Archive Posted January 30, 2003 Report Posted January 30, 2003 Lady Celes Crusader Quill-Bearer Posts: 145 (2/19/02 1:02:59 pm) Reply Think -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the conference room of a large advertising agency. The marketing gurus are planning the details of the next Gimmick's child movie promotional plans. The president of this comitee is gazing at his team of six people, each of them having their own purpose. An average aged women, who's in charge of the media coverage speaks up first. - "We'll bought one page at the back of the Entertainement section of all the majors newspaper.", the lady starts, "We should'nt neglect the free cultural hebdo's as well...." While she was still introducing her part of the marketing effort, Greg, the desabused artistic director, listens casually. His mind was lost in his own thoughts. Geez... All this efforts to sell as much gizmos as possible. What about the movie itself? Pffft... That's not important at all. This movie may be the most debilitating family movie ever produced that's not important at all as long as it is a Gimmick movie. Their movies were good back in the 20th century. Of course, that was back then. Now, they are just empty shells. Beautiful but empty... One of Greg's collegue introduces the toys and the gadgets that will be made for the movies. Speaking of the gizmos... these will earn much more money than the movie itself! What's the point of making a movie then? To give to these kids a ready-to-play story for their toys? That could be a "Big Brother'esque" reason but that's not it. The movie is a part of creating a hype. The parents will bring their kids out to the movie and they'll buy toys for their kids so that their kids will play with other children that also have their toys. Kids will ask for these toys because they don't want to be rejected or mocked by the others because they don't have the latest cool toys. They'll want these toys because the others will have these and they'll want to be a part of the gang. That's too sad... A tall man in his mid-thirties take his turn to tell about the agreement he arrange with the MacBowel fast-food restaurant chain. How can people can swallow anything from these so-called restaurants? I'm sympathizing with these teenagers that are working there at minimal wages. I've heard that some of them tried to make an union in some of these restaurants, but they all closed their doors. Everyone wants the biggest share of the pie, but nobody wants to share the pie. The Head of the public relations department, a fiery young woman in her mid twenties and her collegue that orders the promotionnal items detailed all the press conference and the junkets that will be done with the collaboration of Gimmick's public relations department. Junkets and press conferences. Poor journalists! If they don't ask the questions they are supposed to ask they'll be shutted down by agents, managers, etc. Did someone said that we have freedom of speech? Our capitalist world is more hypocrit that anyone might think. Greg knows that its his turn to speak up. He would be brief. He puts the dummy of the main poster in the conference table and looks at his audience. - "This will be the official poster of this campaign.", the artistic director says, "This is the one everyone in the world will see in theaters. Gimmick gave us the CD where all the pictures, logos and use specifications are included. The adaptations will be avaible these afternoon as soon as we get all the newspapers sizes requirements. Gimmick had sent a copy of this CD to the MacBowel society for the design of their Freaky Meals' boxes." The president nods and concludes the meeting. Everyone exits the conference room. Marcy, the woman who's in charge of the media coverage and advertising, walks to Greg. - "I'll get the requirements as soon as possible. I'll put these on your desk.", she said. Greg nods and acknowledges what she said. Take your time Marcy. There's no hurry about this. Since Gimmick showed us exactly what they want, none of these ads will take more than five minutes in the making. I've got more interesting projects of my own. Greg heads for his department, knowing that his computer graphists team will have a boring job ahead. *********** Author's note: Edited out the mistakes that I've found
Archive Posted January 30, 2003 Author Report Posted January 30, 2003 Lady Celes Crusader Quill-Bearer Posts: 146 (2/19/02 1:06:16 pm) Reply Think different -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- One month after the briefing, Greg was enjoying his two hours lunch time. He had killed enough jobs with his computer graphists and they are way ahead in their schedules. He decides to enjoy a good meal in his favorite Italian restaurant. He reads the newspapers that he carried along and sights at the headlines. Not that anti-globalisation movement again! Why do they blame all of the world's misery on its back? Misguidance? Misinformation? Perhaps... They got some points here but they are missing their target here. What a mess. Yes, pollution is a problem that we should solve as fast as possible but the governments are heavily influenced by the lobbying. This is why the Edo accord, that aims to reduce the toxic emanations in the air, is not signed by every governements. Yes, Bite, the sports cloths and shoewear maker, is operating sweat-shops all-around the world, but this problematic exists way before the word "globalisation" was invented. Was that "Just make it" that Jordan Carmichael guy said? Anyway. The waiter arrives with the menu and asks Greg if he was ready to order. - "May I have Number 2 with the soup.", awsers Greg - "Do you want your coffee now or at the end of your meal?", asks the waiter - "At the end of the meal please.", replies the cynical artistic director. A few minutes later, Greg receives his minestrone soup and resumes his reading while eating it. He stumbles upon an article about the new Gimmick's movie that its about to come out. The hype is already started. MacBowel already announces its new promotion involving this movie. It looks like it will be another marketing sucess. That's a symptom of our sick overconsuming society. Big business wants your money and they'll make sure that you'll give every penny on anything that you need or not. They'll try to lure you in one way or another way. This movie is the lure to buy tons of toys that will end up either in the dumpsters, either in garage sales. Big company is targeting you and now, they are starting at a young age. The baby is born, its a potential new client. The baby had just the time to get rid of the diaper that they trained to be consumer. Even Big-Wart has chariot for their "consumers in training". That overtargeting kids, that superconsuming society its a real cancer. The waiter arrives with the Bolognese Spaghetti and picks up the empty soup bowl. Greg puts his newspaper aside and eats his meal. He needs to clear up his mind and think of something else. He knows that their should be some flowers in this rotten world. Greg finishes his meal, the waiter brings his coffee and dessert, a Tiramisu, that he ordered in extra. Now, lets get some comic relief with these comic strips. Greg reads them and smiles. The authors are as cynical as he is but they manage to bring out the humorous color in it. Perhaps there's hope in this world. I guess that if the poeple that participates in the anti-globalisation movement, the business corps and the governements manage to agree on something, it could be a good start. But it sounds more like an utopia than the future Greg finishes his coffee and dessert, pays the addition and leaves the restaurant, in hope that his work will bring him different ideas.
Archive Posted January 30, 2003 Author Report Posted January 30, 2003 Lady Celes Crusader Quill-Bearer Posts: 147 (2/19/02 1:08:16 pm) Reply Don't think -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Another month passes, this time the new Gimmick kids' movie had been on screen since one week. As predicted, its another well marketed box office and commercial success. It was a Friday evening and Greg decides to take a walk on the Main. The boulevard was illuminated by the neons light of the divers bar, shops, cafés, sex-shops, stip-clubs, etc. He enters in a Barkin' Donut and orders a coffee and a donut. He sats on a table that is close to the window and looks at the streets. Urban life... It always had been stained by the different trends that marked different eras. That makes sometimes an interesting mix, sometimes its just obnoxious. A group of youngsters that seems to be trapped in the gothic era forever walks quietly and their path crosses a gang of hip-hop guys, while a couple of trendy technos crosses the boulevard at the same time. Interesting mix of eras. I remember when the Sex Pistols where touring around the world, back at the late seventies. Geez... sometimes I missed to be a teenager. At that time, I can still genuily dream. Now... I'm just crying about it Greg's reflexions are interrupted by a debate that is occuring on another table. Four guys, obviously truckers of a variety of ages talks about what happened in the last economical conference. - "Its those freakin' big companies!", says one of the outrage truckers, "They're building factories in third world country because they don't want to create jobs here!" For someone who wears a Bite cap, you're very well placed to talk. Its obvious they want to make more money for less. - "Shhhh... Barney!", hushes a younger trucker, "You don't need to say it that loud!" - "I'll say anything I want as loud as I want!", replies Barney, "We're in a free country here." I don't think thay guy ever heard about the "One's freedom starts where another's ends" principle. - "But Barney", tells a third trucker, "I can understand that you're pissed off, but man, you really don't need to annoyed the world abou it." - "Annoying the world?", snikers the angered guy, "Are ya freakin sayin that I'm freakin annoyin the freakin world, because I'm saying how I'm freakin pissed off these freakin big guys that only freakin cares about our freakin money?" You have no freakin idea how much you sound freakin stupid. You're wearing a cap that is probably sown by an underage girl in the third world countries, you're eating at one of those mega-chain of fast-food, donut shops, whatever and you're probably delivering merchandises from another of these big compagnies and you whined about them? - "Calm down, Barney!", orders a older trucker that seems to have much more leadership than his three collegues reunited, "I know that its something that sucks but its our bread and butter. There's nothing we can do about it." The four men resumes their late meal and change subject. Meanwhile, Greg stops to think for a second, playing back what that last trucker said in his head. @#%$! That guy is right. Who I am to bitches about Barney? I've got perhaps higher instructions than him, but I'm no better than him. This circus is also my bread and butter. I'm participating in this whole madness. I'm contributing into making people watching commercial movies and buy silly gizmos. And the only thing I do is to whine about it! Like them, I'm just a pawn. I'm a pawn with a better instruction and better cloths but I'm just a pawn, like them. Greg finishes his coffee and leaves the donut shop and heads for a stripper-club, one of these rare places where he wont have to think.
Recommended Posts