Googleprop

[Cramulus]

I will say this -- the gay google doodle (now THAT'S a mouthful) gave me pause. I don't want my search engines to participate in politics.

I am disturbed by the ongoing trend of bundling commercial products with unrelated political opinions.

[Salty]

I do not agree with the notion that fighting inequality that denies offers basic rights to one.group and denies it to another due to ideological differences can be written of as simple politics.

This is an issue that affects more than groups of politicians. It affects human beings individually, in deeply personal ways.

That politicians and organizations capitalize on it does not make it less of a personal issue.

[Cramulus]

My opinion isn't so much about google, or this issue in particular, but the broader trend... The world is a screwed up place, and you'd have a heart of stone if you didn't feel bad about that and want to help. And that desire is very easy to capitalize on - so I'm very wary of products which act as a stand-in for political activism.

People are so eager to express their opinions and identity through consumerism. Look at chick-fil-a, or the rainbow colored oreos that circulated the net after the Prop 8 thing. The market is getting very political. You can't just eat a bowl of cheerios anymore, you have to consume the politics that comes with it. All your brand choices are now considered a form of activism.

Now you're standing there in the super market wondering what your opinion on immigration is. This union of consumerism and politics is a manipulative and effective way to move product and foster brand loyalty.


Right now you don't mind the rainbow google doodle because it's a topic that you agree with. But imagine them using their visibility and brand to push more controversial political opinions. I just want a search engine to deliver the info I'm looking for, I don't want google's editorial along with it.

Look at the memetic kung-fu that Coke did with their America the Beautiful superbowl commercial. They've positioned your preference for Coke in the context of the great american story and turned it into a discussion about racism and culture. You can participate in the culture war by buying coke.

The trend makes me very uncomfortable.

[Salty]

I think I get what you're saying.

These companies though, they will and have had their own agendas beyond ensuring increased shareholer profits. Many people in charge of these large organizations already do play this game, have been using their resources, which we give them, to further their own pet agendas.

Take Dominoes Pizza. I do not, ever order from there. Not only because it's disgusting, but because their CEO donates heavily to prolife organizations. This was something they do not broadcast on every box of pizza.

But if they did...it would be a hell of a lot easier to pick choose which shitty pizza place I want to order from.

It may be that I just want some god damned cheap pizze without the message that abortion is right or wrong, but the money I spend will fund one of those options, if it is a certain size.

We don't get to have secular, non-involved products. We are at the mercy of those who have the supply, and those meatsack have feelings, and those feelings transform into action. The only difference between now and then is the internet broadcasts this fairly critical information so fast, and somewhat accurately.

You walk into a grocery, you are beset by visible signs of the consequnces of your choice. This choice alredy existed, there are now companies who choose to market with pin-point accuracy and those who choose not to do so.

This trend will continue as long as corporations exist, but it is only removing the curtain, not creating the wizard.

[Salty]

I know people who still order Dominoes Pizza, funding things they are against in a fundamental way, totally ignorant of that fact. Lord knows how many fucked up corporate and personal interest we fund when we turn to a specific station or use a certain soap orwhatever. I would rather know right away, because it is happening either way.

It's fucked up though, I will say that.

I don't want an abortion debate, I want pizza. I don't want a gay rights debate, I just want to find some cheap coconut oil with free shipping. I want to live in a world where our economy is fully dependent on a bunch of coked out, alcoholic gamblers and having unprotected anal sex won't give me the HIV virus.

[Cramulus]

I think I get what you're saying.

These companies though, they will and have had their own agendas beyond ensuring increased shareholer profits. Many people in charge of these large organizations already do play this game, have been using their resources, which we give them, to further their own pet agendas.

Take Dominoes Pizza. I do not, ever order from there. Not only because it's disgusting, but because their CEO donates heavily to prolife organizations. This was something they do not broadcast on every box of pizza.

But if they did...it would be a hell of a lot easier to pick choose which shitty pizza place I want to order from.

It may be that I just want some god damned cheap pizze without the message that abortion is right or wrong, but the money I spend will fund one of those options, if it is a certain size.

We don't get to have secular, non-involved products. We are at the mercy of those who have the supply, and those meatsack have feelings, and those feelings transform into action. The only difference between now and then is the internet broadcasts this fairly critical information so fast, and somewhat accurately.

You walk into a grocery, you are beset by visible signs of the consequnces of your choice. This choice alredy existed, there are now companies who choose to market with pin-point accuracy and those who choose not to do so.

This trend will continue as long as corporations exist, but it is only removing the curtain, not creating the wizard.

That's a good point, and I guess we've gotta distinguish -- companies like Chick Fil A actually give money to anti-gay lobbying. So purchasing Chick Fil A is political, to a degree.

But a lot of these companies revenue is harder to connect to their causes.

Take Nabisco -- got a lot of attention (and probably sales) for waving a flag in favor of gay marriage.



but you know who they give money to? Mainly republicans. The top recipient of Nabisco money is Rick Fucking Santorum. http://influenceexplorer.com/organization/nabisco-brands-inc/181d3af138f74ba4844cd9d846729f55

And you'll see a similar story with a lot of the politicized brands.


That kind of thing is why I see these high profile corporate opinions as marketing and not activism. We don't want activism, we just want the spectacle surrounding it.

[Cramulus]

Related: two very good videos on this topic

IdeaChannel: How is Seeing Enders Game a Political Action?  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHZyzvLxEpU

Zizek's talk "First as Tragedy, then as Farce" (animated by RSA) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpAMbpQ8J7g

[Salty]

Oh yeah, its marketing all the way down, excepting a few instances. It's cheap and it's why I find it so god damned frustrating whenI see people piddle themselves with excitement that JOY OF JOYS someone is finally marketing to ME!

Jesus. they don't care. They want your money! They're sort of legally bound to want your money!

Good, it looks like a few of you are starting to get it. What we're seeing is a massive amount of new ideology being pushed into our culture, as university progressivism infects corporations and governments, producing a level of propaganda that I've never seen before. And of course, this Amerikan "rainbow ideology" doesn't appeal to me, since it is clearly motivated by a power agenda that doesn't favor my kind. The mystery is why many of you aren't similarly threatened by it. This is some incredible sorcery that is being worked upon the Western world, to successfully brainwash people into accepting this level of reality distortion and cultural engineering!

[Pergamos]

My opinion isn't so much about google, or this issue in particular, but the broader trend... The world is a screwed up place, and you'd have a heart of stone if you didn't feel bad about that and want to help. And that desire is very easy to capitalize on - so I'm very wary of products which act as a stand-in for political activism.

People are so eager to express their opinions and identity through consumerism. Look at chick-fil-a, or the rainbow colored oreos that circulated the net after the Prop 8 thing. The market is getting very political. You can't just eat a bowl of cheerios anymore, you have to consume the politics that comes with it. All your brand choices are now considered a form of activism.

Now you're standing there in the super market wondering what your opinion on immigration is. This union of consumerism and politics is a manipulative and effective way to move product and foster brand loyalty.


Right now you don't mind the rainbow google doodle because it's a topic that you agree with. But imagine them using their visibility and brand to push more controversial political opinions. I just want a search engine to deliver the info I'm looking for, I don't want google's editorial along with it.

Look at the memetic kung-fu that Coke did with their America the Beautiful superbowl commercial. They've positioned your preference for Coke in the context of the great american story and turned it into a discussion about racism and culture. You can participate in the culture war by buying coke.

The trend makes me very uncomfortable.

Consumption has always been political.  Usually it is more abut avoiding companies which have unpleasant political agendas which they hide from us (like having their products manufactured by Chinese children) but I am personally glad that companies are putting their opinions on gays right out front.  All else being equal I'd rather patronize a company that supports gay rights, rather than one that does not and the easier the companies make it for me to make that decision the better for me.  That means I am grateful not only to Google, but also to Chik-Fil-A.

[Reginald Ret]

My opinion isn't so much about google, or this issue in particular, but the broader trend... The world is a screwed up place, and you'd have a heart of stone if you didn't feel bad about that and want to help. And that desire is very easy to capitalize on - so I'm very wary of products which act as a stand-in for political activism.

People are so eager to express their opinions and identity through consumerism. Look at chick-fil-a, or the rainbow colored oreos that circulated the net after the Prop 8 thing. The market is getting very political. You can't just eat a bowl of cheerios anymore, you have to consume the politics that comes with it. All your brand choices are now considered a form of activism.

Now you're standing there in the super market wondering what your opinion on immigration is. This union of consumerism and politics is a manipulative and effective way to move product and foster brand loyalty.


Right now you don't mind the rainbow google doodle because it's a topic that you agree with. But imagine them using their visibility and brand to push more controversial political opinions. I just want a search engine to deliver the info I'm looking for, I don't want google's editorial along with it.

Look at the memetic kung-fu that Coke did with their America the Beautiful superbowl commercial. They've positioned your preference for Coke in the context of the great american story and turned it into a discussion about racism and culture. You can participate in the culture war by buying coke.

The trend makes me very uncomfortable.

Consumption has always been political.  Usually it is more abut avoiding companies which have unpleasant political agendas which they hide from us (like having their products manufactured by Chinese children) but I am personally glad that companies are putting their opinions on gays right out front.  All else being equal I'd rather patronize a company that supports gay rights, rather than one that does not and the easier the companies make it for me to make that decision the better for me.  That means I am grateful not only to Google, but also to Chik-Fil-A.

But most don't connect what they fund with what they advertise with. They may advertise pro-gay but they will fund a rabid anti-gay politician.

[The Irreverend BS Loafer]

Good, it looks like a few of you are starting to get it. What we're seeing is a massive amount of new ideology being pushed into our culture, as university PC progressivism infects corporations and governments, producing a level of propaganda that I've never seen before. And of course, this Amerikan "rainbow ideology" doesn't appeal to me, since it is clearly motivated by a power agenda that doesn't favor my kind. The mystery is why many of you aren't similarly threatened by it. This is some incredible sorcery that is being worked upon the Western world, to successfully brainwash people into accepting this level of reality distortion and cultural engineering!

What, pray tell, is your kind?

[Pergamos]

My opinion isn't so much about google, or this issue in particular, but the broader trend... The world is a screwed up place, and you'd have a heart of stone if you didn't feel bad about that and want to help. And that desire is very easy to capitalize on - so I'm very wary of products which act as a stand-in for political activism.

People are so eager to express their opinions and identity through consumerism. Look at chick-fil-a, or the rainbow colored oreos that circulated the net after the Prop 8 thing. The market is getting very political. You can't just eat a bowl of cheerios anymore, you have to consume the politics that comes with it. All your brand choices are now considered a form of activism.

Now you're standing there in the super market wondering what your opinion on immigration is. This union of consumerism and politics is a manipulative and effective way to move product and foster brand loyalty.


Right now you don't mind the rainbow google doodle because it's a topic that you agree with. But imagine them using their visibility and brand to push more controversial political opinions. I just want a search engine to deliver the info I'm looking for, I don't want google's editorial along with it.

Look at the memetic kung-fu that Coke did with their America the Beautiful superbowl commercial. They've positioned your preference for Coke in the context of the great american story and turned it into a discussion about racism and culture. You can participate in the culture war by buying coke.

The trend makes me very uncomfortable.

Consumption has always been political.  Usually it is more abut avoiding companies which have unpleasant political agendas which they hide from us (like having their products manufactured by Chinese children) but I am personally glad that companies are putting their opinions on gays right out front.  All else being equal I'd rather patronize a company that supports gay rights, rather than one that does not and the easier the companies make it for me to make that decision the better for me.  That means I am grateful not only to Google, but also to Chik-Fil-A.

But most don't connect what they fund with what they advertise with. They may advertise pro-gay but they will fund a rabid anti-gay politician.

Like Nabisco in Cram's example.  I'm rather surprised that wasn't spread all over the internet by the various gay rights support organizations when they were running their rainbow oreo campaign.  Currently I am assuming that they offer same sex partner benefits, since otherwise there would have been an uproar.  If they don't then I am, honestly, more disappointed in the pro gay political machine for not pointing out the hypocrisy more loudly.  I'm not a dues paying member, but I like several advocacy groups on facebook and it is kind of their job to point out this sort of hypocrisy.

[Salty]

That is precisely why you should never trust any political machine, left/right/upside down, to protect you from corporate interest.

[Cramulus]

My opinion isn't so much about google, or this issue in particular, but the broader trend... The world is a screwed up place, and you'd have a heart of stone if you didn't feel bad about that and want to help. And that desire is very easy to capitalize on - so I'm very wary of products which act as a stand-in for political activism.

People are so eager to express their opinions and identity through consumerism. Look at chick-fil-a, or the rainbow colored oreos that circulated the net after the Prop 8 thing. The market is getting very political. You can't just eat a bowl of cheerios anymore, you have to consume the politics that comes with it. All your brand choices are now considered a form of activism.

Now you're standing there in the super market wondering what your opinion on immigration is. This union of consumerism and politics is a manipulative and effective way to move product and foster brand loyalty.


Right now you don't mind the rainbow google doodle because it's a topic that you agree with. But imagine them using their visibility and brand to push more controversial political opinions. I just want a search engine to deliver the info I'm looking for, I don't want google's editorial along with it.

Look at the memetic kung-fu that Coke did with their America the Beautiful superbowl commercial. They've positioned your preference for Coke in the context of the great american story and turned it into a discussion about racism and culture. You can participate in the culture war by buying coke.

The trend makes me very uncomfortable.

Consumption has always been political.  Usually it is more abut avoiding companies which have unpleasant political agendas which they hide from us (like having their products manufactured by Chinese children) but I am personally glad that companies are putting their opinions on gays right out front.  All else being equal I'd rather patronize a company that supports gay rights, rather than one that does not and the easier the companies make it for me to make that decision the better for me.  That means I am grateful not only to Google, but also to Chik-Fil-A.

Here's where I think it gets messy -- If I accept that buying a chicken sandwich hurts gays, what am I to make of the substantially larger amount of money that Chick Fil A gives to charitable and educational organizations? Do I just ignore that because they also give to organizations I don't like?

I feel like if I'm going to treat brand loyalty as a legitimate form of activism/political participation, it's highly unclear whose politics that chicken sandwich represents. I think you'd be hard pressed to find a product which isn't problematic.

[Salty]

At the heart of it is the power and influence a small handful of people have gained over us. It is symptomatic of the larger corporateproblem.

You are right, Cram, we should not have to make these decisions when buying a chicken sandwich.