My first thought is that this sort of article has me thinking of the popularity of “Dark Knight,” which suggests that for some reason we kind of want right now to imagine villains as master-minds, as all powerful (did you notice how many things just seemed to go the Joker's way, btw?), and kind of too readily "co-operate" with arguments made by those who would show just how hopeless things are right now.
It does sound like Buy-ology is one of those books written by someone who enjoys believing that the rest of us (not him, surely) are – despite our hope/belief that we are otherwise -- all too easily moved and controlled by those who know better than we do about how people work, and so doesn't really want to explore the considerable problem subliminal advertisers are faced with amongst a considerable some in our populace.
Namely: If somewhere deep down in our subconscious we don't want to "associate" with those who would use and abuse us, we won't do so (and there are prominent neuropsychiatrists -- who know that our subconsciouses are not as Freud argued, that is, essentially all the same, but vastly variant, depending on how well-nurtured we were as infants -- who'd back me up on this [Allan Schore comes to mind]). Sensed deep down there, we know when we're in the company of manipulators. And if you've been raised in a healthy family, in a healthy community, you'll recoil from (rather than be attracted to) manipulation, and spend much of your teenage/adult life (the influence of commercial culture, notwithstanding) associating with businesses that share your respect of others and the world. And there are many, many businesses out there that are like that. And many more ready to emerge.
(And second time in a row, Shannon, you've written an article where you begin by summoning forth mighty villains, and finish by concluding that resistance is futile. Are you helping set the scene so that when a true hero arrives, we'll cheer especially loudly?)
Link: The Tyee
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