(no subject)
As part of my job, I sometimes have to transcribe various infomercials, the ones that play at 2am urging you to buy a blender for two easy payments of $29.99. Recently, I had to transcribe one for a concealer and foundation. It's just weird to see the whole psychology behind it. They start out so non-threatening, and then once they get your attention, they start talking about how good their product is, go into this long explanation about the chemical properties of it and how dermatologists recommend it. Then they start to pitch their product, initially just as a suggestion. The sordid part is when they start tapping into your insecurities. They make you feel like you are ugly, that you will never succeed if you aren't beautiful, that no one will ever love you if you are flawed... And then they bombard you with the product. They tell you to hurry, make you feel like it is your only opportunity to redeem yourself, your only chance of ever truly being happy. They bluntly tell you that you all have something to hide. Of course they are talking about blemishes, but the underlying message is much more sinister. It implies that you can hide behind a metaphorical caked-on mask which conceals you from head to toe. Your inner beauty will only shine through if you wear the product, essentially telling you that people are just incapable of seeing the real person you are because you are too just too fat and ugly for them to notice. And you know, the worst part is that they had a woman on where they covered her legs with the concealer because they were covered in scars, and it sort of hit a personal note because of the skin problems I have on my legs, and how sometimes I just wish I could have a miracle solution which would completely cover them up. But you know, that's just not the way you deal with life... and you just can't let guilt or shame dictate what you buy. I sometimes wonder what other commercials out there also prey on my insecurities in an even subtler way. Because it's honestly a lot scarier when you don't notice the effect it has on you.