Monday, June 20, 2011
There is a War Going On for Your Mind
"There's a war going on for your mind.
Media mavens mount surgical strikes from trapper keeper collages and online magazine racks.
Cover girl cutouts throw up pop-up ads,
Infecting victims with silicone shrapnel.
Worldwide passenger pigeons deploy paratroopers.
Now it's raining pornography.
Lovers take shelter!
Post-production debutantes pursue you in NASCAR chariots.
They construct ransom letters from biblical passages and bleed mascara into holy water supplies.
There's a war going on for your mind
Industry insiders slang test tube babies to corporate crackheads.
They flash logos and blast ghettos.
Their embroidered neckties say "stop snitchin'."
Conscious rappers and whistle-blowers get stitches made of acupuncture needles and marionette strings.
There is a war going on for your mind.
Professional wrestlers and vice presidents want you to believe them.
The desert sky is their blue screen,
They superimpose explosions.
They shout at you,
"Pay no attention to the men behind the barbed curtain
Nor the craters beneath the draped flags!
Those hoods are there for your protection,
And meteors these days are the size of corpses!"
There's a war going on for your mind.
We are the insurgents."
Written by Flobots.
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First, I picked the easiest way to comment. Choosing anonymous was easiest, but it is Kaiser, so that you know.
ReplyDeleteI've always been impressed by the things that Flobots has to say about problems that we face on a day to day basis (especially in our own country). The way that they construct their raps is one of the reasons that I have been so drawn to them as a music group. What's more, is that the message they deliver is quite powerful.
Advertisement and consumerism have reached heights that were probably unfathomable even 15 or 20 years ago, simply because of the way that media has progressed over that time. With the release of the internet, it has ensured that all information is readily available to anyone who seeks it. But, I am less concerned about where it is now, however it worries me a lot to think about where it can progress from here. Media portrayal of groups have absolutely ruined people who become ostracized because they don't fit the public standard. Take, for example, the concept of skinny women (yes, I know I am treading dangerous water here because I am certain that Nyssa will have an opinion about this too) and what advertising does to the younger women who feel compelled to look like these models do. If they don't look like that, then they are outcasts by any who wish to uphold that standard (and it is a terrible one, in my opinion).
Now, let's couple this notion of societal standards with fears that might be realized in the future (but hey, who knows what the future holds for us?). What is the next step for advertising? Surely they want to reach the largest audience possible, right? So what could possibly be bigger than the radio, the internet or the TV? Direct transmission. Yeah, it sounds weird. Is it impossible? Maybe now, sure. Does that mean it will never happen? I suppose anything is possible, but the real question is, when will it stop (or will it ever stop)?
Now, I realize that this is obviously a somewhat skewed perspective on the topic, however I understand that it doesn't apply to the media alone. Every single person you meet has an agenda, spoken or not, intentional or not. These people all influence you in one way or another, whether it is an obvious influence or a more subtle one. Everything around you is something that acts to influence who you are and it is (mostly) up to you to choose how you will react to those attempts. I say mostly because some of it IS out of your control. But then again, that is just my opinion.
Hopefully, this makes as much sense to you as it did to me when I was writing it. It was definitely helped by some caffeine.
No, Kaiser, I believe you have made some incredible strong points.
ReplyDeleteIn a reprise of this song, it goes on to say
"There is a war going on for your mind.
If you are thinking, you are winning."
I think that's the main way people should combat consumerism and media brainwashing: To think critically, to use their own mind and soul to decide what is good and right for them.
If someone looks at a supermodel who is skinnier than they should be and has the proportions of one of James Cameron's Na'vi, a gut reaction would likely be, "Well, that isn't healthy." And they're right. Yet, they're still elevated to new heights with shows like "The Biggest Loser" and "Dance Your Ass Off".
Granted, the people on such shows are doing the healthy thing, but this has a higher chance of showing people who AREN'T morbidly obese what they "should" be doing and enthralling people who ARE to the TV so strongly that they won't get up and exercise themselves.
The only way we can really stand up to this system that takes from the poor and gives to the richest and takes our money, our self-respect, and dignity is to do just that. Stand up. Say something, write angry letters, protest, do SOMETHING so that they hear. There's strength in numbers. And as much as I dislike black-and-white situations, this is one in which I have no other decision but to choose a side.
"People are waking up
The insurgency is alive and well...
...We are building up a new world
Do not sit idly by
Do not remain neutral
Do not rely on this broadcast alone
We are only as strong as our signal
There is a war going on for your mind
If you are thinking you are winning
Resistance is victory."