26 -- Sunday, October 27, 1996 — North Shore News
a

Break free of the televisi

Don’t be a victim of
media manipulation. Break
free from the TV conspiracy.

on conspiracy |

Marshall Curriculum
Centre.

Ashley Vincent is a Grade
12 Sutherland Secondary stu-
dent enrolled in Video

you (sort of) know (gossip-
ing, just like you see on
shows like E.T , Extra, ete.).

together, having wonderfully
full lives, and ail that you've -
been doing is watching

SO you think that
since Canada’s a
democratic society that
you’re truly free?

Think again. Every day,
you are exposed to thou-
sands of advertisements. Are
you truly free to make your
own decisions? Or are you
just another victim of media

manipulation?

Television is probably the
simplest, and cleverest of all
advertising schemes. People
who watch TV on a regular
‘basis will undoubtedly find
their lives somewhat empty.

Take a typical TV watch-
ing day. You come home
from work or school and

turn the TV on, and watch

_ it until dinner. Then, after
dinner, you watch it some
more...

~ You’ve spent about four
or five hours watching TV.
_, You’ve spent all that time

_ watching other people.
“You've wasted your time
concentrating on the lives of

“people you don’t know, and.
‘that, don’t affect you'in-any

“way. Be it sitcoms, talk .:

shows, sports or the news... °
‘After-hours.of watching -

strangers on Seinfeld, -: >

Friends; and‘Mad-Aboitt. :-‘

them from outside your TV.

Shows like Entertainment
Tonight, Extra, Hard Copy,
and Access Hollywood are
among the stupidest shows
that you can watch on TV.
These are actually shows
about shows.

Why would anyone care
if Demi Moore got a new
haircut, or J.F.K. Ir. gor
married? May I remind you:
You don’t know them!

While you’ve spent all
this time looking outwards
at the lives of others, you've
neglected your own life, and
the lives of your family
members.

You haven't accomplished

“ By giving you
a hopelessly
unrealistic view
of life (TV net-

_works) create a

void in your
life. In turn,
they fill that
void with a
simple solution:
products. ”
anything by watching TV
You don’t have anything

to talk about with your fam-
ily because yort’ve all been

- watching the same thing.

. If you look around, you

see that your own life isn’t

that fulfilling.

Tf- conversation does .
occur then you find yourself
talking about what you all

‘just.saw’on TV, or you end

up gossiping about ‘people

Because you haven’t
done anything, you have
nothing interesting to say
about yourself, and all that
comes out is usually, “I need
to lose weight,” or “I need a
haircut.”

What you really need is
more of a life.

So now you're feeling a
bit empty. Maybe your
friends aren’t as funny as
that witty bunch on Friends,
Or your marriage isn’t as
happy as the couple on Mad
About You, or your family
isn’t as functional as the one
on Full House.

So you have a void in
your life? Well here come
the commercials! Want bet-
ter friends? Dye your hair!
(If this sounds stupid just
look around and see how
many women went our and
got the ever-popular layered
hair-do that Racheal has on
Friends.) :

Is your social life lacking?
You must need beer!(Check
our the women in the beer
ads.)

Is your family dysfunc-
tional? Well then, buy more
beer!

All of these networks are
funded, and paid for by
sponsors. By giving you 3
hopelessly unrealistic view of
life, they create a void in
your life. In turn, they fill
that void with simple solu-
tions: products.

Without these products
the networks weuld finan-
cially cease to exist. Both -
rely on cach other to stay in
business.

Television isn’t around to
entertain you, it’s there to
manipulate you.

In conclusion, if you’re
looking for a good story,

_ pick up a book. At least with

a book there isn’t an ulterior
motive,

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