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["SISU!" <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>]

You know, this world gets crazier and crazier.  What is wrong with people??
I turned on the TV this afternoon and there was a Dell commercial on
CNN...cute guy, picking out 'components' for his Dell computer...in the
background was a great sounding, catchy song(my opinion) with a good
beat and as I listened to the song, I couldn't believe the lyrics I was
hearing..."My head is a box full of nothing and that's the way I like
it"... Since I thought I was mistaken, I searched and found the entire
lyrics:
http://www.anysonglyrics.com/lyrics/b/Ben-Lee/Catch-My-Disease-Lyrics.htm

As I thought about the commercial and the lyrics together, my mind
wandered off to advertising and marketing in general.  These commercials
are aimed at young people under 25, I would think, and my thoughts run
along the lines of what messages are these types of commercials trying
to convey-that's it's okay to be stupid as long as you buy this product
or that one and rely on it?  Or, in some cases, it's okay to do this or
that as long as you don't get caught?  There's another commercial that
comes to mind-it's for Hummers-where some mother/kid breaks into a line
at the playground slide, insulting another mother.  So the insulted
mother goes out and buys a Hummer to "get her girl on". What does that
promote?  Status symbols in lieu of self esteem or assertiveness?
Over and over, I am constantly scratching my head on these things.  Am I
so out of touch with what is really happening in the world.  Is the
world really like this?  Yes, I believe it must be.
I recall 20 years ago when we worried about the violence and language in
video games and music.  Freedom of expression won out-without many
limits-and today we wonder why teens are so violent towards each other(I
am recalling these stages fights that so many teens are apparently
filming) and how oblivious they are to the suffering of others, unable
to empathize with another's anguish or pain.  I recall 30+ years ago the
debate as to whether or not spanking or corporal punishment should be
banned in schools.
It seems that when these social issues come up, no one listens to the
more conservative side...they are beaten up in the press as abusers or
limiters of freedom, yet as time passes, their warnings become reality
and then the more liberal side complains about the problem.  It's like
my neighbor who has always allowed her children "freedom" to roam with
little or no discipline to speak of, and now that her kids are in
trouble, she has no clue as to why and insists on blaming others.
People just don't take responsibility anymore and no one thinks long
term as to what this little action or inaction will lead to down the
road.  In the case of the commercial jingle..it's a catchy tune..I can
see kids singing it all day long....My head is box full of nothing, and
that's the way I like it....that's the way I like it...so pleeeeease,
Catch My Disease.  What's the (subliminal) message here?

Bev

--
Bevanron in NW Georgia          EarthNSky Farm  34.498N 85.076W
SISU! (Finnish--There is no single word in English that encompasses
all that sisu means, but it combines the following ideas: guts, pep,
determination, stubbornness, perseverance, hardiness, stamina, go, do,
nerve, spunk, pluck, and grit.  It's like "Just Do It!" & "Go for It!")
                                GO NAVY!