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Sara O'Rourke

Advertisers - Concerned or Predatory?

Posted Friday, September 25, 2009 (44 days 2 hours ago.) Viewed 630 times.

They are flashing images behind your eyes and stored away in your memory - the colours, noises, smells, tastes but most of all the sensations they gave you. Advertisements bombard you heavily every hour of every day - what are the true intentions behind all this creative hassle?

'Advertisers' is a relatively broad frame for a very varied group of small and local and government-run companies. Splashed and splurged over a large proportion of magazines are your typical big-name clothes and cosmetics brands: TOPSHOP, MAC, L'oreal, to name a few. Similarly, you have your car retailers such as Volkswagen, Toyota, BMW, who advertise largely on impressive billboards and on the television. Quite differently to both of these, the government funds advertisements such as the popular (and effective) 'Smoking Kills' series, as well as the 'Don't Drink and Drive' strand. So, as can be seen, the product being advertised calls for very different approaches in advertising.

Taking the last mentioned example, the televised warnings of the disease and death associated with smoking and alcohol - what are the main features of this type of advertisement? For any of you who have seen these before, I think you would all safely agree when I use the following adjectives; unnerving, shocking, discouraging (note - all negative.) Many of these adverts involve graphic images of real-life patients or in-car situations that basically force viewers into an uncomfortable moment of empathy.

Still, the intentions behind such advertisements are hardly illusive. The government clearly aims to lower the numbers of smokers and of road accidents due to excessive alcohol consumption. The government is clearly concerned, pushing for the public, their virtual 'customers', to make informed decisions in future. Although they are arguably pushing for a good cause, there is still an almost predatory factor in the conduction of the adverts - it plays on the strongest of emotions in order to dissuade abusers of tobacco and alcohol.

On the other side, the advertising for clothes brands such as TOPSHOP is always very colourful, carefully choreographed and positioned, well-lit - flawless. The aim is again quite clearly to get young girls to buy their clothes. There is no question about it - TOPSHOP is not trying to hide their motive. Despite its differences to the anti-drug campaigns, the common similarity is its use of extremes. The images, the models, the put-together outfits portray an image of perfection that is practically unattainable in the real world 99% of the time. Similarly, the anti-drug campaigns portrays the worst-case scenario. While one slowly ensures customers develop an aspiration to 'become the image', the other slowly ensures customers develop an aspiration to never reach it.

But can advertising take its form in even simpler states, for example, a bus timetable? Can a very plain metal plate displaying bus times and routes have ulterior motives? One could argue that even though the bus company is not openly complimenting or recruiting, even the formal and easily comprehensible way it has displayed its details had deep thought behind it, giving off an impression of reliability and professionalism that could in the future encourage more people to use the easy bus routes rather than their cars.

This brings me to the question - can there be advertising without persuasion?

To answer this, we must try to imagine a world without advertising. One where each and every individual was expected to make decisions and choices on every action they were to take in life without an outside factor contributing to it. This, and only this, would be true free choice, for the moment we are informed about one thing, we automatically consider it in our minds and just getting the name into our minds is often enough for a quick sale.

Our world is one ridden with advertising. Even when we attempt to steer clear of it, it is all around - on people in the form of the autumn season collection, in cafe's who serve free-trade coffee, in the career talks they give to students. It is both concerned and predatory - occasionally concerned about the customer, but for the most part with sales figures and general expansion, and it is a very hungry world.

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Womens' Journey

Posted Tuesday, September 22, 2009 (46 days 20 hours ago.) Viewed 106 times.

In mild preparation for my degree course, reading up on the fascinations of Gender and Sexuality - of course, I went straight to these as my starter chapters - I found an emotional, intense and desperate journey. It has only been in recent years that women in the UK have celebrated their right to vote and now, learning what discrimination and inequity gave womens' rights such blazing propulsion, I am full of thoughts; what new goals and rights will we achieve tomorrow?

The facts stare blankly - black as blackest ink on the fresh white pages of this brand new text book: ' In the summer of 1810, Londoners who could afford the steep 2s. 6d. entrance fee could view in the flesh the woman the papers were calling the 'Hottentot Venus', shipped for display from the Cape of Good Hope.' As one reads on, the story of victimized Saartje Baartman is heart-breaking and I feel in myself, as a woman, violated.

Saartje, or Sara Baartman was displayed by white entrepeneurs in Piccadilly (and later Paris) to symbolize colonial sexuality. Her condition of sinus pudoris of the labia (which causes them to become 3-4 inches elongated) as well as her large 'fertile features' attracted huge European fascination and her display illuminated the way in which women were subordinate to men in this period.

Further, it was the enlightening read that British men took advantage of the so-called 'freer' or more 'fluid' sexual customs in the colonies, all the while depreciating them, that was laughable. This period of time was one of ' deep Christian orthodoxy', which in itself depicts sexual activity as both procreative and sinful, and therefore added to the blatant hypocrisy of these ongoings.

What an interesting experience it would be to travel back in time and first-hand communicate and interact with nineteenth century society and its many ridiculous values. I feel very fortunate to be growing up and coming into womanhood with a generation that appears to be more open-minded, ignorant of the idea of 'separate spheres' for men and women and all the jazz that comes with the concept.

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Singing out for New Orleans

Posted Tuesday, September 15, 2009 (53 days 17 hours ago.) Viewed 93 times.

The heart of the American south is one of warmth and hospitality. A relaxed pace exudes in the southern life - a slower speech, a less rushed shuffle, a looser grip and more lenient rule. It was this pronounced sigh of ease as well as the bursting creativity that created that connection for me with the wonderful and strong place called New Orleans.

New Orleans, or N'awlins, as the seasoned traveller and southerners refer to it affectionately, was a sleepless hub of happiness. I made sure to stay in an apartment that matched the French architecture of the quarter both inside and out to more intensely immerse myself into the city culture - and living this way was thoroughly enjoyable. And, although my home sat on the skirtline of the discouraged blocks, furthering Louis Armstrong Park, it was the perfect distance away from lively Bourbon Street by night.

By day, the locals were welcoming and eager to discuss the recent and less recent history of their home with us. They were both descriptive and passionate about their stories and shared them without reservation. Even without speaking to the locals directly, the small contact with shop owners and street artists was sufficient to show the chilled out attitude within the city streets.

New Orleans was definitely a city of two faces (at least.) By this, I mean merely that it manages to capture a beautiful and almost delicate atmosphere with the attractive porches, balconies and flora, but as well as this it is a frivolous and R-rated hotspot. The nice thing about this mixture is the fact that it feels like there is absolutely no judgement in the city - each person goes about their own life and does as they please - whatever makes them happy. I leave it down to this feeling to explain why so many people extend their comfort zones and really come out of their shells!

Further to the dark-hour activities, I took a trip to Preservation Hall. In one sentence, it did it's job in 'preserving' music. The setting was idyllic; the walls left to their original appearance and the mellow seating arrangements allowed viewers and music-lovers to really get involved with the music. The band was incredibly talented - this goes without saying - but it was not what they played so much as their expressions during their sets that was amazing. There was something in their eyes that told each and every person in the room that they were committed to their cause and that they loved the city and what it represented.

In short, New Orleans was a pearl - a small and well-rounded gem - not necessarily perfect or regular, but all the while rich in value and doubtless a rarity.

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Exploring Utopia

Posted Thursday, June 04, 2009 (157 days 5 hours ago.) Viewed 137 times.

Our authors and creators of utopian worlds and concepts reach far and wide across the body of History; Plato inspired Thomas More, and in turn his account of Hythloday dining with the utopians gave flame to firewood for H.G.Wells and the Buckminster Fuller. What is our evident obsession with such a place, and if it can, does it exist?

First and foremost it is principal to explore exactly what Utopia means; is it the absence of privacy? The absence of human tendencies such as greed, envy and pride? Is it even the understanding and obligation to a universal duty to common labour and contribution to common wealth? In many dictionaries, its definition boils down to the 'idyllic' place or situation.

As I have always preached, it is what makes us different that makes the human race a beautiful and endlessly interesting part of life. In our perceptions of what makes something our 'Utopia' we are no different. The vast majority of people would describe their ultimate utopic concept the idea of world peace - a political utopia that is virtually impossible to find.

Others will focus on specific sectors of interest: for example, the Christian faith depicts the Garden of Eden as its utopic state, whereas in Buddhism, utopia can be reached only through appropriate state of mind - to reach enlightenment. Religious ideals are often recreated on Earth to mirror what awaits members of the faith in their afterlife.

In light of the modern-day, even Science has a place in this debate. A far-away state in which technology is used simply to enhance and improve our quality of life is scientific utopia. Buckminster Fullerines, named after the American visionary Buckminster Fuller, represent molecular 'perfection'.

The question remains as to whether such perfection is truly attainable, nevertheless. Surely, if it did exist, we would already have reached it and embraced it with open arms. We would be living in a state of utopia as we speak, or rather, write. If we are still on the path to discovery, how do we know where to look?

And, having demonstrated that peoples' ideas of utopia are so diverse, is it possible to find one that contents the masses? Perhaps it is, as the Buddhists and Hindus advise, an individual state of mind - accessible to all and yet unpenetrated by others.

But just for a second envision this perfect, flawless world. Would the removal of negative things remove negative thoughts? Would we become strangers to sadness, disappointment and anger?

In More's Utopia there is talk of the utopians seeing the light behind the philosopher's words when he spoke of Christ and the Gospel, recognising it as righteous and true. How would one distinguish between right and wrong in Utopia? If there is no wrong, what makes something right?

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