The Politics of Fear

Listen to the news and commercials.

Obvious they strive to exploit fear. Even Coppertone now uses fear of skin cancer to market its products. In one sense, I'm happy that the marketing moves away from sexual insecurity. Perhaps that frees us to become more secure and embrace those physical things that bring us pleasure. In another, the marketing of fear is more primal and powerful than sex, and therefore more effective. The defenses against it more difficult.

An even more frightening marketing tool is the combination of fear and sex.

The images of our warriors being warriors frighten me, not just because the idea that humans are capable of such things repulses, but because the images are being used to market a product we don't understand or know. Sexual humiliation when twisted with pain and pleasure is an effective device with which to control. The entire population of the United States and indeed the world is subject to many seeings of these images a day.

What can we do to lessen this campaign's effects on us? One might stop watching television and reading ads. One might keep one's awareness of what advertisers hope to achieve - our fear and the idea that their product can soothe - in the forefront of our minds. That is more difficult since awareness requires our full attention. But, it can be done.

One may be aware of one's fear and embrace it as the old friend it is and not allow it to have power over decision-making.

We might demand that the media cease and desist.

I'm trying all of the above.

- Watson, out