Aug. 24, 2020

If there’s one thing that America is highly proficient at, it’s the manufacture, packing and distribution of Bulls@*t (or B.S.).  Bulls@*t in business, politics and other fields has been rampant in this country for many decades. Without it, our economy would probably collapse. Of course, consumers have learned to live with it and filter it out to get to the real truth. But, if you think that Russia and China have mastered the art of propaganda, think again.

I can remember ads on TV going back to the 196os that talked about Shell gasoline “with platformate”. News flash — ALL gas contains platformate. How about that toothpaste with MFP?  (more fighting power).

Today, we hear ads by the major cell phone services touting 5G LTE. What exactly does LTE mean?  Answer: Long Term Evolution. Which means what? Have you seen the TV ads for those delectable Subway subs, bursting and overstuffed with meat/cold cuts?  Is that what you expect to get when you walk into their store?  Yeah right. Try asking the sandwich maker to make you a sub that looks like the one on TV or the photo on the menu and see what reaction you get. The photo on TV is from a sub made by a food stylist. Yes, there is such a profession.

Bulls@*t

How about those ads for weight loss programs, the ones promising you’ll lose 40 lbs. in 30 days, with before and after photos of happy clients?  Oh, right, “results not typical”. Well, why aren’t the results typical? Does the program work or not?

What about the online dating services, with photos of tons of really attractive women? Well, research shows that about 15-20% of the profiles you’ll find on those services’ databases are fake, made up, the people don’t exist.

Grey Goose claims to be “the world’s best tasting vodka”. Really? According to whom? Did they do a poll of consumers in most of the nations on the planet? And, most people don’t drink vodka straight (except the Russians). Usually, they mix it with soda or fruit juice. When you do that, it becomes very hard to taste the vodka itself. So, the marketing claim means almost nothing. But hey, consumers believe it.

Bulls@*t

How about “reality” TV shows that are based on anything but reality?

What about the whole cosmetics industry, designed to be deceptive and make women look a lot better than they really are, with false eye lashes, make-up that covers up lousy skin and blemishes, hair dye, eye brow enhancers, colored contact lenses, Botox injections, breast implants, cosmetic surgery, liposuction, collagen to plump up the lips, etc.

Also, fake “enhanced” music, songs where the artist barely sings or sings so low you can barely hear them, or they talk instead of sing, coupled with lots of special effects and background instrumentals to cover up their lack of talent? Music companies put more emphasis on the packaging and marketing of the music to sell it. Call me old school, but I still think the best music in this country came out of the 1960s and 1970s (Motown, classic rock, pop), when you could actually hear and understand the lyrics, and the artist’s voices.

Bulls@*t

Let’s not forget those tantalizing offers to sell you a new car for only $129 a month (yeah, with $3,000 down, a low mileage lease, 12.9% APR, no steering wheel or tires, and manual transmission, available in black only). Try to visit the car dealer and ask to get that car seen on TV for that price!  The manager will say that there were only 2 cars on the lot that they had for that price, and they both sold this morning.

Another B.S. story relates to multi-level marketing companies, who hire “distributors” or “contractors”, luring them in by implying that they can make huge sums of money selling overpriced dietary supplements or personal care items to friends and family. In reality, most of them make less than $2,000 a year in profit–hardly enough to make a living. The big money has already been made when the company’s founders set up the company and now get residuals or royalties and multiple levels of distributors working for them.

More Bulls@*t

All those campaign promises by politicians? – Don’t even go there!

The bottom line is that perception equals reality for most consumers. They don’t challenge claims or do the research.

No wonder why American consumers are cynical and jaded. They’ve been fed this Bulls@*t  by companies, businessmen, and politicians for the past 60 years. So, the next time someone tries to sell you something that claims to be the best thing since sliced bread, simply reply: Bulls@*t