sparkindarkness | A rant about.... the World Cup

And another rant about… the World Cup.

Ok, this isn’t so much an “I hate it” as much as it is an “I don’t get it.” I’m no fan of football, beyond the general pleasure I get seeing lots of athletically fit guys running around in shorts and occasionally taking their shirts off I don’t see the attraction. Still, that’s not my beef. No, my beef, pork, chicken and entire farmyard are the bloody adverts! We have wall to bloody wall football. Furniture sellers, supermarkets, Argos, garden centres – ARGH every single bloody advert has a football theme.

WHY?! Are my fellow countrymen so obsessed that they’re more likely to buy a DVD player from Argos because the advert happens to mention football? What does football have to do with Argos anyway? They’re not even remotely related! Does anyone say “hey, furniture from that place will be cheap and good quality” “why?” “Because they have a football themed advert during the world cup! It must be good!” And no, it DOESN’T make the adverts more memorable because EVERY SINGLE BLOODY ADVERT FROM CREDIT CARDS TO CARS NOW INVOLVES FOOTBALL! It’s just one long football mass from beginning to end of the advert breaks.

I could UNDERSTAND if it were for trainers or a sports shop – hey, that makes sense. There’s the implication that the clumsy and inept can gain Beckham like skills by wearing a certain pair of trainers (ok, it’s doubtful, but hey, there’s a LINK). But for a super market? The link escapes me.

Which brings me on to the celebrities. Now, I can see Beckham advertising the aforementioned pair of trainers – fine. But him hocking Pepsi? What is his appearance in the add supposed to tell me other than the fact Pepsi can afford his huge fee? That he drinks Pepsi? Well, and? He likes Pepsi, he hardly has a reputation as a gastronomical connoisseur of any kind, why should I care if his taste buds find Pepsi more appealing than Coca Cola? That Pepsi will make me look like him or play like him? Nah, that’s just too dubious for even the dumbest man in the street. That Pepsi will get you what he got – the fame, the money, the wife? If so I think you’d see the biggest horrified boycott of Pepsi you could possibly imagine. And again, people aren’t that dumb. Is it a coolness thing? A Starbucks chic thing? (That somehow drinking something can make you cool). It’s Pepsi. Beyond serving temperature I don’t think any soft drink can be considered cool – can you imagine, “hey, he’s one of the cool kids, he drinks Tango?” No. Doesn’t work.

So why should I be in any way influence to buy Pepsi because Beckham is on the ad? Why should I shop at Asda because Michael Owen advertises them? Is there anything in his resume that suggests he has l33t shopping skills? I mean, I can understand Sainsbury using Jamie Oliver – even if the guy should be anally raped with an egg whisk, he’s still a chef. There’s RELEVENCY. But a football player? The same goes for any weird celebrity endorsement - if they're skill set is not relevent why do people care if various celebrities are pimping products?

I just don’t get it. I’m not even ranting at the advertisers here (cue demonic music) so much as I am ranting at the possibility that, yes, there ARE people in the country who buy Pepsi because of Beckham. Or shop at Asda because of Michael Owen, or eat those damn mints because that goal keeper (whose name I forget) appeared in the adds and cut his hair. Because that would be really depressing and really scary. It's sad to know people are that dumb. Sadder still that an industry has been built out of their stupidity.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Yes, there are people that dumb. There are people who pay a month's salary for a handbag because it says Gucci on the label. Not because it is finest leather and superbly made (you can get that from a decent leathercraft shop) but because of the label. There are people who wear things and buy things just because celebrity X does. There are people who subject themselves to abject humiliation in front of millions of people in the hope of 5 minutes of fame.

Sparky, you are a lovely chap, funny, witty, intelligent, educated, hell, you can probably cook too. Your other half is a very lucky man. However, if you have not by now realised that 50% of the British public (75% of the TV watching British public) are brain-dead sheep, then you need to spend less time in your ivory tower and more time in your local McDonalds.

I think he knows about the 75 percent brain dead sheep part of the British Public - because I'm pretty sure that 99 percent of those end up in his office at some point while the Mad Secretary tries to restrain the Hounds.

Yep, but I try to delude myself that I somehow attract the stupid 10%

I just can't mentally conceive that most people are that dumb - despite seeing the evidence day in day out, I cannot accept it. I cannot see how a society could even exist if people were consistently this stupid.

Its hard dear, but you must try.

You think the stupidity is overwhleming there? I ask you, try a day in the states, preferably Florida.
It would kill you.

So maybe visiting here is NOT a good idea, unless you're armed with a tazer and mace..and an encyclopedia.
o.O

Living in Florida, I find being armed with apathy and resignation help me more.

This is the state that can't vote.

LOL, well isn't it better to be the state that CAN'T vote rather than, say, Texas - the state that CAN vote and rather depressingly does so?

I would ahve to go on an insane killing spree. yes yes I would.

I can see people collapsing on the ground... "stupidity is klilling me... must... reach...encyclopedia!"

goodness gracious, has anyone every told you that your icon is fantastic? after all, everyone needs vibrating kitties and vast pontential/imminant ammounts of violence.

Y'know, I can ALOMOST, ALMOST understand brand name buying. I love Versace - not because of the name so much as the deisgn is fantastic (and, even more importantly, it suits ME - is there anything more tragic than someone who wears 'fashion' that is really unflattering on them) - if I find equivalent design then I'm just as happy with that. I can understand buying clothes because a celeb wears it (I don't agree with it - it's stupid, but I can see the LINK). People want to look like a celeb. Sure, they're idiots to think some Police sunglasses will do it, but hey, there IS a link.

I can even understand coolness, even if it is stupid. And I can certainly understand pretentiousness, even if it is annoying. But I don't get when it applies to things like supermarkets - there is no link! It is beyond stupid, it means that the watchers have reached a point where their diseased, broken brains merely mutter "oooh, celeb. Good. Me buy." without even the most DELUDED thought process *despairs*

And don't even get me started on relaity television. In fact, I may have to rant on that all on its own.

Awww, you'll make me blush - though I can't cook :) I have told my beloved that he is an incredibly lucky man but I am sure he fails to appreciate the wonder that is me :)

Sadly, I think 50% may be an underestimation, but I do retain some optimism - it's so pathetic. Time and again my mind simply REBELS at the idea that people can be that dumb. I see the evidence all around but I cannot accept it. And no force can get me into McDonalds. Not now. Not ever.

We definitely need to hear the rant on reality television.

I have told my beloved that he is an incredibly lucky man but I am sure he fails to appreciate the wonder that is me :)

You should direct him to the comments area, where all of your fans squee whenever they see you've made a new post.

It is now in the works :)

LOL, methinks he is immune to fannish squees.

But i have fnas *waves flag*

you're a lawer and you wear versache well? i don't know if i should swoon or stalk you. ^.~

>People want to look like a celeb.

i think it's also that people think that a fashon trend looks good on the celeb, and so they copy it. hey, they do the same thing for most clothing trends, it's just more blantant on celebs.

>there is no link

it's the characer reference. there are a couple of ways of convincing people of an arguement (in this case, to buy something), one of those ways is to appeal to the consumer through the character of the person selling. (i.e. the conservative, well off, upstanding citizen looking old man who's always pitching insurance to you on the telly).

you're a lawer and you wear versache well? i don't know if i should swoon or stalk you. ^.~

Both.

Swoon first stalk later. XD

you know, my gay entourage has been a little empty of late... must needs to replenish the ranks.

nuh-uh, i need my own entourage :)

hey! you have a beloved. quit poaching over here by the rest of us singles who have no fufilling, long term relationships and must make up for it by being greedy...

extra extra stalker points

Yup - well dressed and legal :) hee, bonus stalker points.

I can understand silly fashion trends (I don't agree with them, but I can get that. They're silly but people tend to be).

Ah, like the old righteous citizen who sells legal services. Ok, I can get that - but again, with celebs they don't have an appropriate marketable charcter, that's the problem. I mean, these upstanding citizen etc is part of the Chef advertising Sainsburies, they're perceived to have a degree of expertise in the relevent area. Beckham drinks Pepsi - no relevent expertise or character trait. It's just MAD.

A rant about.... the World Cup

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