A Pet Peeve

Dystopia as far as the eye can see! Minority Report, THX-1138, Zardoz...the list goes on.

The factory where THX-1138 worked. Lucasfilm - Blu-ray Disc release of THX 1138

Some of you are going to think I’m crazy but I’ve reached a point in my life where I no longer give a damn.

I’m going to verbalize how I think things should be even though snow balls in the Mojave desert in July have better odds. I’m going to say the craziness I believe out loud. Torpedoes be damned!

Why not? Everybody is putting their neuroses and ignorance and well and ill-formed opinions on full display every day.

I’m going to start with a subject that chafes me to no end — Advertising.

Advertising — besides being eye pollution and headache producing and little more than stumping for gross overconsumption — it’s a means of propping up businesses, products and services that should have just been allowed to fail.

If word-of-mouth, or a minor amount of real-time promotion, can’t sustain your business, maybe it shouldn’t exist? Or maybe you should learn to live on less?

When I read about the ginormous amount of money some soft drink manufacturer paid Michael Jackson, I distinctly remember the first thought that came to me was “Why? There is no chance in hell humans are going to quit consuming your sugar water and, if they do, c’est la vie! Michael Jackson doesn’t (didn’t) need the money and humanity doesn’t need encouragement in order to destroy their stomach linings and extend their waistlines.”

I know ‘too big to fail’ has been proven wrong over and over but, from my point of view, word of mouth should be sufficient.

Capitalism is like cancer and I know there is nothing original about this statement. We all know capitalism is like cancer. Growth for growth’s sake leads nowhere but toward diminishing returns. The biggest corporate entities on the planet are as myopic as a mole.

They can’t see the forest from the trees. They barely notice the trees because they just want to cut them down for a better view, toilet paper and ridiculously priced seven thousand square foot homes.

Advertising is another means of control. It ought to be severely curtailed. Grow your product or service organically or let it fail.

I started and grew my business by cold-calling a company or firm’s human relations department and asking if the business funded, or subsidized, employee activities. I asked if they wanted a brochure or information about my service and — if they said Yes — I sent it to them.

That was it.

I didn’t call back to harass them, or needle them, or press them. If the internet had existed at the time, I wouldn’t have bombed them with emails or texts.

If they liked what they saw — if they saw it at all because we’re talking about businesses who received an avalanche of mail every day — I’d get a phone call asking more questions or a booking. If they didn’t, I didn’t, and that was that.

In our office we jokingly said “Sell hard, sell fast, nobody hurt.” It was a play on the slogan for the New Games of the 60s and 70s — “Play hard, play fair, nobody hurt.” We weren’t “selling hard” although the act of calling people out-of-the-blue often felt radical because we were the furthest from salespeople as you could possibly be.

My (very) low-key entrepreneurial style reflected how I wanted the world to be. I never wanted to be the used car salesman deploying every manipulative tactic known to humankind to sell something anyone with two eyes and a brain could see was…of dubious quality…at best. I recoil at ‘pushiness’. When I walk into a store, I’m the person who doesn’t want to talk to a salesperson until I am ready to buy.

Now, we live in a time where WE are the product for companies like Meta and Google and — well — practically ALL tech companies. No day goes by that I don’t get solicited via some sort of communication app. I remember the days you could buy reams of contact information about businesses. (That may have been how we managed to find who to cold-call.)

In this day and age, we have willingly surrendered thousands and thousands of data points for convenience. In return, we are being “waterboarded” with sales pitches for everything from exotic, specific drug regimens for hair loss or erectile dysfunction to more and more colorful dish and laundry detergents.

It’s a sickening spiral of never-ending consumption.

But, now, for the Good News!

With the Stepford Administration’s shiny, new worldwide tariffs (except for the two exceptionally fascist countries - Russia and North Korea - weird how that works) on everything from soup to nuts, we will — eventually — have to curb our enthusiasm for buying things and conserve. With the current financial trends, I see myself becoming even more frugal and more resistant to insipid efforts to part me — voluntarily — from dwindling, hard-earned money.

I know. (Heavy sigh.) Sales and advertising pitches will continue unchecked. After all, it’s all part of the cancer metaphor.

So, I’ll leave you with one of my favorite sardonic movie lines. It’s from the sci-fi flick THX-1138 (which has a thorough Wikipedia page) and it was eerily echoed by George W. Bush immediately following September 11th:

Buy.

Buy now.

Buy more.

Be Happy.

State sanctioned deity in THX-1138

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This works!

Also, April 5th — that’s tomorrow — is a Day of Nationwide Protests. This time it is organized by ALL of the Resistance — 50501, Indivisible, MoveOn, RunForSomething and many others.

My wife and I will be in a downtown park in a sleepy burg in the rural side of our state. Many of you will be in more urban environments which will require you to be far more vigilant, prepared and informed.

Here are the tenets of 50501.

50501 Values and Commitments

Between 50501 States and 50501 Movement

Commitment to Inclusivity

​We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to contribute.

Embracing diversity strengthens our community, enriches our perspectives, and drives innovation.

Through continuous learning, open dialogue, and equitable practices, we strive to create a space where all individuals can thrive.

Commitment to Non-Violence

We are dedicated to promoting nonviolence in all aspects of our interactions, fostering a culture of respect, understanding, and peaceful conflict resolution.

We believe that dialogue, empathy, and cooperation are essential in creating a safe and just environment for all.

Through our actions and commitments, we strive to reject harm and build a community rooted in compassion and mutual respect.

Commitment to Conflict Resolution

We are committed to fostering peaceful conflict resolution within states and organizations through dialogue, collaboration, and mutual understanding.

By promoting diplomacy, mediation, and inclusive decision-making, we strive to address disputes constructively and prevent escalation.

Our approach emphasizes respect, fairness, and long-term solutions that strengthen relationships and contribute to lasting stability in the movement.

Here’s an excellent Substack article that includes information about how to protest safely with links to other valuable information regarding how to avoid being digitally tracked (leave your device at home would be the simplest suggestion, but it is nice to have the camera/video feature).

Speak your piece! Stay safe! Good trouble only!