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In reply to the discussion: Parents of Sandy Hook victims planning lawsuit against gunmaker Bushmaster [View all]calimary
(81,834 posts)It's like the car commercials or the beer party commercials, or even the damn Viagra commercials with the sexy undulating woman. They don't say it outright. But the message is - buy this (car, booze, med) and you can fuck this girl! That's ALL any ads promote. Buy this and you'll fill-in-the-blank-here to alleviate your own inadequacy. You'll get laid, you'll get thin, you'll get rich, you'll get popular, you'll get girls, you'll get sex appeal, you'll get safe, you'll get security, YOU will be the alpha, etc etc etc. That's all ads do. My dad was a salesman. I learned it at his knee. That was ALWAYS the message. It's never just simplistic. There's always a loaded insinuation in there. It's never just about - buy this, just to buy it and shell out some money for it. There is always an ulterior message - buy this and you'll get ______ . Or you'll be ______ . There's always an implied cause-and-effect. Why do you think every calendar hanging in any mechanic's garage, promoting whatever tool or carburetor or spark plug - is loaded with sexy girls? There's a subliminal message. Buy this and you'll REALLY get that. Whatever the "that" is.
I'm certain Mom in that case thought she'd be reeeeeeeeaaaal safe, and reeeeeeeal badass if she had that Bushmaster. Nobody'll mess with MOI!!! Nobody will be the boss of ME!!!!
Unfortunately, when it's guns that are being advertised, what else is to be done with them but shooting someone? Guns, okay? Does one clean silver with them? Does one do laundry with them? Are they economical at the gas pump? Do you take one and your headache goes away? Or your arthritis? Well, maybe your erectile dysfunction, but that wouldn't apply to her anyway. Do they taste good - and make good gravy? Do you serve them with beef, poultry, or fish? Do they insure your car for less? Guns. Okay? They're designed to shoot, and damage or maim or disable or kill. They're not designed to fire confetti, okay? I once had them described to me by a gun store owner as "an attitude adjustment device." They're a weapon. An OFFENSIVE weapon. She probably felt they'd make her safe. For her, evidently, they were designed to shoot somebody. Presumably some imaginary boogie man. Hell, she LIVED with the boogie man! She birthed him and brought him up! And probably never dreamed that he'd ever be "that" bad. Naaah, s'not gonna happen.
How many times have I heard, coming out of cocky and self-satisfied and complacent mouths - "s'not gonna happen." And despite those rock-solid confident assurances to the contrary, it invariably DOES.