In my previous blog, I tried convincing you that prescription drug commercials are not just an annoying distraction to your favorite TV show but a smart manipulation of media that influences your health choices, and not for the better. One of the questions that came up was: How come prescription drug commercials never talk about changing your lifestyle as means of solving your health problem? Well, media has “taken care” of that too, and not for the better either. The advertisements for food are flooding all the TV channels, as intermissions to News programs, Cartoons, Teen series etc. The people of all ages, watching TV, are exposed to commercials for McDonalds, Burger King, Pizza Hut and endless number of other fast food chains. As a consequence Americans make lifestyle choices that ultimately reflect their health choices. As scary as it seems, media manages to use something as essential for our survival as food, to manipulate the message that contributes to the alarming 34% of Americans being obese, 12 million of whom are children. However, fascinatingly enough, and very ironically, the reality that these commercials create contradicts the visual and verbal implications.
The commercial for fast food attract children’s attention by associating the product with fictional characters that make up children’s world. Moreover, these ads send deceptive messages by creating false ideas about the effects of their consumption. How
ever, media does not sell these false ideas only to children. Did you know that Paris Hilton absolutely loves Burger King hamburger? I had no clue, I thought she ate in very expensive restaurants or, rather, didn’t eat at all. What would a consumer think after watching a very sexual commercial of extremely good looking Paris Hilton taking a break to have a bite of Spicy Barbeque Burger? Again, one could think: If I eat BK hamburger I’ll be as good looking as her; or, my sex appeal will increase and my partner will be more satisfied with me. Maybe I am going to far, but the image of almost naked skinny girl in stilettos, crawling on top of a car and washing her body with a soapy sponge screams SEX(Y). I entered Burger King a few times in my life and every time I walked out without buying anything. Who knows, if I saw Paris Hilton on a poster holding the burger I would probably be tempted. The point is that the message is WRONG, but still very inviting. The commercial ends with “That’s Hot”, again equating the beauty/hotness of young celebrity with that of a BK hamburger.
So far we saw how media wisely uses celebrities to create a story of a consequential relationship between beauty, success, strength, and overall happiness of those individuals with the product advertised. However, the consumer was out of the picture in the commercials I mentioned earlier, left to watch and admire. On the contrary, Pizza Hut had a different idea. Beautiful Jessica Simpson is a waitress singing and carrying a delicious pepperoni pizza, while throwing “poppable” bites into the mouth of a dazzled teenage boy. His teenage dreams are coming true; the family he is sitting with disappears and he is the star in his little show, having caught the attention of a beautiful girl. As I watched this commercial, I got the impression of something grandiose and unexpected happening while a regular American family is sitting and trying to choose their meal. Finally, I couldn’t neglect the seducing voice of Jessica Simpson, her charming smile, the sexy walk, and in the end saying: “one of these days, these bites are gonna pop right into you”. Hmmmm. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEqHOETejjU
The recurrent idea in all of these commercials appears to be the idea of a Dream; how to make a dream come true; dream coming true; or just an inspiration to dream. Together with the idea of the dream comes, obviously, the big hamburger, fries, pizza, and so on. Media successfully uses their visual and auditory tools to create a world of perfection, in which the product exists too, alongside the happy, smiling, successful, and most importantly very good looking people. However, the reality does not agree with such representations. Whenever we talk about obesity, we think about fast food chains, and other junk food that commercial industry and media use to expand their businesses. Indeed, these food products are very affordable and the advertisers make sure to tell you that a large pizza is only $10.99, but no one talks about the calories or just how often you should eat food of that sort. You might say: it’s not a medication. No, it isn’t but with commercials like these, food is starting to represent a danger, which does not end with obesity, but also with increase number of heart problems. The question becomes: what matters more, money or health? According to CBC, a survey has shown that 60% of people oppose tax on junk food; a method that helped reduce the number of smokers in America. The conscience of people is blurred, and media perpetuates ignorance by sending deceptive messages.
Once again, media succeeds in shaping the health choices of Americans. If you look at this last video I posted, you will realize what one side of the contrasting reality is, and you will either applaud the media, or get angry at people for not taking responsibility and opening their eyes. I did both. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDY3smfNpgo
1. McDonald's Commercial with LeBron James and Dwight Howard:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmrTDZy3f2M
2. Paris hilton- burger king commercial:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0PLjKOOuK8
3. Pizza Hut - Jessica Simpson:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEqHOETejjU
4. Obesity and Fast Food 2008:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDY3smfNpgo
Posted by S.S. April 11th 2010
For: Class project, Writing with Media
Every year new commercials appear on TV; the enthusiastic voice telling you “I’m loving it” (well known McDonalds slogan) and the pictures that would appeal to children, teenagers and adults. One of the latest McDonalds commercials shows LeBron James and Dwight Howard, competing in their amazing basketball skills over a bag of McDonalds Happy Meal.My first reaction was: Really??? However, a young teenage boy, who looks at these NBA stars as idols, might get a different message. Media connects strength, skill, success, victory with McDonalds, giving us a few possible interpretations: It’s worth fighting for a McDonalds meal; If you eat McDonalds you’ll become like these NBA players; and finally, when both LeBron and Dwight are left without their lunch, the sad expression on their faces tells you: You will regret not having McDonalds, so don’t wait any longer. Similarly, the numerous McDonalds commercials for Winter Olympic games associates athleticism and accomplishment of dreams with “Southern Style Chicken Biscuit” for breakfast, for instance. Who eats chicken for breakfast anyway? And what does chicken have to do with your dreams coming true? Well, that’s the point I am trying to make, it has nothing to do with chicken in reality but looking at the muscular Olympic competitors having the bite of that chicken sandwich gives the impression that exactly that chicken sandwich is the recipe to your success. On the other hand, if you are a child, McDonalds commercial will tell you that the characters from your favorite animated movie “The Ice Age” love McDonalds, or that Pokemon loves Burger King.
The commercial for fast food attract children’s attention by associating the product with fictional characters that make up children’s world. Moreover, these ads send deceptive messages by creating false ideas about the effects of their consumption. How
ever, media does not sell these false ideas only to children. Did you know that Paris Hilton absolutely loves Burger King hamburger? I had no clue, I thought she ate in very expensive restaurants or, rather, didn’t eat at all. What would a consumer think after watching a very sexual commercial of extremely good looking Paris Hilton taking a break to have a bite of Spicy Barbeque Burger? Again, one could think: If I eat BK hamburger I’ll be as good looking as her; or, my sex appeal will increase and my partner will be more satisfied with me. Maybe I am going to far, but the image of almost naked skinny girl in stilettos, crawling on top of a car and washing her body with a soapy sponge screams SEX(Y). I entered Burger King a few times in my life and every time I walked out without buying anything. Who knows, if I saw Paris Hilton on a poster holding the burger I would probably be tempted. The point is that the message is WRONG, but still very inviting. The commercial ends with “That’s Hot”, again equating the beauty/hotness of young celebrity with that of a BK hamburger.So far we saw how media wisely uses celebrities to create a story of a consequential relationship between beauty, success, strength, and overall happiness of those individuals with the product advertised. However, the consumer was out of the picture in the commercials I mentioned earlier, left to watch and admire. On the contrary, Pizza Hut had a different idea. Beautiful Jessica Simpson is a waitress singing and carrying a delicious pepperoni pizza, while throwing “poppable” bites into the mouth of a dazzled teenage boy. His teenage dreams are coming true; the family he is sitting with disappears and he is the star in his little show, having caught the attention of a beautiful girl. As I watched this commercial, I got the impression of something grandiose and unexpected happening while a regular American family is sitting and trying to choose their meal. Finally, I couldn’t neglect the seducing voice of Jessica Simpson, her charming smile, the sexy walk, and in the end saying: “one of these days, these bites are gonna pop right into you”. Hmmmm. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEqHOETejjU
The recurrent idea in all of these commercials appears to be the idea of a Dream; how to make a dream come true; dream coming true; or just an inspiration to dream. Together with the idea of the dream comes, obviously, the big hamburger, fries, pizza, and so on. Media successfully uses their visual and auditory tools to create a world of perfection, in which the product exists too, alongside the happy, smiling, successful, and most importantly very good looking people. However, the reality does not agree with such representations. Whenever we talk about obesity, we think about fast food chains, and other junk food that commercial industry and media use to expand their businesses. Indeed, these food products are very affordable and the advertisers make sure to tell you that a large pizza is only $10.99, but no one talks about the calories or just how often you should eat food of that sort. You might say: it’s not a medication. No, it isn’t but with commercials like these, food is starting to represent a danger, which does not end with obesity, but also with increase number of heart problems. The question becomes: what matters more, money or health? According to CBC, a survey has shown that 60% of people oppose tax on junk food; a method that helped reduce the number of smokers in America. The conscience of people is blurred, and media perpetuates ignorance by sending deceptive messages.
Once again, media succeeds in shaping the health choices of Americans. If you look at this last video I posted, you will realize what one side of the contrasting reality is, and you will either applaud the media, or get angry at people for not taking responsibility and opening their eyes. I did both. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDY3smfNpgo
1. McDonald's Commercial with LeBron James and Dwight Howard:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmrTDZy3f2M
2. Paris hilton- burger king commercial:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0PLjKOOuK8
3. Pizza Hut - Jessica Simpson:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEqHOETejjU
4. Obesity and Fast Food 2008:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDY3smfNpgo
Posted by S.S. April 11th 2010
For: Class project, Writing with Media
What strikes me is how odd it is to connect sex and hamburgers. I'm not actually surprised by this as a marketing move: sex has been used to sell everything, from cars to cigarettes. Still: watching Paris Hilton and the burger, I get the feeling that young men are being encouraged to see both Paris and the burger as objects to consume. Furthering the irony, of course, is that anyone who makes a steady diet of junk food has no chance of looking like Paris Hilton, Jessica Simpson, Dwight Howard, or Lebron.
ReplyDeleteExactly, I found the irony hilarious but also very, very deceiving. But when thinking about connection between food and sex, I think of chocolate. Chocolate to women might be hamburger to men :). Either way, the contexts are distorted and the message entirely false. I just have trouble understanding how people fall for these things? What happens in their brain?
ReplyDeleteHi Sladja,
ReplyDeleteAs I was reading this it reminded of a completely different video I watched, that I think may affect people's food choices.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQiC_bdiXw0
I hope this message is more powerful than fast food commercials, chich rely on primitive associations, and will make people think.
I love Burgers! I love KFC, and I love Pizza. If I go to the food court of a mall one day to buy lunch it's very likely that I would stroll over to one of the established brands that I know, trusting that they have great prices, and the food will be of good-enough quality. Commercials like the one you described are great, because they are targeted to specific audiences and each time the commercial is played the brand logo is etched more deeply into the minds of the consumers. This is particularly effective with kids because they'll be consumers for a looong time (unless they get obese and their lifespan is significantly shortened). I'm not ready to start blaming the media companies and marketing departments of major food corporations. Doing so would require a broader critique of capitalism and the bloodthirsty lust with which profits are sought. McDonalds will continue "deceiving" as you say as long as it is still profitable to do so. I do notice though that fast food restaurants are making a big effort to cut the calories in their foods. Most fast-food restaurants now have health-eating options, which appeals to the consumer's conscience. Not even an image of the obese Ronald handing me a burger will scare me away from McDo. There's nothing like a burger when you've been stuck in rural Nicaragua for two weeks, and what better to wash it down than with a large coke :D
ReplyDeleteOne last thing. When are we going to start taking responsibility for the irresponsible food choices that we make? It bothers me that a fast food company would market heavily to children, but parents should also be careful to regulate the viewing habits of their children (There are always ways to get around that though- like sponsoring the little league team, or putting an ad on the side of the school bus).
ReplyDeleteSomething I've noticed over the years is that McDonald's is continuously finding new ways to connect its food with active people and sports -- from the basketball commercial, to the Olympics promotions, to its "Go Active" commercials (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfIjoXlyACs). What are they trying to say here? That healthy, active people eat McDonald's food? If so, the message is lost on me -- I find myself thinking, "I'll have to be EXTREMELY active to work off the nearly 800 calories in a McDonalds Angus Bacon and Cheese burger.”
ReplyDeleteHere's the "Get Moving, Stay Active" part of the McDonald's website: http://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en/food/food_quality/nutrition_choices/kids_nutrition/get_moving_stay_active.html