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30 Corporate Marketing Tactics That Shaped How We Live Without Us Realizing
Interview With Expert
There’s a lot of talk about sustainability and ethics these days, with many companies claiming to put people first. But while some genuinely try, the reality is that most corporations prioritize profits above all else.
To keep the money flowing, they rely on clever marketing, subtle manipulation, and outright lies—so much so that many of their ideas become so ingrained in society that we don’t even question them.
Curious about these hidden agendas, one Redditor asked others to share the most successful cases of corporate propaganda that have become widely accepted as normal. Scroll down to see what they had to say, and let us know your thoughts in the comments!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
That suing McDonalds for spilling hot coffee on yourself is a frivolous lawsuit and an example of why corporations need more protection against lawsuits
To clarify the point--the hot coffee lawsuit was not frivolous and thinking it is is corporate propaganda.
SAF saf 10 months ago
This one should be higher up and it still irritates me when people repeat the claim. I make it an effort to clarify them every chance i get. The coffee was soo hot that she required skin grafts on her thighs and surrounding skin. That's why McDonalds lost the law suit.
tee-lena 10 months ago
She needed skin grafts on her privates. Trying to say this so it's not beeped. Her crotch. Not just her legs.
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Michael Largey 10 months ago
McDonald's own safety division had warned the company over and over about hot drink dangers, but they were ignored. They were not ignored when they were subpoenaed to testify at the trial and revealed this. Having your own experts repeatedly warn you about a problem and doing nothing about it is the textbook definition of negligence.
BarkingSquirell 10 months ago
She had to have restorative surgery: she deserved to win her case!
Michael Largey 10 months ago
Making the public aware of the facts of a corporation's abusive behavior is not propaganda.
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General Anaesthesia 10 months ago
So I take it you didn't require skin grafts like the woman in that lawsuit.
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Amelia Jade 10 months ago
She was in a parked car, as a passenger, and took the lid off to add sugar. She accidentally spilled it in the process. Any one of us could have done that. Most of us have done something similar. How does that change the fact that the McDonald's coffee was so unsafe that they had previously been sited? How does that change the fact that the coffee was so unnecessarily hot that it burned her so badly she needed skin grafts? It doesn't matter how or why she spilled the coffee. It should not have been that hot.
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#2
The idea that workers discussing their salaries is impolite.
Elio 10 months ago
It's technically illegal in the US to fire or otherwise retaliate against employees for discussing their wages. Doesn't mean the law doesn't get broken all the time though.
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Earonn - 10 months ago
But then, why do people fall for that s**t? People handling millions of £ per day, but they never question this 'impoliteness', and if you explain it to them, they don't want to change it. BTW, 'regulations' - I've got in trouble at work for sharing my salary in a team meeting. First they tried "you're not allowed to talk aobut it", then it was "okay, so the law says you can, but that is a private topic and it was a professional meeting. For the record, we talk about our pets on team meetings. Total BS, but they can't take the knowledge of our salary differences from my team mates (they earn considerably less than me).
Sven Horlemann 10 months ago
If I talk privately with someone, colleague or not, this is none of any companies business.
keyboardtek 10 months ago
They just do not want women to learn how much more the men doing the same job are making.
K Barnes 10 months ago
When I worked retail they had trouble attracting new hires, so one wave of new hires was bought on at a higher starting wage than those of us who had been there for years were making. They were told they would be fired if they told us veterans their wage. When we found out and demanded to make at least as much as them the new hires all got written up for sharing private info. Such absolute BS.
DeoManus Argentem 10 months ago
Well, it is impolite, talking about money always is. EG, we were never told not to discuss our salaries, but when Covid hit and 95% of us at my employer were laid off, I was helping a much older colleague (with near 0 tech skills, but we held the exact same title/position) navigate the web portal to accept his severance package and noticed mine was almost four times larger despite his having been there around 25 years, and myself only 10. I had no idea what to do! I didn't tell him (didn't expect there was anything he could do, and didn't want him feeling worse) but I did call our boss - not knowing if it was a mistake and that mine would get decreased and his increased... he said he'd look into it, but I never heard anything more about it from either my colleague I was trying to help or my boss.
whiterabbit 10 months ago
Personal choice. I won't discuss my wage with my coworkers, made that mistake once and will never do it again. You don't deserve equal pay just because you're in the same position. You get what you earn and if you don't think that's the case then get a different job.
#3
Oil corporations have convinced millions of Americans that there is doubt about climate change. They used the same tactic that the tobacco industry used to sow doubt about the harmfulness of smoking cigarettes.
Cigarettes are deadly and so is climate change.
Now they have retreated to OK there is climate change but it’s just a natural cycle. That’s not what scientists say, but unfortunately for us all there are millions of Americans who believe Sean Hannity over scientists.
Tamra 10 months ago
Oil corporations have not only launched propaganda campaigns, but they have also funneled a LOT of money to politicians to further that aim. The Environmental Protection Agency is currently in the process of being gutted, and the USDA has been ordered to eliminate their websites that reference or discuss the current climate crisis. All of this is being done by the current administration.
keyboardtek 10 months ago
The only books Trump ever read was 1984 and Mein Kamph.
Load More Replies... whiterabbit 10 months ago
How many times has the earth cooled and warmed? It's been happening since long before humans evolved onto this earth. Sky screamers just need something to scream about.
CP 10 months ago
You are either ignorant or a liar. Keep your lies (facts as you call them) to yourself.
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Bored Panda reached out to marketing psychologist Akash to get his take on the topic and ask whether companies can market their ideas ethically.
“Every organization or company has business ethics and a code of conduct, and they do follow it,” Akash said. “But in the end, the thing that matters most is profit. That’s the ultimate goal of every business, except for NGOs and the government.”
However, he explained that while profit is the driving force, not everything companies do is unethical. “If businesses focused only on profit, they would resort to unethical practices. But today, many companies shape consumer behavior in ways that aren’t necessarily deceptive—just strategic. Take Uber, Zomato, or Flipkart, for example. These companies didn’t exploit consumers; they identified pain points and gaps in the market and provided solutions.”
On the other hand, many corporations uphold ethics through corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. “For instance, Reliance’s Vantara initiative and the Tata Group’s donations help build consumer trust while balancing ethics and profits,” Akash added.
“Ethics = Trust = Profits.”
#4
That we the consumers are at fault for all of the plastic waste in the world. It is a free rider problem — and the corporations are not paying for the harm they have done and are continuing to do to the world.
Bryn 10 months ago
It helps if you keep reading. Especially the part where it says "for all of the plastic waste in the world."
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Pernille 10 months ago
BS! We, the consumers, are the ones to blame. We want cheaper things, plastic is cheaper than glass, tin, cardboard, and waxed paper, and way easier to transport over long distances.. We have to buy less, and insist on local products packed sustainably.
WindySwede 10 months ago
One bad thing about glass is that it takes a lot of heat to melt, and are heavy. But at least no microplastics are spread from them.
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Sylvia Hinz 10 months ago
We need to demand a return to glass, tin/aluminum, cardboard and butcherpaper.
Sean Sean 10 months ago
Because the consumers (mostly) are, at least in the USA. Most people here don't want to recycle, they either don't care, don't understand, or are too lazy. Companies that manufacture plastic items recycle everything, there's very little waste. All the plastics you see in the pictures polluting rivers, oceans etc are all from the consumer end of things.
Max Fox 10 months ago (edited)
That is this person's solution - to keep on buying plastic water bottles, because after all, it's not their fault, it's the fault of the corporations. In this case, it is indeed the fault of the consumer. From buying plastic, to voting for the politicians who allow corporations to bottle public water and sell it to people.
K Barnes 10 months ago
I did warehouse work for years and the amount of waste (largely plastic) we produced was gutting. Wrap up giant items (taller than a person) in 8 layers of plastic wrap. Oops, someone forgot to double check a part number. Let's cut it open then rewrap it. Oops, forgot to include an item. Instead of a separate box let's cut it open and rewrap it again. The much larger than a beachball clump of plastic can go in the garbage (and mostly fill a black plastic garbage bag, get a new garbage bag). Sending one unbreakable item? Put it in a bag, put that bag in a larger bag, put the bags into a large box. It was unbelievable, we produced more waste per day than my family does in months. I got reprimanded when I tried to cut out waste and just put items directly into a box not double bagged. I still think it's VERY important to reduce our personal waste but man, we can't compare to corporate waste.
#5
The need for diamond engagement rings.
Zephyr343 10 months ago
Lab created ones are much more ethical if you have to have a diamond ring. Exactly the same chemical composition as natural diamonds but not made from the blood of children
Warren Peece 10 months ago
1948: De Beers 'A diamond is forever' campaign invents the modern day engagement ring https://www.thedrum.com/news/2016/03/31/1948-de-beers-diamond-forever-campaign-invents-the-modern-day-engagement-ring
Nice Beast Ludo 10 months ago
I have a sterling silver turtle engagement ring with a green shell stone
Trisec Tebeakesse 10 months ago
My now wife's favorite gemstone is Aquamarine. So guess what I proposed with? Honestly, it's what you both want and are happy with. Diamonds are a sham.
Philly Bob 10 months ago
My birthstone... actually all of March. It's a beautiful stone.
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Blondie23 10 months ago
THIS!!! I had a diamond ring for my first marriage and that ended. My current husband and I have tungston wedding bands... mine cost $3 his cost $11. It's the happiest I have ever been.
Tropical Tarot 10 months ago
My wife and I had custom wedding and engagement rings. Both sterling silver and under$150 total
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Lyoness 10 months ago
This should be higher. Diamonds are far more common than people think, the industry simply controls the supply. Just thank De Beers.
Disgruntled Panda 10 months ago
Also, the de Beers monopoly fell apart about 30 years ago. Today only about 30% of rough passes through their systems. And of course supply is controlled, like with any resource with hard to predict production volumes
Load More Replies... Dawn Marie 10 months ago
Watch the episode of "Adam Ruins Everything" where he talks about this exact thing. It is in the first season.
#6
Fast fashion. it needs to die. not only is it an overheating unsustainable system. it promotes waist, and you end up spending more money on them anyway in the long run. it is better to make a small wardrobe of a few well-made clothes that fit you well and will last a long time over sometimes literal plastic.
roddy 10 months ago
I've tried buying quality classic expensive clothes, only to discover they get snagged, stained and unwearable or out of fashion just as fast as anything else. Now I only spend good money on footwear and coats. For the rest, I have fun with cheaper options that I enjoy. And some of those have lasted much longer than expected. I rarely find myself getting rid of clothes.
Akash also highlighted that a company’s success isn’t just about the market they serve—it’s about how well they tap into emotions, habits, and decision-making patterns to create an irresistible connection with their brand.
Big brands are particularly skilled at using psychology to influence consumers:
- They make it personal. Ever seen an ad that feels like it knows you? That’s data-driven personalization at work.
- They sell a feeling, not a product. Apple doesn’t just sell tech—it sells innovation and creativity.
- They create urgency. Limited-time offers make people act fast.
- They hook you with small steps. Free trials or introductory deals get customers invested.
- They make themselves familiar. The more you see a brand, the more you trust it.
- They remove friction. One-click checkouts make buying effortless.
#7
“Warning, this product may cause bleeding, swelling, hair loss, thoughts of s*****e depression, cancer, anal leakage, and death”
Meanwhile it shows a bunch of happy people playing frisbee in the park with grandma
The Scout 10 months ago
The whole ads for prescription meds are crazy. Like "OK, you might be a medical professional, but I know better than you what to prescribe because I have seen this ad..."
Ivona 10 months ago
A well-informed patient may benefit from asking about trying an advertised d**g.
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Verfin22 10 months ago
By law the ad is required to divulge ANY side effects the testers had while trying the medicine. It doesn't mean it won't work correctly for you. But yes they are annoying.
Data1001 10 months ago
Yep, and even if the 'side effects' weren't due to the medicine itself but some other factor -- if they don't list everything, Uncle Sam will be knockin' on their doors, and they'll also potentially open themselves up to lawsuits. But it does make it impossible to tell what the *actual* risks are.
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Regina Holt 10 months ago
If there are going to be ads for prescription d***s, there should just be a person in front of a white background. So much money is spent on these d**g ads. All of the actors, and the scenes that are playing out, all of that stupid choreography to show folks having a good time. D**g prices pay for those extravagant ads.
Michael Goldsberry 10 months ago
When the d**g works as designed you're happily playing in the park.
Geoffrey Scott 10 months ago
My Doc: "So, according to your responses on the 'depression quiz', would you be interested in taking an antidepressant?".."Oh...the ones which side effects are thoughts of suicide?...nah I'll pass".
Tom De Paul 10 months ago
Most people who are suicidal don't do it because they don't have the energy to. The problem is that most antidepressants restore your energy before it lifts your mood. Now that I'm aware of that I can be on the lookout for it.
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Ginger ninja 10 months ago
Yeah to anyone outside the USA having ads for medicines is absolutely bizarre
Ace 10 months ago
Adverts for prescription medicines don't really exist outside the US, but where they do they are required to list all of the potential Adverse Events that were reported through the trial phase, no matter how rare and how likely they were to actually be caused by the medication (a classic example of correlation without evidence of causation). I can't see how this is an example of propaganda.
Adrian 10 months ago
Because most developed countries outside of the US have healthcare!
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#8
American exceptionalism and individualism
Also, the idea that your work ethic (or rather how much time you give your job) is what gives you value.
Earonn - 10 months ago
The USA were so drunk with their own "WE ARE THE GREATEST! FREEEEDOOOHHHHM" that they refused to admit that they could fall prey to authoritarianism, too. Now they pay the price. Sorry for you guys, hope you get out as lightly as possible.
keyboardtek 10 months ago
Republicans are always screaming freedom when they want to publish racist lies on their right wing media and when they have to obey the law. But they are the party that enacts the most repressive laws, wants to control womens' health, denies basic freedoms based on ones sexual orientation, and weekly censor books.
Load More Replies... CP 10 months ago
Individualism is a virus on human society. We stand on the shoulders of every human that came before us and we did not do anything special to be born here. The sooner people realize they are luckier rather than good the better of we will all be.
Michael Largey 10 months ago (edited)
When people brag about American exceptionalism, remind them that the phrase was originated by Joseph Stalin and watch their faces. (Daily Worker Jan 29, 1929)
Ace 10 months ago (edited)
I confess to having no idea what this (the first bit) is supposed to mean.
Jenn C 10 months ago
Saying that you (and we as America) are theost important and the best country ever. Valuing being an individual over community values and responsibilities.
Load More Replies... #9
Breakfast foods are only for breakfast and that's all you're supposed to eat in the morning. I had clam chowder for breakfast my first day living alone at 17. F**k the system.
Michael Goldsberry 10 months ago
Pancakes and eggs for dinner has long been a family event for me.
Disgruntled Panda 10 months ago
In the Netherlands pancakes are a dinner dish :)
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Blue Bunny of Happiness 10 months ago
Used to love it when my parents had dinner parties as kids, we used to get the leftovers for breakfast!
Toothless Feline 10 months ago
After I started taking Ozempic, my tastes changed and I could no longer stomach my decades-long standard cereal breakfast. After shuffling through an unsatisfying variety of other “breakfast” foods (the only one that really stuck was eggs, but they’re expensive now and most mornings I’m not up to any stovetop cooking), I ended up settling on a cycle of deli sandwiches, ramen, and dinner leftovers. Spouse doesn’t get how I can eat things like pickles first thing in the morning (I always put pickles on my sandwiches and I’ve found that sweet pickle relish is really good on ramen), but that’s how my tastes have changed.
tee-lena 10 months ago
How much sweet relish? I can't get with clam chowder in the morning but relish is ...interesting.
Load More Replies... #10
Planned obsolescence in technology.
whymypersonality:
You mean how most technology literally quits working every few years? Cause I'm getting sick of being literally forced to buy a new phone every 2-3 years because the old one wont turn on anymore.
Mike Goslin 10 months ago
Choose your technology more carefully. Certainly some (many) tech companies plan obsolesce (You have some pictured here) by trapping you in their ecosystem.. BUT, many tech companies are truly competitive and that includes longevity. Avoid techno-hype and choose stuff that works well with stuff from other manufacturers.. The competition will keep your gear running and useful for 10+ years easily.
The Scout 10 months ago
It is one thing to plan a product to expire after a few years. But e.g. with printers, it is now "good for 120 000 pages" and will stop working or get bricked by the manufacturer without anything being wrong with it. It's just "We have decided you can't use it any more".
Firstname Lastname 10 months ago
Paid more than I would care to on a phone because I was told it was higher quality and it would last longer. Company released a few generations and then an update that would kill your battery to force the upgrade. Did not last longer.
Barbara Turner 10 months ago
Every 5 years we buy a new washing machine or dryer. It's the tech in the consoles, but replacing the console or the chips in it costs more than a new machine. So, I'm throwing away a working machine, it just can't take orders from its chips anymore.
Tom De Paul 10 months ago
My parents bought their washing machine and dryer when they adopted me and my sister. They were both still working when my father passed 30 years later.
Load More Replies... Adrian 10 months ago
I'm not convinced it's planned. I've been working in tech my entire life. There's always a shiny new thing. Doesn't mean the less shiny thing doesn't work.
Definitely a Human 10 months ago
Plus a lot of it is just people buying the absolute cheapest piece of c**p out there. Of course your $30 microwave didn't last. It's held together with hopes and dreams.
Load More Replies... Bremusa4u 10 months ago
Stop buying Apple. I'm unable to access over 10 years of data because they managed to destroyed my hard drive with an update. I'd been using imac without issues for 11 years before it happened. I've backed up my files but at the moment I can't access them. I'm done with this techno bullying. If I can't upgrade it or fix myself, i won't buy it. Yes, there are still companies that let you do so.
CP 10 months ago (edited)
That isn't planned obsolescence. That is society. Most people don't keep phones for years and they aren't going to build one for people (me included, I keep phones until they die) that represent a small segment. People upgrade phones because of new technology. That is like saying they planned to make all old technology obsolete.
#11
Separate toys for boys and girls.
StrangeOne 10 months ago
Tbf, I see the toy department as a "this is where the dolls and horse toys are, and this is where the action figures, play tools and cars are", I never see signs saying one aisle is strictly for boys and the other is strictly for girls. No one is stopping parents from buying either toys for their kids, regardless. It's like saying the kitchen and home decor department is for women, and the automotive, electronics and tools department is for men.
Bored Retsuko 10 months ago
But why are the dolls next to the horses? And next to the pink and sparkly stuff? Why are the cars next to the action figures, and not the barbies?
Load More Replies... whiterabbit 10 months ago
Stop pretending chromosomes and hormones don't affect personalities in a general sense. Why do you people push so hard to erase the natural line between males and females?
Definitely a Human 10 months ago
They don't. They're just saying we don't need to enforce stereotypes.
Load More Replies... #12
The food pyramid was created in 1977 as the (heavily influenced by companies) USDA made new dietary recommendations to cut out fat and replace it with “heart healthy” starches and carbs. It actually led to a growth in obesity rates.
SAF saf 10 months ago
(heavily influenced by companies)....let's call it what it is coporations bribed the politicians at the USDA and the Federal govt. looked the other way.
keyboardtek 10 months ago (edited)
When Kennedy become head of our health, we will see all sorts of goofy unscientific stuff. I retired tot rural town in North Carolina and the natives here have no clue that eating a healthy low sugar, high vegetable diet and exercise are the path to health. Instead they ingest medicine for farm animals.
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Warren Peece 10 months ago
The corrupt history of the food pyramid https://wearechief.com/en-us/blogs/articles/the-corrupt-history-of-the-food-pyramid
#13
Clovers being weeds I read a while back that most w**d killers can't differentiate between clovers and other weeds they just k**l all of them so companies began emphasizing clovers as a w**d so they could still sell their chemicals
I learned this fact on reddit tho so take it with a grain of salt.
panties_in_my_a*s:
You may have learned it on reddit, but it’s true. Clover and other common, lawn-healthy broadleaf plants were demonized by agrichemical companies so that they could sell herbicide chemicals. Here is a wonderful, readable source that will make you and your green space more healthy.
Clover is great for your lawn because it fixes nitrogen. Farmers rotate nitrogen-fixing plants into their fields because grains (like grass) gradually deplete nitrogen. Nobody would need to fertilize their lawn if they just left the f*****g clover there.
Fun fact (not actually fun) is the herbicides were designed to k**l German potato crops and Japanese rice crops in World War II. They were never used that way in the end, but to this day we are spraying our lawns with chemicals originally designed as weapons to threaten civilian food security. WWII was f*cked up.
Pferdchen 10 months ago (edited)
Ditto for butterflies and moths. I used to have a colony of once extirpated (locally extinct) Atala butterflies going and they loved the "weed" flower Spanish Nettle. The fact that I haven't seen a single Atala in my yard for almost two years hasn't helped my outlook on the state of the world. Incidentally, I have plenty of host and nectar plants and haven't used any pesticides, fertilizers or weed killers.
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François Carré 10 months ago (edited)
Do yourself (and life on Earth) a favour and never use ANY herbicide in your garden please. And boycott agrichemical companies. And mow your lawn with maximal restraint.
Geoffrey Scott 10 months ago (edited)
I do lawns for a side gig. Aside from Grub-Ex, which keeps skunks and moles from excavating your yard, I apply nothing, and try to talk them into the same view. "Dandelions? They don't last long".Or.."the reason your lawn is brown is 'cause it ain't rained for a month. Fertilizer will just run off when it does".
ElfVibratorGlitter 10 months ago
I spent years turning my lawn into a clover lawn. It's so much prettier in my opinion, no mowing required, and so many bunny rabbits!
Tom De Paul 10 months ago
And the research that gave us the atomic bomb also gave us nuclear medicine.
#14
Valentine's day!
Sarah Kathrin Matsoukis 10 months ago
I'll go for any excuse to get bf a gift and a special date, let me enjoy Valentine's Day
Becky Samuel 10 months ago
Sure. Celebrate away. But is there any necessity to do so by purchasing a butt-ton of corporate búllshit, environmentally disastrous flowers, and plushies that are essentially made of microplastics?
Load More Replies... Blondie23 10 months ago
I have always hated Valentine's day because it always felt like 1) a made up holiday to sell useless stuff 2) is too geared to women leaving men with all the work 3) forcing your loved one to prove their love to you one day out of the year.... no thank you! My husband and I do that daily for each other and it's free!!!!
Julie S 10 months ago
It's not a made up holiday. St Valentine was a 3rd century Roman saint who I think was killed on the 14th February so it's a religious thing. But obviously we have bastardised it to be about cards with hearts on and over priced flowers.
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Ozymandias73 10 months ago
Well, you could off somebody if you squeezed their heart.
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Richi Weiss 10 months ago
It maybe is made by the industry but in my mind one day a year to stop and tell your loved ones how much u care don't hurts anybody..
General Anaesthesia 10 months ago (edited)
In my mind, if it's one day a year then they don't really care.
Load More Replies... Adrian 10 months ago
Yep, Lupercalia! Involved a lot of sex and sacrifices
Load More Replies... #15
Sorry, I keep writing these because I can't sleep.
The whole notion that government is inefficient and incompetent, a drag on business.
I'm no communist, but there is always a role for government in a well-run economy. Business may be more efficient, but why do we focus on efficiency to the exclusion of all other considerations? What about robustness? What about fairness? Businesses are not incented to improve society, only their position within it. Government should act as counterweight to ensure a Leviathan like Amazon does not sink us.
As for the incompetence of government, all I will say is this. I've worked as a consultant to government and now in Big Tech. I've seen as much, if not more, incompetence here than I worked in the public sector.
Toothless Feline 10 months ago
Government’s most important role in the economy is to ensure an even playing field between businesses and customers. The US government has failed hard on this.
keyboardtek 10 months ago
And the current administration is going to make matters even worse.
Load More Replies... Earonn - 10 months ago
This. some rich f**k who cannot exploit at will because of guidelines and laws tells people that "government BAAAAD" and they sucked it up. Lots of them even saying they don't want to pay taxes - but they also want a fire brigade, street lights and moan over every pot hole.
Michael Largey 10 months ago
In business, competence is measured by how much you can gouge the public. In government, competence is measured by how well you serve the public, despite business's attempts to stop you.
Matt Upchuck 10 months ago
There is not and never has been anything such thing as a "free market". That is not how economics works. Someobody needs to plan it - the choice is between either elected officials who people get to vote for, or the rich.
TotallyNOTAFox 10 months ago (edited)
I want to point at the government for the last 3 years here in Germany - That was the prime definition of incompetence. The climate protection party increased the CO2 footprint massivley, the worker's party did put a lot of people out of work (indirectly) and the party claiming to be good for finances caused massive losses. And now they're in full panic because the people are sick of their s**t. (One won't make it into the parliament if projections are correct)
VisualHowlaroundTitleSequence 10 months ago
Please explain why billionaires deserve 70% of the wealth in America. We'll wait.
Load More Replies... #16
Y'all don't hate me for this - US military commercials.
Hmmm hmmmm 10 months ago
Not as good as the British navy adverts. I can still recite some of those from memory. Born in Blythe but raised in the royal navy
Trisec Tebeakesse 10 months ago
The military today is full of racists and homophobes. They're not as noble as you think.
General Anaesthesia 10 months ago
As the American president called them, "suckers and losers".
Geoffrey Scott 10 months ago (edited)
Or..speaking of a Vietnam pilot who contested him for the GOP nomination who was shot down over Hanoi ..."I like guys that weren't shot down". RIP Mr McCain The definition of an honorable man, who could change his view if other facts were available.
Load More Replies... TotallyNOTAFox 10 months ago (edited)
To be fair the last one I saw was hilarious - making it all about feminism and LGBQT. (No problem with both of that) and then the comparison to other nations - Italy showing everything the army does besides defense like engineering, anti-terror or search and rescue
Tamra 10 months ago
No, not all of us are "proud to be American". Those of us who can still think critically and haven't allowed ourselves to be brainwashed by a felon, know that our country is in deep trouble. And it's your fault. You, and others like you who voted him in, are too ignorant and weak-minded to see past his cons. Don't worry though, you're going to get f*cked over just as much as the rest of us.
Load More Replies... #17
The white picket fence American dream. It was actually a propaganda campaign on the 50s to try and get women out of the workforce so men returning from war would have jobs to go back to.
Corvus 10 months ago
To quote an Alice Cooper song - "I guess I'll find the perfect wife / And I'll have 2.3 perfect kids / And if I work real hard / And if I die real fast / They'll all turn out just like me."
Load More Replies... #18
The war on d***s.
Michael Goldsberry 10 months ago
Originally, way way back, the war on d***s was planned to have sufficient money for rehab, that of course never happened
Becky Samuel 10 months ago
Prohibition of drúgs and the 'war on drûgs' will be looked back on with bemusement and bewilderment. It's abundantly clear that the current system is fundamentally broken and yet all that successive governments seem to do about it is 'the same but harder'. Huge amounts of time, money and energy have been poured into this bottomless pit of pointlessness. If d***s are legally available to all, the lifeblood of the gangs just dries up, violent crime and property crime drop off a cliff, deaths from adulteration stop, etc.
Hippopotamuses 10 months ago (edited)
How silly this is? Part of the description of the post is censored. We all know what the missing word is (Though it could be d.i.c.k.s). But why censor one of the words that describes the purpose of the post?
#19
Pink anything for women...
April Pickett 10 months ago
How about a tool box for her in pink, even the tools were pink.
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roddy 10 months ago
Not if it's just another option instead of the female option. It's weird how relatively recently pink became considered a female thing and now women find it attractive. It used to be considered just a shade of red and a color for boys. So many things we are attracted to are defined by cultural conditioning we have no control over. It's rather creepy.
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Peeka_Mimi 10 months ago
I'm an Elder Goth whose second favorite color is pink. I don't hate this.
#20
Women’s razors. Marketing shaving to women and convincing them and the rest of the population that being hairless was more feminine.
Toothless Feline 10 months ago
The worst propaganda about women’s razors is that they will take the exact same razor they would sell a man, make it pink, and hike the price.
Blondie23 10 months ago
For sure... I have taught my daughters to avoid the "pink tax" as much as possible. We can't avoid the cost of period pads but we can buy the cheaper men's razors!
Sue User 10 months ago
Menstraul cup or period underwear. Wish I had known.
Load More Replies... Philly Bob 10 months ago
Dollar Shave Club. My wife has her own "men's" 6 blade razor and she loves it! She loves the soap and actually reccomends their "Ball Spray" as she says it keeps her underboobs dry! No so men only, right?
April Pickett 10 months ago
I switched to an electric razor. One cost, don't have to replace blades, and it does a good job.
Scott Rackley 10 months ago
But but it has 5 blades, a lube strip, and it's PINK! Seriously though, learn to use a safety razor. It takes a bit of finesse and experience but the blades are 10 cents.
#21
The standard American diet.
April Pickett 10 months ago
When you can only afford mac & cheese and other pasta/rice items, you do what you can. I went to the store yesterday. $5.00 + dollars for a box of cereal. Even the snacks were $5-6 dollars. I don't know how people can afford to eat.
Load More Replies... Jilly 10 months ago
I watched 2 episodes of Dateline last night. They both took place in the south in the U.S. I know its not "woke" to fat shame but damn, everyone was so large. There are people who are large then there are people who are just bloated.I blame the urban sprawl suburban nightmare. No doubt they relied on they're cars to go anywhere and the local shopping district was just a mile long string of fast food restaurants and Applebee's. I guess I'm not fat shaming the people but the developers and town planners.Towns should be walkable!
#22
"Premium economy" seating in airplanes. It's what regular economy seating should be.
Michael Goldsberry 10 months ago
You do get a bit extra leg, over six feet tall and I need it.
Load More Replies... Verfin22 10 months ago
Why are we stuffing over 200 ppl on a plane anyway? Oh yeah, make more money. But isn't there a weight limit?
TotallyNOTAFox 10 months ago (edited)
Better for the envrioinment if you need one plane instead of several though
Load More Replies... StrangeOne 10 months ago
I found it's no different. Maybe you can recline your seat slightly more. But the leg room is still s**t unless you sit in front of the bulkhead or volunteer for the exit seats.
Zephyr343 10 months ago
Volunteer?? Most airlines charge more for exit seats.
Load More Replies... Jeff White 10 months ago
Ok. But it makes no difference. If regular seating is better, i.e., more room, then it should cost more. But no one is going to call discounted less roomy seating "Sub Economy"
#23
Expensive skincare.
That $300 moisturizing cream doesn't necessarily have better ingredients than a $10 cream.
Tom De Paul 10 months ago
I remember a segment of the "Today" show that said Lubriderm does everything all the rest of them do. I would add something with hyaluronic acid (CeraVe makes an inexpensive cream.)
#24
The fact that sharing your salary with your colleagues in the same position as you is taboo.
Some companies I've worked for have gone so far as to put it in their handbook as a rule. It's just them trying to cheap out as much as possible. Because when I bring up the fact that the new hire makes more than I do after gaining seniority, suddenly they want to be mad at me.
Warren Peece 10 months ago
In the USA, it is illegal under the The National Labor Relations Act for a company to forbid workers from discussing salaries or other job conditions among themselves.
Sue User 10 months ago
This. They can write it in the handbook all they want, it is not enforcable.
Load More Replies... Dar Mal 10 months ago
my school went union....they threw the salary schedule out and restarted to "Give new teachers incentive," but for those who have been here over 20 years, they cut our salaries to shift the money downward. Having 28 years in, I am making far less than 5 years ago, I cannot "get a new job" so I am screwed.
Warren Peece 10 months ago
How is that relevant to the topic of the post?
Load More Replies... Blondie23 10 months ago
So a bunch of us did this a couple of years ago and forced the company to raise the pay of several of us... me included. Turns out they were hiring in new people at way higher than the people that had been here for years and not telling anyone. That changed.. I know the VPs and owner hate it but at least we are all making the same now! Power to the people!!!!
Nice Beast Ludo 10 months ago
It's a good idea not to share though especially when you come in making $6 more an hour than people that have been there for 10 years. It will make people hate you. Just know that you xan make a lot More money jumping around places than being loyal and if you have been somewhere for longer than 3 years it's most likely that new people are making more than you are
Earonn - 10 months ago
They shouldn't hate the other employee who earns more but the company bosses who pay unequally. But too many are too cowardly and rather lick the boss's boot.
Load More Replies... #25
The concept of waking up at 6-7am to go sit in a desk and be stifled of your creativity and personal experiences for 6-8 hours a day. This is an outdated system to get people trained and docile to work in factories, and now successfully causes generations of kids to be depressed.
CP 10 months ago
I have pointed out before that the 40 hour work week is not written in stone. We as a society should be always working to get that number down.
Trista JW 10 months ago
Haha if that happens, more people will be in debt and unable to even pay their bills. It's a decent dream, but it will only make things far more difficult.
Load More Replies... Zephyr343 10 months ago
Sure. If you can just send me all the money so I don't have to do that anymore.
Andrei Iepure 10 months ago
Sounds like this panda isn't qualified to do much. Go be a free spirit, but don't complain about not having this, that or the other afterwards.
Earonn - 10 months ago
Oh wow, someone never had a good job before. I love the problem solving required at my job, my creativity in terms of draawing, writing, and knitting is fine, thank you very much, and my boss probably thanked the gods if I was 'docile'. Don't confuse your workers' hell ( you're from the US, right?) with work in countries that protect their people from exploitation.
April Pickett 10 months ago
Some old guys want people to work a 5-day week in the office instead of a hybrid of in the office and at home. Most people working from home can agree that this hybrid works. Less stress, gas, time on the road, and parking.
keyboardtek 10 months ago
The fact that low paying jobs are also the most boring or most stressful should be an incentive for people to go to college. My daughter worked low income jobs and then at the end of her long days, took online college classes in accounting. It took her many years but she finally got her BA degree and a great job.
Trista JW 10 months ago
I completely disagree. Low-paying jobs are a way for people to make ends meet, especially when someone lives in a small town and is nowhere near a large city that they could commute to. They are not an incentive for anything, other than making sure you do not become homeless and can keep food in your house.
Load More Replies... Caramello 10 months ago
Like roddy stated, I think this is a critique of the typical U.S. public school experience vs attacking adult jobs. Although I think both could be revamped into something more beneficial. Maybe we need to change how we measure productivity and learning? How many students study to pass an exam vs actually learn the material? How many 8am-5pm employees are productive the entire working day?
#26
Service charges and ATM fees at banks.
Lost Panda 10 months ago
In Japan, ATMs are not 24/7 and are not open on Sundays/holidays (depending on the institution). The whole country has missed what the purpose of an automated teller was invented for. Oh... and services charges, they did adopt that part though.
detective miller's hat 10 months ago
In the village where I grew up in Ireland, the bank used to show up every Thursday in a van. There was no ATM anywhere in the village until like 2002, and that thing never worked. I will never forget being on the phone with one of my American cousins and going "sorry I have to go, the bank is coming!" and my cousin was like "........what"
Load More Replies... DeoManus Argentem 10 months ago
There aren't any fees (in the US) if you use your own bank's (or a partner bank) ATMs... How do you expect ATM operators to exist if they let any random person use them for free?
Keith Handly (Ike) 10 months ago
Not sure if you are joking? Banks use money to make money. It's what they do. You are saving your bank money by using them, they would otherwise have to staff the branch nearest you with employees to help you. So, they aren't free. They pay the ATM administrator/maintainer to have those machines out there to save labor costs. The amount they pay is less than those labor costs. It's also less than the agio each bank charges each other for moving money around from their company to your company. By a lot.
Load More Replies... Jilly 10 months ago
You pay for convenience. People are so spoiled. I’m old enough to remember having to wait till Monday to get money out if the bank. Just pay the damn fee and be grateful.
David 10 months ago
ATM fees are for third party or using other banks ATM's, it is a fee you are paying to use the ATMs of a company or bank you are not a customer of. Why are you entitled to free services from a company or bank that is not yours? Your own bank doesnt charge fees, because you are their customer, the other banks charge you a fee because you are not their customer.
#27
Those who sell top cash Ibuprofen or Paracetamol. Normal cheap/store brand stuff works just as well. Just very good marketing.
NarrativeScorpion:
The vast majority of d***s have store brand varieties. People just need to learn to look at the active ingredients.
Fellfromthemoon 10 months ago (edited)
Same active ingredient, same dose, different formulation=different adsorption, it may kick in earlier or later, and the effects can be shorter or longer. More importantly, two, seemingly different medications (e.g., painkillers) may contain the exact same active ingredient; therefore, taking them together will not lead to better outcome but higher chanches of/more severe side effects.
Data1001 10 months ago
Yes, thank you! The inactive ingredients -- such as coatings, etc. -- can have a significant effect on the efficacy.
Load More Replies... Blondie23 10 months ago
So true!!!! Plus some of those "name brands" have added stuff you don't need. They remove that stuff for the store brand to get the cost down and it's usually better for you!
Sue User 10 months ago
The opposite may also happen. Inactive ingredient may be saw dust with some fancy name if you buy dollar store products.
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Captain Kakapo 10 months ago
scuse me, did you say majority of deadass have store brand varieties?
#28
People eating KFC during Christmas time in Japan because of KFC's marketing campaign that promoted their products as a traditional Western Christmas treat.
Hidalgo 10 months ago
There are lots of reasons for this. Fried chicken (karage) has been popular in Japan for 1000 years. Various foods that can be served buffet style as fried chicken, sushi, etc are popular around xmas, xmas is NOT a holiday in Japan. So yeah, kfc squeezed in at xmas, but it piggybacked on Japanese traditions around new year.
#29
Cotton instead of hemp.
#30
Women's jeans without pockets so you have to go buy purses.
April Pickett 10 months ago
The outrage women have about this is making headway. I have pockets in my pajamas now, what a delight.
Warren Peece 10 months ago
But I see women wearing cargo pants and even with so many pockets available, they still put everything in a purse and NOTHING in their pockets. Would you like to explain that to us?
Jenn C 10 months ago
Some women like having purses as accessories, or have gotten used to carrying one. I personally would like be able to easily find pants with pockets that can hold my phone. It's really hard to find work pants that can hold more than a chapstick.
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Sky Render 10 months ago
The history on this one is fascinating. Short version: reasons have changed over the years for why women's clothing won't have good pockets (used to be to keep women from having quick access to weapons, nowadays it's because the handbags are made by the same people that make the pants), but it's always had the same effect.
Jenn C 10 months ago
That's a good idea, but we're shaped a bit didferently- more hips.
Load More Replies... StrangeOne 10 months ago
Women were buying purses anyways. Women used to wear a pocket satchel. Those need to be brought back.
Earonn - 10 months ago
This one I doubt. women had purses long before we started to wear jeans. And I don't know about you, but I carry more than a phone and keys around. The book for the bus ride, emergency tampons etc.
Huddo's sister 10 months ago
Yeah, I hear this being repeated a lot, but it's wrong. Women's pockets are non-existent or fake because of the way clothes hang on the model. The designers don't want bulky things in pockets affecting the way their designs look.
Load More Replies... General Anaesthesia 10 months ago
So purse manufacturers pay jeans manufacturers to not have pockets? Sounds legit. /s
Sky Render 10 months ago
That's actually something that happens. More specifically, the clothing manufacturers also make and sell handbags. So they deliberately make their pants inferior in the pockets department to sell more handbags.
Load More Replies... #31
Using enough toothpaste to cover the entire head of the toothbrush in commercials. Total marketing ploy.
Blondie23 10 months ago
My husband does this and it irrates me. A tube of toothpaste will last me like 3+ months because I only use a small amount. My teeth are clean and in good condition. My husband on the other hand goes through a tube a month, some times 3 weeks. All because he fills up his toothbrush...... he even taught our special needs daughter this too so now I have two of them doing it!!!!!
DeoManus Argentem 10 months ago
It even says on the tube, "use a pea-sized amount"... at least it did, I haven't felt the need to read the instructions for toothpaste recently.
SAF saf 10 months ago
what?! lol no, no i've brushed with less tooth paste than pictured and lets say i had comments about it. This is just a bizarre take.
Data1001 10 months ago
If I don't cover all the bristles with toothpaste, I can't get a good enough foam/lather in my mouth. It doesn't feel like it works as well. Also, on a semi-related note: people have wondered why some other people run their brush under the faucet after applying toothpaste -- but again, it helps get a better foaminess in your mouth than just relying on the water in your saliva alone.
NapQueen 10 months ago
Erm, I still think you should be brushing your teeth twice a day?
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#32
Ads for pharmaceuticals on TV.
Caramello 10 months ago
I don't know why you're being downvoted for finding something that helped you. I found my wife a better heart medication than typical beta-blockers because of a medical journal.
Load More Replies... #33
News Media. Everyone thinks it's normal for news corporations to lie and scare people for their own political propaganda/political gain.
Sylvia Hinz 10 months ago
The Liberal News Media. Corporations in general are not liberal. That was propaganda started in the 1980's by the same person that started the Welfare Queen lie.
keyboardtek 10 months ago
Yes. Read Noam Chomsky's book "Manufacturing Consent" where he details how the conservative media has manipulated us and filtered reality. It mostly concerns the 1960's era but is still relevant today.
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Cathy Null 10 months ago
Something else that we can thank Reagan for. He did away with the Fairness in Broadcasting Act, which gave rise to extremist new channels/stations/etc.
Geoffrey Scott 10 months ago
Just like everything else, check the source. If "right" and "left orgs reports the same thing, with commentary thrown in? The facts fit.
#34
my favourite example of this is supreme
insanely overpriced clothes that are supposed to be "hip hop" or "urban"
it's 50% owned by the carlyle group, the largest private equity firm in the world
so while you rock your $5,000 hoodie that you slaved to afford walkin on the street, the filthy rich dude in the back seat of the bentley passing your poor a*s by grins, seeing that you make him a teeny tiny tick richer
Philly Bob 10 months ago
Mostly all frames for glasses are monopolized by one company.
Load More Replies... General Anaesthesia 10 months ago (edited)
Off topic but Carlyle is not the biggest private equity firm in the world. To its $426 billion assets under management, Blackstone had $991 billion in 2024.
#35
Bottled water.
John Boy 10 months ago
Unfortunately, if you are in the airport while in Cancun, signs in every bathroom tell you to NOT drink the water, as it is unpotable. Also unfortunately, every "restaurant" or "store" charges you the equivalent of $8 for a 12 oz bottle of water.
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Susan Reid Smith 10 months ago
Bottled water is something we carry and use on ghost town and desert adventures. The rest of the time we drink tap water.
Donnie Mc00 10 months ago
we have abundant clear and clean water sources all over scotland. beautiful straight out of the tap. and yet..people still buy bottled water here..i just cant fathom it.
Andrei Iepure 10 months ago
Please, oh wise panda, how do you propose we transport water? Do we cup our hands and pray we don't trip? Do we use bags? Should I just keep my mouth full of the stuff at all times? Are they overpriced? Yes. Should we use glass instead of plastic? Absolutely. What are you imagining? A utopia where every 10 meters (~33 feet for US pandas) there's a natural spring, or a well? Are you dreaming in roman aqueducts and pipes?
Pernille 10 months ago
Fill up your reusable water bottle at home, an most civilised places have water fountains where you can get a refill.
Load More Replies... #36
Making “thin” versions of food to make people believe that they are eating less, but then those people end up buying more of that food to satiate the hunger they always had for it. Such a pointless product.
TotallyNOTAFox 10 months ago
Same with "Diet" sodas - Those just raise the insulin levels as reaction to non-existent sugar and cause more hunger
#37
Cinco de Mayo was adopted as mexican pride day by the Miller Brewing Company. Most of us just enjoy a long weekend and don't care about it. It's not Independance Day.
Ozymandias73 10 months ago
Yes, Cinco de Mayo, holiday celebrated in parts of Mexico and the United States in honour of a military victory in 1862 over the French forces of Napoleon III.
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#38
Clean water is a NECCESITY and not a RIGHT!
The Scout 10 months ago
Well, according to 195 out of 196 UN countries, it IS a right, recognized as a universal human right. Guess who was the one country that disagreed?
David 10 months ago
This is false! 122 voted in favor, 41 abstained which included the US. Zero countries voted against. https://press.un.org/en/2010/ga10967.doc.htm BTW official US Reason the Obama admin gave was that the wording of the resolution used language that contradicted existing international law, creating a contradiction in the system. Further the US and 40 other countries protested that the bill violated UN Procedures under the "Geneva process" and improperly was handled in the General Assembly
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#39
As someone who works at a bank I can tell you the bank does not get charged from the other bank when one of their customers uses another machine. It’s literally 100% profit. And a f**k ton of it
Andy 10 months ago
I'm guessing this depends on where you live, as I also worked for a number of banks, and the bank absolutely did get charged a fee when one of our customers used a machine operated by another bank
Ace 10 months ago
And also in most countries round the world there are no charges for using ATMs anyway and usually where there is a charge it's only for using another bank's machine.
Load More Replies... Kelly Scott 10 months ago
I remember working at BofA after they first got their ATMs when they would tell their customers to use the ATMs because it was free! That was a selling point. Of course, they got greedy. Just like HBO telling you since you were paying for cable, they didn't need to make commercials. Both of them, lying f*****g hypocrites.
#40
Locking online gaming behind a paywall on consoles.
Jeff White 10 months ago
How is this propaganda? Maybe too squeeze every ounce of profit out of something but not propaganda (as I understand it).
Ace 10 months ago
Indeed. It's just someone complaining that they have to pay for something they want to get for free.
Load More Replies... Andrei Iepure 10 months ago
You do understand that servers cost money to run and maintain, right? You should be aware that the term "cloud" does not refer to fluffy things in the sky and that they cost a fair bit of money. I hate having to pay for online play, so, I just find something better to do with my time and money.
marcelo D. 10 months ago
how do you explain needing a suscription for the games that are P2P like fighting games?
Load More Replies... #41
"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day" was made up by James Caleb Jackson and John Harvey Kellogg to sell their cereal. It is propaganda that is considered true.
Ace 10 months ago
Yes, this used to annoy me, as I would often simply not bother with breakfast at all. Usually from aged-aunt types.
Dimp1961 10 months ago
1115 am in UK, just had my breakfast after getting up at 0730. I'm just not ready to eat first thing
Load More Replies... Fellfromthemoon 10 months ago
Probably they didn't invent but imported it. In my country an old proverb says "Have breakfast like a king, have lunch like a burgeois, and have a supper like a beggar."
DetriMentaL (It/That) 10 months ago
I read somewhere that Kelloggs corn flakes was specifically designed to placate.. Urges
keyboardtek 10 months ago
In a way it is true in that you just had an eight hour fast. That is when the body has the largest buildup of stomach acids and is the best meal of the day to consume protein. That protein fires up the muscles for the days activity.
#42
The concept of individual litterbugs. Corporations such as the tobacco industry helped fund the nonprofit front Keep America Beautiful to shift responsibility of cheap, environmentally damaging packaging from the producers to the consumers. And it totally worked.
Jeff White 10 months ago
Interesting one to think about. Of course individual litterbugs are still to blame but thinking about excessive and wasteful packaging by the manufacturers is interesting.
#43
Santa Clause wore many colors until Coca Cola decided that Coke needed winter sales and dressed him up in red and white coke colors and made a huge ad campaign. Now that’s all he wears.
Justanotherpanda 10 months ago
Santa Claus is Sinterklaas, originally a Turkisch bishop that dressed in red robes. Coca Cola just ran with it.
roddy 10 months ago
How would anybody know what color he wore? Images of early bishops do not show them in red clothing. Earth tones like green and brown are the norm. This is reflected in the European Father Christmases. No notion why Coca Cola fixated on red and white, but it had no historical context.
Load More Replies... #44
Routine infant circumcision in the US. Started as a 'cure for masturbation', then continued as more of a tradition that was supported by the medical industry with misleading and exaggerated claims of its ability to prevent diseases. People are also misled into believing that it's just excess skin, rather than understanding that it contains some of the most sensitive parts of the penis. Unfortunately, the men who were cut themselves wouldn't have any way of knowing that, and their wives even less so. It's a multi-billion dollar industry now.
In reality the difference is trivial, and most ailments caused by the foreskin can be treated and cured with modern medicine anyway. On the rare occasion that circumcision is the only effective treatment option, you can just... you know... do it when it's actually needed, rather than as a preventive measure. It's kind of insane.
Becca not Becky 10 months ago
Thankfully the anti circumcision movement has gained a lot more followers in recent years.
StrangeOne 10 months ago
I still find it gross af that some moms, (I've only heard this said by moms) think it's better for their boys later on to be circumcised so they can "have more pleasure having sex", That is just so gross to think of your baby boy in that way.
CP 10 months ago
I don't either. I think this is a classic case of people caring about something that is negligible.
Load More Replies... Kelly Scott 10 months ago
Yeah, and most STDs can be treated and cured with modern medicine, too. That doesn't mean you want one to begin with and wouldn't prefer to find a method to avoid them, right?
roddy 10 months ago
Every medical procedure with have the occasional "oops". Most kids don't suffer from it, but when they do, it's horrendous. And it's entirely for optics, not necessary at all. It's like the trend to have every kid's tonsils out. Or shock therapy and tranquilizers for every depressive. How often do you hear about that now? Medicine is as big a trend follower as everything else, sadly. Could be worse, though. Years ago the first go-to therapy was always bloodletting. In years from now, some of our procedures will seem as primitive and arbitrary.
CP 10 months ago
I think this is a made up problem. There is no evidence I am aware of to say that circumcision has a negative effect on a baby. It is a simple procedure. I am circumcised and I am happy with it. I know I didn't get a choice, but except for rare cases it is a non issue.
Data1001 10 months ago
Same here. I'm very glad I got circumcised as a baby.
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Johnny McFearless 10 months ago
It has absolutely nothing to do with hygiene. The glans and the skin itself, if there are no medical conditions such as phimosis, can cleaned with no significant difficulties.
Load More Replies... #45
The price of wedding rings. Traditionally, it could be any ring and it'd be fine as long as it fit around your ring-finger.
The idea that the price should be:
Rule of thumb: Spend 2 months of your income on an engagement ring.
Is total b******t and a complete waste of money. Money that would be much better suited for the relationship itself.
A new study found that couples who spend less on their wedding tend to have longer-lasting marriages than those who splurge. The study, by two economics professors at Emory University, found a similar correlation between less-expensive engagement rings and lower divorce rates.
Earonn - 10 months ago
Okay, that correlation could also be caused by poverty = less expensive ring = less chance to get out of an unhappy or even abusive relationship. Always careful to make correlation = causation. This being said, yeah, people should spend as much or little as they see fit.
John Boy 10 months ago
DeBeers started the story about how much you should spend on a diamond ring. They also started the "fact" as to how "rare" diamonds are, which is sheer B******T! Diamonds are probably the most COMMON stone on earth, and they are mostly only good for grinding larger things into smaller things. There is NOTHING inherently "rare" or "special" about diamonds. If you want to invest in a rare stone, then go see a Tanzanite dealer.
Edgar Rops 10 months ago
Mine is brass. Makes the finger green on a hot day, but is immensely emotionally valuable.
Data1001 10 months ago
Shift it a few digits over, and you can have a 'green thumb'!
Load More Replies... #46
The funny twitter accounts some companies have.
"Oh Wendy's is so fun on twitter!" IT'S NOT THE COMPANY, IT'S SOMEONE WHO THEY EMPLOYED TO WRITE WITTY TWEETS.
Andrei Iepure 10 months ago (edited)
So if they're hired by the company to represent the company, how are they not the company again?Are you expecting a reply from the CEO? Do they usually come and cash you out at the supermarket?
René Sauer 10 months ago
And? They do it in the name of the company, while most other companies are too cowardly to do something like that.
StrangeOne 10 months ago
It's funny for a short while, but then I get a sense it's all an advertising ploy.
Michael Largey 10 months ago
Did the OP think we assumed that those funny posts were put on line by Wendy fry cooks on break?
#47
The fear concerning fat, MSG, and low calorie sweeteners.
Toothless Feline 10 months ago
There’s increasing evidence that artificial sweeteners have a lot of potential issues in many populations. Not everyone will have problems with them, but enough do to warrant caution about using them. For many diabetics, they actually make glucose control worse, because sweetness primes the body to release insulin, and artificial sweeteners don’t contain any actual carbohydrates for the insulin to act on.
keyboardtek 10 months ago (edited)
And there is a connection between artificial sweeteners and cancer. Nutrasweet has a chemical in it that is a brain chemical. It makes many people hyperactive and nervous. So before getting diagnosed with ADHD, first stop eating anything with Nutrasweet.
Load More Replies... The Scout 10 months ago
The sweeteners actually are a thing, as they have been shown to influence the metabolism, and not in a good way. Most people, medical conditions aside of course, are much better off with "normal" sugar. MSG on the other side occurs naturally in foods like celery, dried tomatoes, traditional parmesan cheese or soy sauce.
Fellfromthemoon 10 months ago (edited)
About MSG and artificial sweeteners: I WANT to know if my food contains those. I need to organize the hours following consumption around the next available bathroom.
#48
Didn't see it posted earlier. But buying a new phone just because a new version of the same phone is available. Or buying the "pro"/"+" version of the same phone.
And also the previous versions of the phone not being sold after the new one is on the market.
TotallyNOTAFox 10 months ago (edited)
Same with PC hardware, telling gamers they need way more powerful devices than they'd ever use - Nobody needs 32 GB RAM, 12 cores and the newest GPU all the time just for playing games, those are for 3D rendering, CAD and CNC applications
Andrei Iepure 10 months ago
You do realize that the "pro+/-" usually comes with extra things, right?
keyboardtek 10 months ago
I just have a flip phone that stays in my car for emergencies. A friend tried to convince me to buy a smartphone because "You have all your data with you." Why the heck would I want all my data with me at all times? They are like carrying around a piece of wood in your pocket.
#49
Anything to do with body hair, especially for women.
#50
Makeup. It's "essential" for women to wear it or they'll get made fun of or think they don't look good enough. I'm a guy so I'm not the directed audience obviously, but I still don't like the idea of putting plastic and chemicals all over my face until I look like a Barbie doll; plus my autistic a*s would be rubbing that c**p off in a heartbeat! I only think of people as ugly if they're ugly on the inside, because on the outside we're all human and I don't care what the unreasonable beauty standards say.
StrangeOne 10 months ago
I can only wear make up for 10 minutes before I want to wash it all off. Lipstick never stays on much long than that. Even the ones that dry on your lips, it flakes off within an couple hours. Plus, it all makes my mouth dry. Then the eyeliner and mascara end up triggering hay fever, so it all looks like a runny, smudged mess. Nah, I'll stick with my own face. It may not look super attractive, but it's what I was born with and has been working for me ever since.
Sky Render 10 months ago (edited)
Never touch the stuff, haven't since I was a young teen. Oddly enough, I still look like I'm in my 20s while in my 40s. Amazing what not systematically poisoning your face for decades does for it!
#51
Owning cars, building highways, living in the suburbs, having a room for your car in your house, 20 acre parking lots, getting your drivers license as a teen... basically, everything in America involving cars comes from corporate propaganda. The rest of the world has mass transit and functional cities instead.
Nicole Weymann 10 months ago (edited)
That's over simplyfiying it a tad. Easy for me to say as I live in "the rest of the world" (Germany, to be precise). In the past many places in Europe put a lot of effort into making cities car friendly, building multi storey car parks and broad, multi lane streets, especially when WW2 bombings made reconstruction a neccessity anyway. But planning is slower over here, with way more regulations (accumulated over centuries) and WAY less room (where the bomb's didn't hit), and public transport already established. We also seem to have "compartmentalised" our cities less - nowhere near as many "no business, only habitation" suburbs/settlements. Over the decades planners began to see the error of their ways, because the cities stared dying. The new ideal is "livable cities" with short, walkable/bike-able ways - which is a bit easier to do here, since we never took it quite that far with constructing for cars. Slow burocracy and the inertia of tradition can have funny side effects.
Sylvia Hinz 10 months ago
There are rural People in other countries where even tiny villages stops for public transportation AND roads to other places with out the need for big highways.
Load More Replies... Scott Rackley 10 months ago
It comes from the US being 2500 miles from east to west and the grocery store being 10 miles down the road. It would be nice to have more sidewalks and bike lanes, but we don't have a lot. The US is very very spread out.
#52
I'd love to recommend the book "The Way We Eat Now" by Bee Wilson. It really opened my eyes about how the "choices" we make as food consumers aren't really choices when they're dictated by the food industry. I mean, we consume what is made available to us at the grocery store, and our desires are often shaped to what is marketed to us not just through advertisements and food network shows, but also influencers in social media. She even touches upon Soylent. Not only that but she discusses the way we eat, the culture of how we eat, not the food / nutrition, but like, sitting down to meals etc, that's changed a lot too.
We may think that eating a grape today is the same as it was in Greek and Roman times, but even our grapes and the simple act of eating a grape has changed in modern times. Fascinating book.
#53
The " average " 2000 calorie amount in a day.
Firstname Lastname 10 months ago
Used a calculator that tells me my estimated caloric requirements based off my body (age, weight, height sex and activity level). If I followed the 2000 I'd be worse off.
Ace 10 months ago
What do you mean by worse? Anyway, this is not corporate propaganda, yes, that quoted number is too low for many people, especially for physically very active men, but more than enough for some others. Look up "average" if you don't understand it. In any case it's to no gain of any corporations.
Load More Replies... Regina Holt 10 months ago
Everyone is a different size. Everyone has different activity levels. One size fits all 2000 calories is just plain stupid. You can't even say "average" because there are so many variables.
#54
Fat in food makes you fat. In reality sugar is a more accurate culprit.
Lost Panda 10 months ago
It is your activity and how you burn off calories that is the culprit.
CP 10 months ago (edited)
Activity doesn't burn as many calories as you think. People eat too much for a variety of reasons. It is easier to not gain weight by eating than it is to burn the extra food off from a purely physical perspective.
Load More Replies... #55
The concept of jaywalking is the result of successful propaganda.
Local car firms got boy scouts to hand out cards to pedestrians explaining jaywalking. "These kids would be posted on sidewalks and when they saw someone starting to jaywalk they'd hand them one of these cards," says Norton. "It would tell them that it was dangerous and old fashioned and that it's a new era and we can't cross streets that way."
Clowns were commonly used in parades or pageants to portray jaywalkers as a throwback to rural, ignorant, pre-motor age ways.
Another ruse was to provide local newspapers with a free service. Reporters would submit a few facts about local traffic accidents to Detroit, and the auto industry's safety committee would send back a full report on the situation in their city.
"The newspaper coverage quite suddenly changes, so that in 1923 they're all blaming the drivers, and by late 1924 they're all blaming jaywalking," Norton says.
Earonn - 10 months ago
Wait, isn't jaywalking = crossing the street when your pedestrian crossing has a red light? I.e. breaking a rule or law? Not just "crossing the street without walking to the next pedestrian crossing"?
roddy 10 months ago
It's not crossing the street at a designated crossing place. Though maybe illegally crossing at a designated crossing place would count too.
Load More Replies... #56
The Pledge of Allegiance was composed as part of a marketing campaign to sell magazine subscriptions to schoolchildren.
Data1001 10 months ago
The pledge of allegiance is indoctrination, pure and simple. If there's one thing the US government excels at, it's indoctrination and propoganda. So much so that I fully expect to get voted down for this by those who have been brainwashed.
Michael Largey 10 months ago
The flag is just one symbol of the US, like the Great Seal or the bald eagle. Tomorrow morning, let all America pledge allegiance to the bald eagle.
Sky Render 10 months ago
I never said that stupid thing past second grade. Even that young I could tell that it was pointless and stupid. Why swear loyalty to a flag?
Michael Largey 10 months ago
Because if you encouraged people to be loyal to the Constitutiion, some of them might read it.
Load More Replies... #57
Jaywalking was made up by the auto industry when people kept getting killed by cars that, at the time, were a relatively new thing.
#58
Drinking soda.
Regina Holt 10 months ago
I don't like flavored drinks. I just drink water all of the time. If I want carbonation, I'll drink.sparkling water or club soda.
#59
The idea that cow’s milk is a great source of calcium.
Ace 10 months ago
Well it is _a_ source of calcium, cheaply and easily available to all, so...
Bella 10 months ago
I don’t care what anyone says, I’m not putting broccoli on my cereal.
Load More Replies... #60
Baby gear. New parents nowadays need the stroller, the swing, the play mat, the bouncer, the bassinet, the crib, the pack n’ play...babies used to sleep in drawers.
roddy 10 months ago
I think they are saying that you don't need every bell and whistle just to keep up with the Joneses. The kids won't notice or care as long as they are comfortable and happy. It's mostly just more consumer garbage you will need to clear out later. There's a whole industry now just based on how much c**p companies can sell to new parents. You don't need it.
Load More Replies... StrangeOne 10 months ago
I used a drawer (taken out of the dresser) for the first month, until we got a crib. Babies do need their own place to sleep. A bassinet is alright for newborns, but they grow so quickly. The pack n' play is a Godsend when visiting and travelling, or just giving them a safe play area while you do stuff, or need a rest. I used a stroller until someone gifted me a Snuggly, which was so much easier to get around in winter, and be on the bus without taking up 4 seats. But that lasted until she got too heavy. Then she had to go back to the stroller. I found the swing was okay, but so loud it pissed off my mom.
What do you think ?
kzys59pcrp 10 months ago
Being told you have to listen to a doctor because they know best. I’ve been living with my illness for years but I need to listen to a doctor who barely knows anything about it? Besides they always tell you the same things like exercise more and drink more water. As if I haven’t tried that.
BarkingSquirell 10 months ago
Mine has been good so far and, if I showed up to the tests, could hep me figure out what is going on with my fragile, frail body (cannot really walk anymore.)
Load More Replies... kzys59pcrp 10 months ago
Being told you have to listen to a doctor because they know best. I’ve been living with my illness for years but I need to listen to a doctor who barely knows anything about it? Besides they always tell you the same things like exercise more and drink more water. As if I haven’t tried that.
BarkingSquirell 10 months ago
Mine has been good so far and, if I showed up to the tests, could hep me figure out what is going on with my fragile, frail body (cannot really walk anymore.)
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