Commodification

So on Tuesday, we were discussing the idea that Heidi Klum (an icon for all models) has completely commodified herself, and that there is no distinction between her-real-self and her-business-self. We (or you and most of the class) also drew conclusions that we oursleves are "little Hiedis" in that we are always potentially capable of being exploited, and that our lives revolve around exploitation. I respectfully beg to differ, and i'll make my case here.
Before the advent of mass-communication of all media - satellite radio, television, cable, major news programs uploaded online, etc - this phenomena of the super model did not exist, this over-the-top commodification did not exist. I personally have been brewing a huge batch of distrust for the pop culture, the media, and the system at large for some time now, and i have taken many steps to keep those influences at a distance. i believe that i am a happier person for it, frankly.

In the years since 9/11 I have often heard may people fret over some increase in national security levels due to "terrorist threats." I have heard people fret over potential biological or chemical warfare. I have also heard people fret over WMD's. Beyond that, i have heard people discuss (at length) the results of the previous night's episode of American Idol. I have heard people discuss (like they ACTUALLY give a shit [excuse me]) the getting together or breaking up of famous pop figures. Constantly I hear people talking about the proverbial "big game," and who's gonna (or who did) win (I do not pay attention of any kind to any professional sports). On Tuesday, you must remember, the class was absolutely SHOCKED that i had never heard of some guy named Joe the Plumber(?!). And yet... somehow... having been completely oblivious to all these things... life still goes on for Bill Harrington.

How have people gotten so caught up in this system of commodification? Because they let it take a hold of them. Because many people's interests fall within the bounds of what They commodify: sports, fear/security, beautiful people, religion, junk food, nationalism, bad music with good beats, and many other things you might get bombarded with through mass-communicative media.

They (FDA/Media) promote food empty in nutrition, but full of chemicals ready to make us fat and toxify our brains. They (Entertainment Media) promote video games to numb our minds. They (Federal Department of Education) provide our children with less-that-adequate education. They (Department of Defense) misallocate our taxes toward meaningless war, and their pockets. They (FDA/Pharmaceuticals [who actually pay the bills at the FDA]) push drugs into the market like Ritalin and Prozac to control our minds. They (Media in conjunction with the Federal Government) raise and lower security levels and drill into our heads the idea of fear so that we stay tuned, and stay in line. They (Congress) have passed legislation that eliminate several of our basic rights including habeas corpus.

People need to get educate themselves instead of relying on the powers that be if they want to see what's happened to our society. Tenzin Gyatso the 14th dalai lama says in his book Stages of Meditation, "If we don't do anything constructive and expect that others will, then obviously nothing is possible."