UnixBer

We all know alcohol adverts are pretty commonplace and it is one product that is one of the most consumed as well. Why is this so? This is because society teaches people that alcohol is elegant and somehow necessary to "get everything out of life, such as events".

I have realized this is not true. And people who drink alcohol today I basically would see as people who don't know what they are drinking, not thinking the reality for themselves or have already become addicted. This is not to say badly of people who do drink and there are people who can moderate. It is just that the reasons they drink for, can mostly be traced back to what other people have told them and what society has told them about alcohol.

There is in reality nothing very special in ethanol. It is a chemical substance. It is great fuel and cleaning fluid. It is also highly toxic and unsuitable for a human being. Imagine having an empty glass vial or bottle. Now it is just glass, which happens to be stone. Now add in the vial or bottle some fuel. Ok, now we have some fluid we can possibly consider to be used for fuel or cleaning. But wait a minute... Add this paper etiquette on the side of the vial/bottle that says that this is the best drink you've ever had. Add juice or berries in it for flavor and you have a simple drug to sell.

Threshold

In my own experience villifying alcohol, people who sell it, people who drink it etc never did me any good. Booze was my drug of choice. Booze has been many people's drug of choice for thousands of years, way before mass media was around to glorify it.

Likewise with cocaine, caffeine, nicotine, shrooms and a host of other mind altering goodies.

Maybe once I've gotten past my own issues with drugs I'll have energy and insight to campaign against it. But my drug problem is between me and drugs, not mass media. I managed to not pick up a lot of things that advertising has tried to sell me, so I'm pretty sure in MY case, it's me that has the problem.

ScottFromWI

I'd agree with threshold. There are a lot of things "society" promotes or vilifies, but at the end of the day it's up to me to realize my problem and not pick up a drink.

IOAA2

Yes it is socially accepted in moderation. Most of my observation from 2-10 was what I'd call responsible adults having a drink or 2 perhaps a week. For me and most others it did what it was suppose to, give a relaxes and good feeling and then turned on us. Being compulsive our system wanted more and more until we realized we have a problem as to continue the way we were progressing meant some serious things happening to ourselves. The learning curve is perhaps hard at times in our society but it's very possible to stop and stay stopped from continued use. BE WELL

LadyBlue0527

We are adults, we've gone down the path and realize that alcohol isn't for us. However, those ads romanticize it to kids. How many kids can't wait to get that license that shows that they can enter a bar? Because kids, you know, NOTHING is fun without alcohol! That's what being an adult is all about, you can drink!

How often do we see commercials that show the negative results of alcohol? I'm trying to search my mind and I can't think of one I've ever seen. I've watched plenty that tell you to not drink and drive. At the end of alcohol commercials I see "Please drink responsibly". I've yet to see a 60 second spot that shows the possible down side of drinking (sans car accidents).

I completely get what UnixBer is saying.

Where I realize and agree that the problem is mine does that mean that I shouldn't be concerned for others or society as a whole?

happyhour

posted yesterday ...

"I killed a man." - YouTube

happyhour

to add, to the link i sent - until all the stigma of the "town drunk" is washed away, real progress in alcohol abuse seems to stay in the shadows (much like mental health is today), even though it is more damaging and destructive to our society, our health and our families, than all cancers and heart conditions combined. ok...i'll shut up now.

FBL

The United States government tried a little something once called "prohibition"...we all know how that (didn't) work out. Of course advertisers are going to glorify their products, it's what they do. Just because they make something look appealing, doesn't mean we have to buy it (or believe it).

MattyBoy

I agree that it gets you no place to vilify alcohol or attempt to be a crusader against it. But I have to say, it's hard not to get defensive about your position as a teetotaller when people put pressure on you to drink or don't understand anyone who refuses to drink at all. When someone asks me why I'm not drinking I often just bite my tongue and sy I'm on antibiotics but what I really want to say is that alcohol would've caused me liver failure, high blood pressure, diabetes, severe mental illness, delirium tremens, seizures, memory loss etc etc ad infitum but then people say you're being a morally superior, holier than thou *******.

I have no problem with alcohol being promoted by the media and people enjoying alcohol if they handle it. It's the reaction to people who don't drink, as if their social pariahs or something, that really bothers me. We live in a society which treats alcoholics as selfish, weak willed degenerates and teetoallers as boring, party pooping, pompous prudes. Of course there's a middle ground - moderation - but some people just aren't wired to drink that way.

I think alcoholism should be taught as a disease of 'once you start you can't stop' in schools so people understand why some people choose to abstain completely. If that ever happened then all the media and promoting of alcohol wouldn't bother me in the slightest so long as people didn't care that it wasn't for me

LadyBlue0527

Wow that video brought me to tears. Part of it was the sharing and understanding of the intense pain that he must be feeling. The other is the glimmer of hope and witnessing someone who chose not to hide and to be accountable for what he had done. A huge start to a long healing process. It was like witnessing a sad and destructive death and a rebirth all at the sane time. My heart goes out to the family of the man who was killed and to the driver. May he find some peace in his choice to create the video and possibly save lives in the future.

Malachi

I remember when I was a kid in the 80s seeing all these magazine ads for cigarettes. I still remember Joe Camel on the back cover of TV Guide. Now that's not allowed. I wonder what would happen if similar limits were put in place for alcohol. I'm not sure if it would make a difference or not, but it is interesting to think about.

MattyBoy

I agree. I think there should be televised adverts for AA but of course they are not self promoting and probably dot have the funds to do so. But there should certainly be an advert warning about alcoholism. Perhaps showing a man starting drinking socially in a bar, then at home alone, then waking up in hospital completely jaundiced. I've come up with a few alcoholism tv adverts in my head that I think would be very powerful..

jazzfish

All marketing is BS. It is all designed to make us think something is missing in our life and that it can be obtained by purchasing whatever product is being promoted. As with all marketing, one needs to be able to see through the BS and understand the reality.

Alcohol, however, has been around far longer than marketing and it is still enjoyed for the same reasons - valid ones for those who can drink moderately.

Nattythreads

[QUOTE=UnixBer; And people who drink alcohol today I basically would see as people who don't know what they are drinking, not thinking the reality for themselves or have already become addicted.[/QUOTE]

That's just arrogant nonsense, tbh. Most people I know have a drink occasionally for any number of reasons, none of which involve ignorance, addiction or enslavement to marketing techniques. To them it's nothing more than a little bit of inconsequential relaxation.

They're not brainwashed sheep, they're just normal people - unlike you and I.

LadyBlue0527

Creative thinking! I love it!

Mine is along the lines of showing unkempt people in doorways, leaning back against the stoop with a brown paper bag, tipping the bag back for a drink. Slow flashes of images with sad background music. Then it stops at a black screen and the words "Now, Let's Get Real" appear in white. The music then continues and the same location is used for filming except the first image is of a surgeon in scrubs, cap included, posed the same way and tipping the brown paper bag back. The next frame is a woman, professionally dressed doing the same, etc etc. The final black frame appears with the words in white "Alcoholism, it doesn't discriminate". Then that should be followed by information to a local recovery program.

Bare bones but just a thought process

MattyBoy

I like it!

longbeachone

We've seen a sea change in the U.S. in regards to smoking, which is now a social taboo. Even 10 years ago it was still relatively acceptable, but now people find it hard to even find a place to smoke without being told its not allowed.

Having taken my fair share of drugs, prescribed or not, I believe that alcohol is one of the strongest substances available. No other drug I've taken has the immediate rush of sensation that swallowing alcohol does (I've never used I.V. drugs though). Alcohol accounts for so much misery, its sale should be more tightly regulated, or at least the advertising and promotion of it. Will it ever be socially taboo? Who knows? All I know is it should be.

cascademn

I agree that prohibition does more harm than good and thus is a non-starter. To be sure, it is a public health issue for a portion of our populations that are at risk. Just ask Native Americans. Without any genetic immunity to alcohol, it is a devastating bio-toxin for them. I wouldn't mind seeing more strict warning labels on products that contain significant amounts of alcohol. Beyond that, it's simply a part of many of our cultures, deeply imbedded and here to stay. In the meantime, we remain focused on us and our sobriety.

UnixBer

Well yes and if you run a business of any kind it is always nice to have customers aware of what you have to offer, I know this. And true also that you can reason it out mostly that you don't have to buy into an advert.

However... I think there is more than what appears to this thing, and that would be psychologically. Young people(not just them) often have the issue of peer pressure, and since alcohol is so strictly tied to culture it is difficult to evade completely. This means that due to the image of alcohol - as part of the culture and society how it is shown out - glorified instead of seeing as a dangerous drug without glamour - it is contagious. It may come from parents to children to peers etc. The point is other people may be active salesmen pushing alcohol, you know, without being aware of it themselves(the way they think about it, have been taught etc.).

Peer pressure and conformity is but one thing. If you know anything about hypnosis and suggestion, it is apparent that we are surrounded by a world that "sides" with alcohol. It is mostly cast out as good, instead of neutral or bad, mostly. And I think that may be at the root of the entire problem. And of course some adverts are difficult to completely ignore. But luckily we have still that freedom of choice, if we only think for ourselves in the first place before becoming dependent.

There's been some pretty interesting responses here and we might all just learn something new. I hope so.

resolute50

What??? Not all alcoholics have girls surrounding them,are a professional athletes and do just about everything from climbing Mt. Everest to winning chess tournaments?

Stay thirsty my friend?

PS.
Perhaps alcohol commercials are different in other countries.
But,here in the U.S., it turns you into Superman and a hunk.LOL