The Ads, Man
Now, I'm sure you're going to say "No one trusts corporations these days! Look at the outrage over the bailouts!". To which I reply, yes, there is some generalized mistrust of corporations but to a great extent that mistrust is bounded by the overt actions of those corporations. In other words, when the corporation leverages other means of influencing popular sentiment or public perception - such as advertising - it's generally transparent to the general population. Look to the two billboards above 8th street as an example, telling you to retool your 401k with the help of FinancialCo, and to "Get on the road to retirement! We'll guide you". This coming from a company in a sector whose value has dropped 60% in the last year and a half.
aside: In the movie Total Recall, Arnold Schwarzenegger's character lives in a time when Mars has been colonized and there is a push on the part of the colonizing corporation to encourage people to resettle there. On Earth, the advertising for the Martian colony shows verdant pastures and happy, smiling people, content with their decision to be pioneers! All this is terrible slimy and heavy-handed. Now, contrast this, with the hawking of various wares in Minority Report which is much more subtle, but much more insidious. Step out one more layer and you realize that in predicting a future where advertising is much more pervasive, etc, they are actually pitching products to you in a much more pervasive way (ie as "entertainment"). Enjoy your Tab.
Now this nudging of the public consciousness is not as advanced as it is in our dystopian fictions, nonetheless examples of it abound. Beyond product placement in movies, music videos, concerts, sporting events, etc
Now, I'm sure you're going to say "No one trusts corporations these days! Look at the outrage over the bailouts!". To which I reply, yes, there is some generalized mistrust of corporations but to a great extent that mistrust is bounded by the overt actions of those corporations. In other words, when the corporation leverages other means of influencing popular sentiment or public perception - such as advertising - it's generally transparent to the general population. Look to the two billboards above 8th street as an example, telling you to retool your 401k with the help of FinancialCo, and to "Get on the road to retirement! We'll guide you". This coming from a company in a sector whose value has dropped 60% in the last year and a half.
aside: In the movie Total Recall, Arnold Schwarzenegger's character lives in a time when Mars has been colonized and there is a push on the part of the colonizing corporation to encourage people to resettle there. On Earth, the advertising for the Martian colony shows verdant pastures and happy, smiling people, content with their decision to be pioneers! All this is terrible slimy and heavy-handed. Now, contrast this, with the hawking of various wares in Minority Report which is much more subtle, but much more insidious. Step out one more layer and you realize that in predicting a future where advertising is much more pervasive, etc, they are actually pitching products to you in a much more pervasive way (ie as "entertainment"). Enjoy your Tab.
Now this nudging of the public consciousness is not as advanced as it is in our dystopian fictions, nonetheless examples of it abound. From the product placement in movies, music videos, and video games to the studies commissioned by corporations to the lobbying efforts of those self same corporations in our local, state and national governemnts, we are constantly being influenced. Even more indirectly, advertising new drugs to, say, doctors opens an entirely door of influence on your person. So tell me, who do you trust?