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Attack Marketing
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to this Commentary!
Thessaly La Force
Driving to school, I hear a story about tattoo parlors with discounts for American
flag tattoos. When I check my e-mail, I have a message from Clinique, with a
brief pop up box about the tragedy and a link to the Red Cross. Even later,
surfing online, I find pictures of celebrities wearing the good 'ole red, white,
and blue.
The American flag is waving its colors with pride at me. I see it everywhere,
on cars, T-shirts, belt buckles, buildings, advertisements, websites, or emails,
(not to mention the recent craze in the "I love NY" slogan.) It has
come to the point where the American flag is a marketing tool, and I'm the target.
It's not the patriotism that bothers me. It's companies expressing emotion to
sell things and I can't distinguish between their grief and greed.
The worst part is, I can't ignore those ads. September 11th has changed my life.
So now when I want to buy a t-shirt at Urban Outfitters, my dollar symbolizes
something.
When someone wears an American flag pin on their backpack, I see they care.
But in some ways, it's analogous to an e-mail petition. I used to passionately
sign my name at the bottom of each petition, and forward it on to as many friends
as possible. In retrospect, however, it seems to have just been a show of concern.
I didn't change anything by clicking send.
People aren't going to change anything by wearing the American flag.
If I can put enough energy into what I am buying since September 11th, then
why I can't I put that energy into actively helping America? Instead of spending
my money, I should spend my time writing to a congressman, or donating blood.
Let's face it, if I buy that sweater at Ralph Lauren, the ten percent going
to the Red Cross just seems stupid when most of the proceeds are going to my
vanity.
For Marketplace, I'm Thessaly La Force.
Host back-announce: Thessaly La Force comes to us from Youth Radio, an award
winning media-training program.
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