitorous terrain is then simulated by a high school senior, who then not only gets stuck mudding but brakes the axel of the front wheels of his father’s car. The senior doesn’t only face the cost of the car repair but also has to recover from the bruises left behind by the “adventure”.

Lastly, commercials are simply annoying. How many times does one attempt to watch a video on YouTube and get interrupted halfway through the video? We are sometimes forced to watch ads in order to then access the content intended on watching. Not only are we forced to watch the annoying ads, but advertisement is redundant. How many different beer commercials are aired within an hour of t.v time? How many of these commercials are about drinking the beer on a beach, at a party, with friends? All of them! Television stations do not only play commercials in sequence but there are some which repeat the same exact commercial twice in one sequence. And this can really frustrate those who can care less if charmin ultra-soft is tougher than the leading brand but softer than a baby duck.

Some may say that propaganda is necessary for product sales or business awareness. Others, like Chris Moerdyk, will say that even if we ban advertisement the issue of dangers will still prevail and “the only result will be the loss of thousands of jobs in the media, advertising and marketing industries.” Even though people will lose jobs in the marketing industry, if commercials and certain advertisement is banned the generations that drool over while watching t.v will not be brainwashed into buying unnecessary things or acting out like paid stunt professionals in commercials. Not only will they be less likely to act out but those of us who can care less about pointless propaganda won’t have to be forced into watching it.

(M. Martinez MDC student)

Works Cited

Feldman, Richard. "Alcohol Ads Target Youth at High Price." Indianapolis Star. Indianapolis, 16 Jun. 2015: A.11. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 04 Oct. 2015.

Moerdyk, Chris. "Government on Ad-Banning Roll." AllAfrica.com. 13 Nov. 2014. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 08 Oct. 2015.

RTI International. "Adolescent Exposure to E-Cigarette TV Ads Increases Likelihood of..." Pediatrics. Washington D.C, Targeted News Service. 07 Jul. 2015. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 04 Oct. 2015.

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