Sunday, February 13, 2011

scarcity

this bit is a bit related to the previous posts.
"Scarcity is what drives economics, and when you have people distributing products for free it creates this huge supply which will drive prices lower, so it's in their best interests to keep their products scarce." - Zoe

This is what happened at the turn of the 20th century in 1900. People were working in factories to produce stuff that people bought to improve their livelihoods. Machinery was getting more and more efficient at that time meaning that people would have to work less and less hours to meet the demand for products by consumers. Business owners saw this as a bad thing as that would mean they would loose power. Introducing the Gospel Of Consumption. Techniques have been used to create new needs in consumers causing more and more products to be made thus keeping business leaders in power.

Their tool of choice? Advertising.

A wise man once said "advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don't need. "

25 comments:

  1. ZakkFebruary 13, 2011 at 1:45 AM

    Sweet, I got a shoutout :)

    Advertising is pretty interesting, it's draws heavily on social psychology.

    For example: when you see someone who looks good advertising a product you generally will have a more favorable attitude towards that product? why? It's called the halo effect; a person who'm is considered attractive will often be attributed positive qualities simply because they are attractive, it sounds crazy but thats how our minds work. So when we see someone who looks attractive, we will often assume what they are saying is true, or that they are trustworthy.

    /rant :)

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  2. AnonymousFebruary 13, 2011 at 2:14 AM

    Good point well made

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  3. 'AuanaFebruary 13, 2011 at 2:36 AM

    :/ greed runs the world...

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  4. Layman ResearcherFebruary 13, 2011 at 2:41 AM

    I don't mind! We living more comfortably than ever before in human history!

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  5. AnonymousFebruary 13, 2011 at 3:30 AM

    c.r.e.a.m. (Cash Rules Everything Around Me)

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  6. TeakayFebruary 13, 2011 at 3:32 AM

    damn i love fight club

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  7. JordanFebruary 13, 2011 at 5:08 AM

    is that quote from fight club? i guess its true but not everyone wastes their money on useless things.

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  8. DudemeisterFebruary 13, 2011 at 5:14 AM

    Maybe we should blow up some banks.

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  9. T. BanacekFebruary 13, 2011 at 6:00 AM

    I know who that wise man is.

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  10. BrendanFebruary 13, 2011 at 8:32 AM

    good point. love fight club aswell

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  11. SkyBlueFebruary 13, 2011 at 9:22 AM

    i totally agree with ya...it's all about consume and buying more...better cars, clothes, and houses..

    http://skybluetrading.blogspot.com/

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  12. GFebruary 13, 2011 at 9:29 AM

    I love the quote at the end...
    There has to be a payback for constant consumerism at some point...

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  13. trippinketsFebruary 13, 2011 at 9:33 AM

    good point

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  14. philFebruary 13, 2011 at 1:46 PM

    there must come a point when it all stops though...

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  15. STILLhumanFebruary 13, 2011 at 3:52 PM

    The real crime is not making people buy what they don't need, but making them think they live to work.
    but we'll be over that when the machines have finally come to take the last job from us. i don't mean that in a bad way, but take them like a burden, so we can finally unfold to our true destiny.

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  16. ChefJRHFebruary 13, 2011 at 4:27 PM

    Its so true! Advertisements are what make me want things, I almost bought an ipad after seeing all their advertisements, but then realized i seriously dont need it.

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  17. JamesFebruary 13, 2011 at 6:31 PM

    100% true!

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  18. CrazyJuanFebruary 13, 2011 at 9:16 PM

    Bleh, economics.

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  19. AnonymousFebruary 14, 2011 at 3:40 AM

    "advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don't need. "
    I like this :L

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  20. Justsayin'February 14, 2011 at 6:48 AM

    Good post. Was that wise man George Carlin by chance?

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  21. KazonFebruary 14, 2011 at 7:26 AM

    Yes, good to filter the advertising.

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  22. metalpark_73189February 14, 2011 at 7:34 AM

    Advertisements = brainwashing

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  23. trippinketsFebruary 14, 2011 at 8:54 AM

    good post

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  24. ArexFebruary 15, 2011 at 12:24 AM

    I was just thinking about how overworked Americans are compared to Europe.

    Makes me sad to see a country so bent-up in GDP and not enough of living life and enjoying it. WTF is the point of living then?

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  25. murz90February 15, 2011 at 7:55 AM

    @metalpark - true, true.

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