11 October 2012
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I learned tonight that a convenience store is selling red, republican Romney cups and blue, democratic Obama cups. Supposedly, the selling of each will be tallied and the chain will announce a "winner". It seems unlikely that a marketing scheme like this will have an effect on anything or that this poll will be accurate in any way. It's crazy to think about the implications of something like this though. Pop culture advertising can morph seemingly any and everything into a meaningless exercise in consumerism. The fact that the political sphere is so intertwined with the corporate advertising, branding, marketing, and distribution (i.e. money) is disturbing to me. I consider myself highly political, knowledgeable, and aware, as far as things like this go, and I realize most people do not give a damn either way if there are certain coffee cups to use to show your affinity for a certain candidate. Pop culture has invaded the political spectrum of our society, however. It's not something you can really argue about, but I the two things should be separate! It is almost offensive, in a way, that these huge businesses would engage such a serious topic (after all, our government affects all of us) without any regard for a certain sense of dignity about the whole thing.
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I really enjoyed reading this post. I am glad to see that people are incensed enough to make their viewpoints known. Political rhetoric (especially this year) has invaded all aspects of our lives. It is on TV, radio, internet, newspapers, magazines, etc., and it is not going anywhere. As soon as his election is over, new ones will come up and the cycle will resume. The advantage of being educated and aware of this is that one is less likely to be swayed by ploys such as the one you encountered at the convenience store. There is nothing worse for these companies and politicians than an educated consumer and voter.
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ReplyDeleteExcellent observations - one of the recurring themes related to popular culture concerns the forces that contribute to it, and as we've seen, market forces play a large role. The store is playing an interesting game, here: In an attempt to sell a product, they co-modify the current election process and give people the impression that purchasing a cup will result in a "vote." When we strip this down to its core, it seems like an odd concept. Will people feel compelled to purchase cups so that their chosen candidate wins the "cup" competition?
ReplyDeleteA similar co-opting situation that has bubbled up this week concerns Pizza Hut: In an attempt to promote Pizza Hut pizza, the chain offered a prize - 30 years of pizza - to anyone in the audience at the October 16 presidential town hall who would ask, "Sausage or pepperoni?" After receiving criticism, Pizza Hut modified the promotion.
Should the political process be sacred - and does the co-modification process cheapen it?