Media and Politics

I think politics have gotten brutal and cutthroat over the years. It seems like the media is focusing more and more on the negative aspects of what is going on and less on the good things. It feels like the only news they have is bad news, which isn’t the case. I think the closer we get to the 2008 election the worse things are going to get. It is going to be a tight race and I am sure a lot of mudslinging will occur. With the media news being divided by political parties with CNN being more democrat and Fox News being republican, I try and watch both stations to draw my conclusions. I want to make an educated vote this coming election so I don’t want to hear just one side of the story.

Advertising

Advertising probably has more affect on my life than I actually know. Good advertising in my opinion, leads you to want a product without even realizing why. I know from just my weekly shopping that sometimes I tend to go for the better-known products just because I recognize the name. Occasionally even a commercial will influence me to go out and buy something. Those are typically the commercials for some sort of fast food meal that I haven’t had in months. I usually tend to avoid food like that because when I eat it, I end up regretting it later. However, those commercials make the food look so good that I forget about how much I actually hate fast food.

The Geico caveman commercials are examples of what I believe to be effective advertising. They are so clever that they have led to sequels and people don’t mind watching them. In this particular one, the music is catchy and the whole thing is very humorous.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H02iwWCrXew

An ineffective ad to me is one that you can’t stand and flip the channel to avoid. In particular are the burger king commercials with the scary king mascot. Personally I found them creepy and disturbing. They totally turned me off.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqzgpsVnEqg&eurl=http://www.thegreenhead.com/2007/10/burger-king-creepy-king-halloween-mask.php