Alright, so I got in a rather heated discussion with my twin today about Apple. I said how they were brainwashing people into thinking they need something they already have, (for example, how she has an Ipod touch with its texting app but wants an Iphone) and she was all like, "It's not Brainwashing, just good marketing."

So, with my Dystopian novel kick lately, that made me think. Is there really a difference between advertisement and brainwashing? How can you tell when it goes a step too far? What really is Brainwashing anyway? I know when I think of brainwashing I always think of mindless zombies, but couldn't it be subtler then that? Even IF we are being brainwashed, what could we do about it?

Thus, as it always is when I think about something, I wanted to see what y'all thought. Feel free to add more questions in your posts if you'd like, or answer questions I didn't ask. Just keep on topic.

________________

It's not only advertisement that does brainwashing. The life is a lot more controlled and regulated if to give a good think about it (politics, religion, your living space, what you see walking your every-day road...). What to do to avoid advertisement brainwashing? Think over well whether you need that stuff. And that's pretty much all I can come up with.

By the way, what does your dystopian kick include?

This is more along the lines of avarice by your twin. No worries.

As for brainwashing, usually it's propaganda from a single source while stifling other sources, ultimately resulting in belief because it's the only thing you know. There's also an option to be louder and more in ones face. Either way, your twin would have to do this to herself... and brainwashing oneself is... morally... OK?

________________
This signature was recovered from Hades to serve in my rotting armies.

It's marketing. There's nothing remotely subliminal in it.

Idiots still fall for it, so it might as well be brainwashing to them (even if they don't realize). A lot of businesses depend on idiots like these to pass on the word to their fellow idiots, saying it's a requirement of life or some shit like that.

I mean, those social networking things like Facefuck and TwittyTwat don't exactly brainwash you into using them, but they do cleverly prey on your insecurities and lack of social life, causing retards like this to often "brainwash" themselves into worshipping shit for shit's sake.

________________
~Point & Squirt~

I was about to say something about subliminal advertising...However its actualy illegal to make adverts like that Apparantly there are people who check the quality of advertisement.


For example there was a subliminal beer advertisement. Something along the lines of "after a hard day of WORK...enjoy....". After that advert campaign, after 5pm their product sky rocketed in sales.

Apple MIGHT be doing it in a sutle way but i highly dought it with the amount of controll going on in adds.

________________

I believe in letting people do as they wish, as do I myself. Sometimes, of course, what I wish to do is kill them and they do not wish to die. This gives life interest.

Methinks you need to slap some sense into your sister.

Gan here basically hit the nail on the head. Advertising isn't essentially brainwashing, but it can have that effect amongst the insecure and the abnormally malleable.

Generally speaking, though, what advertising does is provide information in a way that sounds enticing. It's a kind of seduction, which from my perspective, is slightly different from brainwashing.

________________

Reviews of my Work:
You are kind of boring - Blackorion
Congratulations! Ur an asshole! - tokyo_homi
Your awesome!!! - Cherelle_Ashley
NightSwan also said that she wanted to peg me, once, but I'm not sure whether to take that as a compliment or a threat...

Advertising IS Brainwashing even when not intended.

________________
Cradle of Monsters
Destroy and Revolution
The Meteor

Advertising is a mult-million dollar industry. Companies pour time, money, and man power into a form of advertisment in the hopes the sales increase. They want you to buy their product. That's why Nike, McDolands, Skittles, etc nail in those logos and sayings into your brain. Just do it, I'm lovin it, taste the rainbow! That's just the tip, their logos like the little check Nike symbol and the golden arc can be recognised worldwide. It's subtle brainwashing.

________________
An instant or an eternity. Both are the same, in the passing of an instant lies the beauty of eternity.
-Ginen Shounen

Because I am a small man, my heart is moved by what's in front of my eyes, not by what the whole world needs.
-D.Gray-man