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Political economy thought is pretty spicy. Consider the following pleasant quotations from my man Dallas Smythe:

"We must beware of thinking of people and commodities as disconnected things and see them as relationships in a social process."

Sounds pretty good right? People can be people within a big Hakuna Matata community of love. We're individuals baby!

But wait! Oh shit! Apparently the monopoly-capitalist system has spawned some folk called advertisers, and THEY think they can buy us like so many hookers. Talk dirty to us, advertising industry! What are we REALLY?

--Well, ant-like humans, you are "audiences with predictable specifications which will pay attention in predictable numbers and at particular times to particular means of communication... As collectivities these audiences are commodities." Take off your no-name pants.--

Then I guess I just won't watch TV anymore.

--"It matters not if some audience members withdraw their attention; that is expected and discounted in advance by the advertiser."--

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooo! My opinion doesn't count! Well at least I can still watch The Sarah Silverman Program, no advertisers in their right mind would cash in on THAT hornet's nest of rape jokes and homelessness bashing.

--"In the policy of the mass media, the characteristics of the free lunch must always be subordinated to those of the formal advertisements, because the purpose of the mass media is to produce audiences to sell to the advertisers."--

So what, I get a complimentary sandwich? Or are you trying to say that Sarah's been cancelled. Sad but expected, I suppose. Remember the time she called that homeless guy a dick? All he wanted was some spare change!

--"The work which audience members perform for the advertiser to whom they have been sold is learning to buy goods and to spend their income accordingly."--

I need some gum. And some manly body wash. And three cans of Coke. And a keyboard that attaches to my forearm! AND THREE THOUSAND SQUIRREL CORPSES!

--"Nobody advertises squirrel corpses. You should totally be paying attention to our playful consumerist antics on the TV, not stupid outside-y things like dead rodents. Squirrels aren't profitable... unleeeeess their skulls could be turned into goth-rocker hair ornaments! YES! You've done it again, Audience Power. But don't fear, you shan't be paid: this is, after all, your leisure time.--

Son of a bitch.

--"The bitter reality for most Canadians and Americans is that the commodity rat race - as they call it - makes a mockery of free time and leisure, both during the years at the job and after retirement."--

At least it's sunny outside.

--"We're going to advertise on the sun soon. Prepare to bathe in the splendid golden rays of the Gatorade Solarballz. We thought it might be a nice symbiotic relationship: the Solarballz makes you sweat, then you buy Gatorade, and then Gatorade gives you testicular cancer!"--

Well at least we're not Communists. Communists don't believe in the sun... er, Solarballz. They live inside mummified dinosaurs.

--"Yes you are INDEED a dinosaur-living-in Communist, unless you buy a 12-pack of Tylenol RIGHT NOW!! ONLY A COMMUNIST WOULDN'T TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SUCH A GREAT DEAL, RIGHT NOW AT SHOPPER'S DRUG MART AND OTHER PARTICIPATING RETAILERS!!"--

I don't have a headach... oh wait, suddenly I DO.

Posted by Chris at 03:05 PM >> Commentations (1)