Love things or people

“Kilbourne demonstrates how ads encourage us to objectify each other and to believe that our most significant relationships are with products.  As she says, ‘Ads turn lovers into things and things into lovers.’

“Jean Kilbourne shows that the main message is that happiness comes from products.  Advertisers exploit our very real human desires for connection, calmness, respect, and excitement.  Every emotion is used to sell something.  The cumulative effect of all these ads is to leave us romantic about objects and deeply cynical about humans, who are after all much more complicated than products.  (‘Who says guys are afraid of commitment?  He’s had the same backpack for years.’)  Over and over, ads’ messages are that human relationships are fragile, difficult, and disappointing but products won’t let us down.  (‘The ski instructor faded away three years ago, but the sweater didn’t.’)  But, Kilbourne points out, ‘Products are the only things, and no matter how much we love them, they won’t love us back.

“Kilbourne writes that our being buried alive in what David Denby calls ‘an avalanche of junk.’  Twenty years ago, kids drank twice as much milk as soda.  Thanks to ads, today the reverse is true.” – Mary Pipher in Can’t by My Love

We can’t exchange things for people to have a full life.  Yes, relationships can interfere our perfect lives as we plan them, however life is meant for more than things.

Renee Madison, MA, LPC, CSAT is a counselor in Colorado.  She can be reached for appointments at 303-257-7623 or 970-324-6928