Hypebeast No More, My Final Thoughts and Personal Growth

For the past three years of my life, I was a consumer in society that is labeled as a hypebeast. According to Urban Dictionary, "A hypebeast is a slang for someone who is a beast (obsessed) about the hype (in fashion), and will do whatever it takes to obtain that desired hype, and the attention of others." Determined to be "cool," and gain the approval of others, I had fallen victim to the marketing of overpriced brands. Below is the stereotypical image of a hypebeast, and a fashion type of which i used to dress. 

The guy above looks like a total fool, and even worse his outfit costs over $500! Sadly, I used to own almost every single piece being worn in this image. I was falling into the abyss of a compulsive consumer, yet studying media and marketing helped me save my individuality and my money. 

Going into this unit of analyzing media and marketing, I would have never expected it to make such an impact on my life. Before exposing the slick techniques and motives of brands, I was a consumer mindlessly wasting his money on clothes that he didn't really want or need. I learned how the media was setting an impossible, ever-changing standard of cool that I so desperately wanted, but always failed in obtaining. I found myself losing interest in buying the latest sweatshirt or pair of shoes from some exclusive, over-priced brand. It's safe to say that my wallet is going to start getting a lot fatter now that I have broken away from being an obsessive shopper. 

On instagram, I used to follow tons of sneaker and clothing accounts. Every time I refreshed my feed, I would be bombarded by images of new outfits and pieces that I felt the instant need to own. I now realize how badly I was being brainwashed by these effective ads. I had the burning need to fit in, while also wanting to dress and look like I was in a league of my own. Influenced by these ads on social media, I was so concerned with looking "cool," that I allowed this set image to determine how I dressed and presented myself. Now that I know how little these clothing brands matter to my life, I'm not as attached to my social media, nor do I follow such accounts that blast relentless ads onto my screen. After this unit in Critical Thinking, I'm honestly less attached to the media and consumerism as a whole. I'm ashamed that I used to care so much about looking "cool," and even more embarrassed by the amount that I spent in chasing this empty dream.

I am definitely more media literate, and less of a consumer of it altogether. Whenever I see an ad, or even a movie or tv show, I now notice the subtle placements and messages that brands are successfully delivering to the masses. It is vital for people to understand the media, and in doing so won't be as easily influenced by its never-ending advertisements and images. Being media literate, will lead to people transforming into educated consumers. When consumers are educated, they don't allow themselves to make careless and wasteful purchases, or concern their time and money with looking a certain way. The general population is what gives the media its power, when people blindly follow, like, and buy into the trends and products that it shoves into our faces. Learning to detach from media's consumer oriented messages, will build our confidence in and ability to express our own individuality. 

Diving into media and advertisements' deceiving layers, I was able to grow more aware of the way that companies have successfully sent the standards of society. The never-ending quest to become "cool" and "popular," continues to drain people's money on a huge scale. I found that many of my blog entires were influenced by my experience as a mass consumer of hyped brands such as Supreme and Adidas. This media blog has guided my process of detaching from the world and mindset of a hypebeast. I'm proud to say that I've discovered more about my true self, and am not as quick to follow mainstream fads.

Is this Ad Offensive?

     Many city dwellers in NYC are complaining about this aggressive ad that is all over the city. Some have even gone as far as to write letters to Fox executives demanding that all of these X-Men: Apocalypse posters be taken down immediately. As a comic book fan, I know how pivotal this moment is when the villain, Apocalypse, dominates the depicted female hero, Mystique. However, to the millions who aren't well versed in the world of Marvel comics, this picture is simply a muscular man choking a blue woman to death.

     As much as I love superhero movies and the ads that come along with them, I don't think that it was a smart choice to use this particular image on so many posters. In being very knowledgable of the X-Men comic books, I also know that Fox could have easily portrayed a scene of a male protagonist being choked out or beaten down by the villain. This ad radiates a vibe of male-domination, and I don't think that it should be all over NYC. The way people are reacting to the poster, Fox is only losing potential viewers of its latest X-Men film.

     In Miss Representation, the idea of women being inferior to men intellectually in movies was discussed. This ad takes the idea of inferiority to the extreme, and has to depict a muscular behemoth choking a female. While the two characters are clearly portrayed as non-human, the represented genders are obvious. With the title reading "Only the strong will survive," it is being implied that the men are the strong, and the women are the weak. There's also something so belittling in the way that with one hand Apocalypse is squeezing the life out of his victim, while she helplessly struggles for life. The female has a look a powerlessness, while the male a look of dominance.

     In my opinion, it was a huge marketing error to publish this ad all over NYC. For this particular movie at least, Marvel has given its female protagonists an image of weakness and inferiority to male antagonists. With its new movie Captain Marvel coming out in 2018, I'm interested to see how the company will have its latest female protagonist fare against her male nemesis.

Why is Kobe Bryant a Ghostbuster?

   

     Not too long ago, a reboot of the Ghostbusters movie was announced. The twist? This time the lead protagonists will be a team of women. As noted in Miss Representation, women are rarely given educated lead roles in movies that don't revolve around romance and men. While Ghostbusters may not be the most serious of films, it will give a more empowering team of heroines on the big screen for children to look up to. The female team is composed of famous female comedians, that don't act or dress in a sexual way in the ads. It was a bold move on Sony's part to change the classic  team of ghost hunters to females, and it looks as if the company may already be regretting its decision.

     So the question still remains, why are images of Kobe as a Ghostbuster surfacing all over the media? During game 1 of the NBA Finals, Sony aired an ad for its new reboot, but with the Black Mamba himself suiting up to save the day. When I first saw this advertisement, my entire body flooded with excitement. The idea of such a star becoming a Ghostbuster truly hooked my interest in seeing the new movie. However, after the hype had died down, I realized what a sad statement this ad was making. Ghostbusters being remade with an all-female cast has received a very mixed reaction, with many feeling angry with the bold change. To try and counter this negativity, Sony has resorted to using male-only ads to promote the upcoming movie,

     The company is now relying on stars and celebrities to divert its viewers from the reality of the movie's cast being female-dominant. Kobe will not appear as one of the main characters in the actual movie, yet by portraying Bryant as one in the commercial, and immediately cutting to the films release date, many will become interested in going to see it for the sole purpose of seeing Kobe on the big screen. Sony resorting to such forms of diversion shows how desperate the company is to attract consumers to the cinemas to watch its new movie.

     I think its sad how Sony has been so quick to take back the trust it has put in having females as its protagonists. It will be interesting to see how well the remake does in the box office, and how fans will react to the female cast after watching the movie. Sony is smart to be using NBA players to attract male viewers, though I'm not sure how effective it will be in convincing them to say to see Ghostbusters.

The Most Racist Ad of 2016

Damn, Chinese advertising has really crossed the line on this one. Very recently, a detergent company in Shanghai began airing a new, blatantly racist ad. The clip portrays a black-skinned male who is shoved into a washing machine with the brand's detergent, only to come out seconds later a "clean," light-skinned Chinese man. (Go ahead and watch the video for yourself below)

Regardless of your culture or what part of the world you're from, the ad is clearly giving Chinese men the image of being cleaner and super to dark-skinned men. While I don't live in Chinese society, I've still tried to understand the various techniques and appeals being targeted by the detergent company. There is definitely a need for sex present, as suggested by the good-looking young people, along with the whistling and almost kissing. This ad may be suggesting that the product will enable men to achieve some sort of cleanliness that will attract women. I wonder how Chinese civilians view this ad, as opposed to people of foreign countires and cultures. There is definitely a snob appeal that targets not class, but bias towards ethnicity and skin color. I wonder if people in China find the black man being "cleaned" into a good-looking Chinese man is humorous. Although it is impossible for a detergent to change skin color, the ad makes it seem like using the product is a simple solution for women to make their partners become more attractive.

Surprisingly, especially for an ad in China, the clip seems to be empowering women. The fact that the girl had the ability to change the man's appearance, and dominantly force him into a washing machine, provides female viewers with a sense of  liberating strength. In a society such as China's that is notorious for sexist discrimination, such an advertisement will undoubtedly win over female customers.

During a press conference, Chinese Foreign spokeswoman Hua Chunying claimed that the ad was not at all racist, nor did it intend any discrimination toward Africans. She said that foreign media is "overamplifying" the advertisement, and making it more of an issue than it needs to be. While countries and governments do maintain different beliefs, views, policies, etc. from one another, I still believe that the image of a dark-skinned male being "cleaned" into a pale-skinned male will inevitably ignite racial tensions. I'm very interested to see how the controversy over this ad will continue to grow over the media, and how different countries may react to it.

A New Image for Female Super Heroes?

Very recently, Marvel announced that in 2018 it would release its first film in which a female hero would be the main protagonist. Captain Marvel has the potential to paint a new image for cinema heroes, and also provide children a female crusader to look up to, as opposed to dominant, muscular male characters such as Captain America, Superman, Thor, etc. Aside from a poster, very little advertising has been done for the film since its announcement. As summer of 2018 draws closer, more ads and images will surface, but in this blog I will be examining the appearance of Marvel's newest hero. Will Captain Marvel's appearance target the sex appeal of men, or will it be a more modest, empowering figure that will appeal to all genders?

My initial thoughts upon first seeing Captain Marvel's portrayal for the first time: Besides the head, no skin is showing. The heroine's outfit isn't too sexual, despite it emphasizing her large breasts and hips. I can see how the actress' body will attract men, but the costume for Captain Marvel is definitely looking in the right direction. As opposed to Wonder Woman who boasts a fair amount of cleavage, and an incredibly high skirt, Captain Marvel's attire only shows her face. Another point to note is the length of Captain Marvel's hair. The more sexual Wonder Woman has long, flowing black hair, while Captain Marvel's is short, and gives her a more masculine appearance. With a look of confidence (smug grin, and dominant stance), it looks Marvel may finally be delivering a strong, independent heroine that will set a new standard for female cinema protagonists.

In the comics, this character wears a much more revealing costume, and traditionally goes by "Ms. Marvel." The company's choice to brand her with the title of Captain, is another sign of the push Marvel is giving the female protagonist. The company could have easily named the film Ms. Marvel, and decked the character out in a more sexual outfit, but it looks like Marvel has taken the more independent path for this character.

Whether or not the internal qualities of Captain Marvel will prove as empowering for women as her name and appearance can only be determined once the film is released. However, its safe to say that Marvel is beginning to put more and more trust in giving females the role of the main protagonists in its films. Another upcoming Marvel movie that will include a woman as one of its lead roles will be Ant Man and the Wasp. As a diehard Marvel fan, I'm very eager to see how dominant the company decides to portray its newest female additions to the world of cinema super heroes. 

Brand Names' Control Over Society

They're everywhere. Look around you, there's bound to be at least several in the room that you're in. I'm looking at one right now as I'm typing this entry. What is it exactly that's flooded society for hundreds of years now? Brand names. We all have our preferences, Adidas over Nike, Apple over Android, Target over Walmart. As consumers in society, brands are completely unavoidable. Purchasing items from food, to clothing, to household appliances day in and day out causes us to build a natural preference towards certain companies. When shopping, we almost get a sense of comfort and reassurance when we see a name or logo that we are familiar with.

Every single ad technique and consumer appeal is made by these brands. Modern advertising is constantly being defined by the marketing ploys launched by these various companies to prove that their product is superior to that of its competitors. Imagine a world without brand names. Cars on the road would all still look different, but you wouldn't be able to say "There goes a Camaro!" or "Look at that Buick!" One of the most dominant ad techniques utilized by companies is that of testimonial. When people see athletes and celebrities wearing certain brands across all forms of media, we automatically begin to associate quality, fame, and status with those brands. I am positive that if certain brands such as Nike didn't have the star power that they do to back their products, then the prices for their items would be significantly more affordable.

In the Frontline film that we are currently watching in class, one main topic is the idea of what teens think is "cool." Brand names have a profound impact on what teens define as cool and not-cool. Teens wouldn't show nearly as much praise for the Adidas Yeezy, if Kanye West wasn't promoting it on social media 24-7. I definitely would have never purchased a Gucci if people didn't associate the glimmering G buckle with status and wealth. I wish that brands didn't matter so much, yet often times I fid myself getting caught up in the race to look "cool" by buying and wearing certain name brand products.

I guess that in an effort to at least step away from constantly buying brand name clothing, we can look back to Macklemore's "Thrift Shop." Go to a thrift shop, and you'll be spending less money on good quality money. However, this is way easier said than done for most, myself included. I can't remember the last time that I went to a thrift store. People have grown so accustomed to the brands that they use on a daily basis, that its hard for them to break out of their comfort zones. If you're reading this, try out a different brand of a clothing or food the next time you're out shopping, you may be pleasantly surprised. Regardless of which brand we buy from, at the end of the day we're still constantly spending hard-earned money on items that we both do and don't need.

Anti-Cigarette Ads: The Fear Factor

Everyone's seen them. They can be perceived as scary or flat-out weird, but regardless they leave the viewer with a negative, uneasy feeling. Anti-cigarette ads have been on the air since the late 20th century. As technology and special effects have improved in the advertisement industry, so has anti tobacco company's ability to frighten people into avoiding cigarettes. For this entry, I will be examining a tobacco ad on a closer level, to try and find the appeals and techniques being utilized to get the message across.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15Q5qGgfz_Q
I'm sure anyone reading this has already seen the above ad before. The seen opens up with an eerie-looking convenience store. Dark lighting and an evil-looking clown already provide an unsettling feel. The clip seems more like a horror film than an ad at this point. As the customer pulls out his money and id, he guiltily asks for, "A pack of menthols." The cashier looks totally unwelcoming and evil, and not once does smile throughout the entire ad. When he tells the customer that the cigarettes will cost more just the money, the customer conveniently garbs a pair of pliers from his pocket. What young person going to a convenience store casually carries pliers in their pocket? The most cringing moment of the entire ad is the crunching sound of the man ripping a tooth from his gums. The fact that the man so willingly rips out his tooth to get a pack of cigarettes really emphasizes the seriousness of tobacco addiction. The cashier ends the exchange with "see you again," which delivers the idea that cigarette buyers have to go through the same traumatic experience whenever they want to purchase a pack of smokes,

People have the need to feel safe and nurtured, yet this ad makes viewers feel vulnerable and insecure. The FDA closes its advertisement by saying that cigarettes not only costs you money, but also your teeth. While the clip doesn't show the customer suffering from gum cancer, it still rattles viewers with him ripping his tooth out. The image and sound played in this climatic moment are ingrained into the minds of viewers. Personally, every time that I see a convenience store, I now think of the deafening crunch of a customer tearing a precious tooth from his mouth. I urge the reader to watch this ad, even if they've seen it before, and really take in the sound and image of the tooth scene. I personally cannot stand tobacco. If it takes an ad attacking a person's feeling of comfort and safety to end smoking, then I support it 100%.