Impotent Words

This is perhaps not the best forum for this rant, but as I have reformed and no longer post on http://arizonarants.blogspot.com/ (though, I just checked it out and it’s a pretty fun read), this is the place for it. To keep with the context, I spiritualized it, though, in reality, there should be no separation in our lives. As spiritual people, everything is spiritual or has a spiritual component.

So the rant. I’m coming to the conclusion that I hate marketing. Strong words from someone whose job title includes the words marketing and brand. I suppose what I hate is what we have done with marketing. In most cases, marketing has become, and feel free to quote this:

mar·ket·ing [mahr-ki-ting] -noun
1. Convincing people that they cannot live without something they do not need.

Now, yes there is good marketing. I market a product that benefits people and is something some people quite literally can’t live without. But notice these signs and labels I have seen recently:

coffeeexp BudLight walmart-logoThese are what I call marketing jibberish. We use words that mean something to you to suggest that this product will somehow make your life better. Drinkability. How is Bud Light more drinkable than any other beer or beverage? Think about it. Drinkability. Able to be drunk. Every drink has drinkability. Of course the suggestion here is that this beer has all then qualities you want in a drink, it’s one you want to drink, others are somehow, NOT drinkable.

Authentic. What an overused and maligned word.

Authentic. au·then·tic [aw-then-tik] -adjective
1. not false or copied; genuine; real: an authentic antique.
2. having the origin supported by unquestionable evidence; authenticated; verified: an authentic document of the Middle Ages; an authentic work of the old master.

How often do you think you drink fake coffee? Do you wonder, when at Starbucks, I sure hope this coffee is authentic? And what is a coffee experience? Do I even want one? I just want a cuppa joe while I experience something else. Something called life.

Save money, live better. Is there really a connection? And who can raise their hands that their quality of life is better due to Walmart? Sure, maybe you own more cheap junk, but better?

I write this, not to attempt to change marketing, that is a daunting task. If you are interested in that, check out Adbusters and sign up to become a Culture Jammer (don’t breaks any laws tho).

I write rather, to just make us think. What are we subconsciously buying into by not questioning the consumption. I don’t mean consumption of the coffee, I mean intellectual consumption. We take in so much crap that the good stuff has a hard time finding purchase in the folds of our gray matter. If we dilute words and meaning, we are diluting Truth. Truth comes to us through word and the Word. If those words lose meaning, truth loses its potency.

Let’s be like the Bereans who were praised for searching out a matter. Let’s be those for whom words matter. Let’s not let meaning become subjective and vague. Truth is a sword, let’s wield it with accuracy.

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