Might I add, are you susceptible to mass marketing?

I've been thinking (which makes a change) - do you buy into things marketed to you regardless of practicality? Do you slurp up marketing lingo or do you take products at face value and with a pinch of salt?

Wait for a second. No one likes to admit to this, and you may think you are one of those people who is too hard-headed and clever to buy things they don't need. But look a little closer: I'm thinking of three main examples.

#1. Beauty. For girls, despite Zymic being a proud sausagefest, do you see products such as those claiming to make your eyelashes up to 500% thicker (despite the small print statistic claiming that only 2 out of 100 women agree) and think "WOW: DO WANT"--or do you ignore it and recognise the advertisement for what it is? Beauty products are much less marketed to men, and on that front it's usually for the ageing demographic. But still, feel free to comment on this.

Do you have a simple vanity regimine or one consisting of a ludicrous amount of products? I can't see all of this stuff (along with makeup) being good for skin, what with blocking the pores and putting chemicals on its surface.

#2. Health. You need to have these vitamin tablets to live. You need Omega 3 fatty acids stop you from keeling over on the spot. You need cod liver oil for supple joints. You need probiotic drinks to have a healthy gut. You need yoghurt to have proper bowel movements. You need 8 glasses of water a day (proven false) otherwise you'll dehydrate. You need 3 portions of wholegrain a day or you're as good as dead. You must have 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day, a fair claim, but the best way to get these is through our stupid product which costs £2 rather than you just getting off your arse and eating an apple.

Yes, there are some scientific bases for these claims, but many are inconclusive and it strikes me how people are willing to lap up these ideas without fact. Do you take this measured, scientific approach to eating and health, or are you rooted in common sense? Eat your greens, do a bit of exercise a few times a week, don't overload on sweets and walk rather than drive to the shops down the road.

#3. Cleanliness & health. This one really irks me. Products telling you to keep everything completely free of germs. That Dettol one about food poisoning and scaring you into thinking you need to wipe all surfaces clean to kill 99.9% of germs. That's funny, because my mum handles raw food, yet, in 18 years and through nothing more than common sense and a hot cloth, I've only suffered from food poisoning once, and that was from undercooked chicken which my mum didn't even cook. Paracetomol, aspirin. Do you take painkillers when you have a headache? I decided to stop taking them for this reason about 2 years ago and, although the two things are unlikely to be related, since then I don't think I've ever had a serious headache (smaller ones being quelled with a glass of water). I find it ironic.

But my biggest gripe? Common cold medicine. The biggest blag known to man: the head honchos of these companies are laughing their arses off at the fact that they're rich from providing products which don't even work, yet due to modern societal hysteria, idiots are consistently buying them. Lemsip? Give me a break. Cough sweets? They do nothing except make an incredibly obnoxious noise, what with the sucking coupled with the sniffing. Fluids and rest. Stop being a sissy.

Of course I'm not dismissing all medicine--it's a vital scientific area--it's just some of these kind of low-end products are a joke. Although this is thinking on a massive Darwinian scale, I can't help but think we're doing the species no good by relying on these products which damage the development of our immune systems. The whole "shall we let the children play in the garden?" argument.

Excuse the lack of brevity... it's as much of a rant as it is a basis for discussion. But I'm interested to hear what you have to say.

I do take ibuprofen, but then, I get migraines. Going without isn't much fun, the first few I didn't, and then gave up. Other than that, nothing.

As to eating, just meals, I suspect I probably will end up unhealthy at uni, because I just can't be bothered to sort out balanced stuff.

I don't buy into these things, Like Alex. I suffer from migranes. A nice dark room and some sleep does the trick for me (Sometimes I hate the noise but when the noise goes away I throw up). The Lemsip products make me laugh, I used to work in a pharmacy and it was just so comical how many people believe these adverts, The Sudafed one made me laugh the most: Room to breathe? LOL wtf, Blow your nose and let it run itself out
As for meals, I try and balance my food, But most of the time it's good old lots of red meat, potatoes and some peas, Not much more there. I love yogurt, Always have done and always will: I eat it to satisfy me, nothing to do with the benefits of it

I really would like to say that I don't buy in to the marketing stuff, but I only take pain killers (mostly advil) about once a month, most headaches I get are late at night so I just sleep them off. But the one thing I know that recently I bought just because I thought was cool (but I'm sure there was a subliminal message in the advertisement) was the pulsing razor for facial shaving. and it ended up being the most expensive shittiest razor I've ever bought. I'd much rather use the 1 blade disposables because I feel they get a closer shave than the 3 or 4 blade razors.

And on a side note about the water thing, "You need 8 glasses of water a day (proven false) otherwise you'll dehydrate."

You can actually OVERhydrate yourself, and get water poisoning (where you actually water down your body and don't let the natural chemicals do their thing). You get water from LOTS of food and drinks, so drinking 8 glasses of water a day is actually too much. I drink about 3 8oz glasses of water a day along with other things like juice and i'm hydrated just fine.
(and I read a nice article explaining this recently online, but I can't remember where, so if anyone finds it please post it!)

I noticed a very clever piece of marketing with the new lynx body sprays. (Changed its name to Axe in the US)

The one where you are meant 'mix' 1 and 2 to get a third scent!!!!

In one simple marketing gimmick they've managed to double the amount of lynx you have to buy!

Genius!

Haha, that is good.

Pity Lynx smells like crap. It's the official 12 year old school changing room fragrance.

Hehe, I have to admit: The advert is pretty cool. It must of cost alot

The one thing that really get's me in terms of advertising is toothbrushes. I don't know why as I expect it is all about how you use the thing rather than which direction the bristles point! But for some reasion I just can't resist the latest 'proven' toothbrush technology.

Nah, I'm too young to "really" buy in. Although I am aware and save my money. If I have enough for something that everyone else has--I won't buy it, unless I personally gain/earn from it.

No

If I see an advertisement for a new product, I usually go away, think about it, research it and then get it. I try to avoid impulse buying where possible.

Jacob.

#1. I'm naturally beautiful, don't need shitty products to help.

#2. I don't buy into any of that healthy stuff. I feel healthy eating what I am now.

#3. I try to keep things clean but not that clean.

- I think i try staying off of the medicine thing, when ever i am sick i usually.. well never ever get any medicine, i probably went to the doctor like 2 time the last 2 years. (you know how cheap is the doctor in France ?) so that is not the problem.
So i basically never fall for those new ads about .. you need this or that... or you'll DIE !
There is really ONE advertisement that i fall for (in france) eat 5 fruits 5 vegetables a day for good health, but its a not pointing to any products, and i never actually follow it... i mean, who eats 5 fruits and 5 vegetables in a freaking day ? you have to vary.. yea right...

For the beauty thing, well Men is a big target here in France, more and more ads are pointed at 'us' but again, i only buy what i tested and like. I am not gonna go and buy this product because they said it is cool, Plus i think when you do as they say (get this... and that.. also this.. and also that..) do they really test these products combined together ?
Ok like said above, most of the time its for girls, and i see it going, i have 3 sisters and you should look at them puting all these products... damn sometimes they turn yellow...

As for being clean, again, usually don't buy products because it says you need to clean this and that... but yea i wash my hands really often... like really really often, 3 4 times in an hour probably, and where ever i am i just wash it... probably because i worked at mcdonalds and you have to wash your hands every 30minutes

____

Overall, i don't fall for anything, i talk for my self, i do marketing at school (exams are done... results are coming soon ) and at school they actually teach us how to do these type of mass marketing, and when you look at it deeply you see that the customer is usually forgotten, by that you understand that their sale arguments are usually not true, even when it comes to polls that HUGE companies are making about... yea 8 women out of 10 agree... its all messed up and hidden but that applies to the Women market... of course...

I don't fall for it, and i am happy, ill suggest people being carefull and not read & watch only but also test and see if the products your are about to buy is really what is good for you. Because, products are made for lots of people... not for you all the time.

Only if it involves Apple and technology.



This is true. If you want beauty just purchase an ordinary facial cleanser from your local supermarket and wash your face at least once a day. I don't understand why people have to try out new mascaras, make up, lipstick, what's the fucking point?



Damn. '-_-



I'd have to disagree with you on the cod liver oils and multivitamins, Tom. They're supplements, meaning they're there to boost what you already have in your body. An elderly woman might not be able to eat an apple while she's getting her dentures cleaned, busy exectutives don't have time to eat vegetables and fruits 5 times a day, and some people (like me) hate vegetables. That's the point of these products - to supplement, not to replace.




You hit this one right on the spot, but cough drops do help the nasal passages clear up.



Eh, it's all about which brand you trust. Many people would trust Advil and Tylenol because they've been around longer and made their presence obvious.

Advil Liquidgel capsule fast relief - bullshit. It's a marketing scheme.

Tylenol Quick Release capsule - bullshit. It's a marketing scheme.

That's the type of shit that irks me. If it was so much better then why don't they just pull all the original pills off the rack and replace them with these "quick release" capsules? Imagine a guy staring at the aisle, trying to figure out which one is better. Tylenol Quick Release Capsules or Tylenol Extra Strength?

(this is what's going on in his mind)

Hmm.. Tylenol quick release, that sounds good because it will make my headache go away. But tylenol Extra Strength might make it go away, uh, even more. I guess, if that makes sense. Uh. Fuck it I'll take both.

Cha-ching! It's for profit, it always has, always will be. Unfortunate for us, industrialism is here to stay.

Its actually recommended that you dont use these products because the 0.1% of germs that dont get killed build up an immunity to it, making them alot more harmful and requiring stuff alot stronger to kill them.

Citation please?

I'm quite sure it's medical fact, e.g. MRSA.

MRSA is resistant to methicillin
there are a wide range of alternative antibiotics that will destroy it
there is nothing nothing wrong with overusing cleaning products.
huff.
however "99.9%" is bullshit cus bacteria colonies are counted in log / powers of ten so saying 0.1% is meaningless.

When did you turn into a nerd?