Welcome

Welcome readers (Of who right now I'm sure only consist of the three friends I'm going to send this too once I'm finished)

This is an idea that's been forming in the back of my skull for a while ever since completing a Media and Current Events class offered to me in high school. There we learned about the media, the manipulation tactics used by corporations in order to get unsuspecting people (passive viewers) to buy into whatever product was being thrown in their faces.

Now that I've graduated I've thought about it a lot more. What am I watching? How do the commercials make me feel? What is that billboard really saying to me? Am I being influenced by it or am I going to fight it?

Culture jamming is illegal. It's defacing property, that's apparently frowned upon. Well, I'm too young (and not quite cunning enough I'm afraid) to risk going around and defacing posters and advertisements, but there is something else I can do.


Enter Buy and Die: A Year of Protest.


It's very simple, any commerical, and advertisement, anything that just doesn't sit right with me is going to go here, followed by my own reasoning behind why I don't like it. Sure, you think, but what's that going to accomplish? Not a damn thing, except by making a note of the crummy advertisments in the world, I'm going to put a halt to buying those products. Shampoo commerical a little too racey? I'll try a new brand. Those cars suggest a minority can't drive? I won't be investing in one of them (...Okay, I won't be buying a car anyways, but you get my point!)

So I'm offering to anyone who might stumble across this blog, join me. Start being active viewers, pay attention to what you see every day. More importantly, be picky about it, if you don't like the smallest detail then that counts, put it on the list. This is an experiment of sorts, wht can we live without and what do we consider to valuable give up? Consider the consequences, is our own freedom to make our own choices a good enough price to pay if you have to have that product (even when the commerical stereotypes a certain type of person?) This is about taking stock in what you value in life, at the end of a year you should have not only saved money but hopefully be a little more aware of what is around you.

And for the record, yes, I'm perfectly aware that the arguements to follow will be petty, and at times even dumb. That's the point. I don't have to have a reason to hate a certain advertisement, but for the sake of people that like to debate, I'm going to try and find reasons.

So, let me sum it up:
Advertisements, commercials, all these ideas being thrown at you. Start to look at them. Really look at them and realize what is being shown to you. Then protest, don't buy that product for one year, can you do it? I bet you can. It'll be tough but I'll be there right along side you bitching and protesting the whole way. In the end your only reward might be the fact that you saved a bit of money, or maybe you feel a bit more active in your viewing. Those are both reasons alone to do it. So start paying attention folks, corporations everywhere are manipulating us and we don't even realize it. It's time to fight back.