Ethos

It's becoming quite a pass time for me to watch documentaries on Netflix.  I admit that.

Well over a year ago, I was told Ethos was *the* documentary to show us the truths of America at this time.  Now I've finally seen it and I just shake my head.

First off, was most of this not common knowledge?  "Imagine a nightmare scenerio where big business controls the government."  Obviously the documentary is not going to show me how that's what we're living.  Well, obviously, kids.  It's called Free Market economy.  You try to show us how things were changed in the past to make this true, but the reality is, it's always been the case.  If you don't like it, open your own business.  That's the message this capitalist society was built upon.

Now, I'm not denying all the facts of this film.  There are actually a lot I know from other more reliable sources *are* facts, but it's interesting that those things are not covered within this film because the message is not to trust the media or government without question... yet you expect us to
listen to you.  Without question.  It's sort of like taking up smoking to give up alcoholism or becoming Lutheran because you think the Presbyterians believe in God too much.

If you are talking to a society that listens to the media and blindly follows because they make their unsupported points with determined gusto and by making incendiary comments, then I suppose the way you sell them *your* bill of goods is to be incendiary and make your points without bothering to provide supporting information

The problem is I question the government and the media already and I try not to be influenced by commercials (but know the reality is there is not 100% escape if you live within the realms of society) so I hear your message, but all I can think is that you are just as weak in your arguments as they are in theirs.  It was a soft blow, to say the least.

I'm fascinated by the number of these anti-government/media/corporation documentaries are narrated or voiced by foreigners.  One of those "without question" things I've noticed is that people think those from other countries (specifically English speaking) should be taken more seriously.  Those who want to seem sensitive and intelligent tend to pick up that Americans are arrogant, therefore we must be self-loathing which leads to the idea that other countries "have it right" and are doing things in a better way.  Is that why these films often have a European accent lilting through their dialogue?

The part of this film I think they have right is pointing out that we can support companies we believe do the right thing by buying from them and shunning those we don't agree with by not consuming their products.  however, this is an infinitely complicated problem.  Can we decide if the farmer Dan's buys its eggs from is morally better than the one who sells his eggs to Harmon's?  I recommend buying locally when possible, but let's be realistic.  We're all struggling financially so sometimes the low cost of goods outweighs the desire to be perfect in every purchase.

I resent this documentaries claim that that makes us "obedient consumers" and argue that it means our lives are way more complicated than some Hollywood dude who spoke in the film and your bunch of film makers -- who will, frankly, make money off of this documentary for years to come -- understand.  Forgive me if I don't think you really understand the complicated thought process of a regular family who works the daily grind and can't rely on our "art" to pay the bills.

I just felt that, overall, it wasn't eye opening or ground breaking and before taking their word for it, you should question and research every word they say because it's not so cut and dry.  Not in the slightest.

I also feel like a lot of the documentaries these days are lacking hard hitting evidence and that the film makers believe we are following blindly.  I think "people" are blind, but a person knows what he or she is doing.  I think sometimes people are misinformed or confused, but I also think most people are just overwhelmed.  They aren't burying their head in the sand as this documentary claims, it's that their lives are so much more complicated than the decisions "they" want us to make and we have many many more factors than are being explored.

Advertising...

Hilarious.  I entered a contest using Facebook to win a gift card from Target.  I don't know what made me hit the "comments" on the Target post right afterwards, but I did.

People lose their cool for the dumbest things.  These are examples of the stupidity, but each one has at least a dozen other people saying the exact same things in different words.

1) "Too bad you require birthdate. I wish retailers would realize that not everyone is willing to give out all this personal information so easily online. Would have preferred a drop down menu with age ranges."

You entered your birthday to get a Facebook account, and FB is designed to share your information with more companies than hookers during shore leave.  Additionally, how many FB users get hacked daily?  At least 30% of my FB friends have been hacked at some point or another.  No one using Target has been hacked, to my knowledge.

2) "I would love to enter but DO NOT feel I should have to open my fb file"

Use your brain and read.  It said to link to FB *IF* you want to use FB to fill out your information...for your own convenience. You could type it in yourself if you wanted to do so.

3) "You CANNOT submit unless you grant access to FB friends and contact list. This is an unfortunate scam."

You're wrong.  I unchecked the box and filled out the form and it submitted fine so I think it is user error (read: you are stupid!) that it wouldn't let you submit.  Scam?  Where's the scam?  Too quick to use that word.

4) "This a thinly disguised means at gathering consumer information - right?"

Isn't everything?  Right now, everyone in society is freaking out that companies are gathering information so that they can sell to you.  Admittedly, it's a little creepy when I look at prices for hotels for a vacation, then the next time I am on FB, I get an advert telling you to book a room at the destination you were researching, but that's the nature of the internet beat right now.  Block the cookies that allow tracking and you can't even use FB.  It makes me nervous about personal information, of course, so I am cautious, but look past paranoia and you realize this is how companies are making products that are more specific to *you*.  

I don't like being advertised to all the time.  We're bombarded by things that we like, are useful, and we want or need.  No matter how much money a household makes, there is a way to spend it all, plus more.  Things that used to be free in the world and online are not anymore.  Common courtesy of providing services because you can is gone and every company (and people, too!) are living by the code that you should not provide anything if there is any possible way to charge money for it.  It's the reality of a global economy and fight it all you want, it might be annoying and a huge inconvenience, but at the same time, it is forcing manufacturers to stop thinking about what is convenient for them and focus on what is convenient for their customers.

Additional thought about advertising:
Since the convenience of TiVo/ DVRs have been available, we have seen an increase of banner ads during our television shows.  They grow longer and increasingly imposing.  Years ago, we made fun of the way shows would advertise during the program - made hilarious in Wayne's World as he threw up Doritos, Pizza Hut, etc, and made the advertising obvious.  I know part of the reason this went away was syndication - they had to account for those product placements every time the show airs and also DVD releases.  

On top of that, I used to record my shows and cut commercials so I could enjoy them again later.  I'd cut opening songs and closing credits, too, so that we could fit as much as possible onto a VHS tape.  We remember this, right?  Penny pinchers had to do everything they could to get enjoyment where possible.  Back then, an hour long program took up about 45 minutes.  (Yeah, the old days, it probably took 55 minutes, but hey, I'm not that old.)  Now it's about 42 minutes.  Comedies take little more than twenty minutes.

I have to admit as I lose precious minutes of the best suspense programs and as I see a flashlight come across the screen, flash "in my eyes" and take up 1/3 of the screen, I've been wondering why there can't be new, comprehensive agreements for product placement in our shows to help pay for advertising space.  Personally, I'm cool with seeing my favorite characters eat my least favorite potato chips if it means I get to focus on the actual show and they continue to have time to actually tell their story.  I mean, it's okay right now, but when will the trend take us to shows no longer than an SNL skit?  I may loathe a slippery slope argument, but there it is.