# Most blatantly manipulative media you’ve ever seen? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 29, 2021, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-blatantly-manipulative-media-you-ve-ever-seen/956824 "2021-12-29T01:14:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2021, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-blatantly-manipulative-media-you-ve-ever-seen/956824/1 "2021-12-29T01:14:25Z")
Both of mine are songs, but I think it’d be better to expand to any media. The first is one I complained about in the long past: “Welcome to My Life” by Simple Plan: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/r0U0AlLVqpk/maxresdefault.jpg "Simple Plan - Welcome To My Life (Official Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0U0AlLVqpk) This has always struck me as a rather naked attempt to appeal directly to certain youth demographics with certain attitudes. Yeah, all media does it to some extent, but there was just something so raw and obvious about it that it rubs me the wrong way in a sense I’m not quite sure how to express. To a lesser extent, there’s “What Makes You Beautiful” by One Direction: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/QJO3ROT-A4E/maxresdefault.jpg "One Direction - What Makes You Beautiful (Official Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJO3ROT-A4E) Using the self esteem issues of teenage girls and creating parasocial relationships to sell albums just seems…icky to me. I think that’s a big part of it: both these songs feel to me like they came straight from some marketing group and pretending it’s art. Am I completely off base here? Any other examples? ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2021, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-blatantly-manipulative-media-you-ve-ever-seen/956824/2 "2021-12-29T02:51:31Z")
I couldn’t be arsed to listen to the songs, but yeah, exploiting teenage insecurities is an age old tactic of the music industry. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2021, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-blatantly-manipulative-media-you-ve-ever-seen/956824/3 "2021-12-29T04:06:21Z")
“Blatantly manipulative” may be a loaded term, but I don’t think you can top The Man and the Dog in any form of communication. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/13FZCgXuJHk/maxresdefault.jpg "The Man and the Dog PSA for Organ donation") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13FZCgXuJHk) ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2021, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-blatantly-manipulative-media-you-ve-ever-seen/956824/4 "2021-12-29T14:15:41Z")
An oldie but goodie: [![](https://i2.wp.com/www.interesly.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Natlamp73.jpg?w=286&ssl=1) ](https://i2.wp.com/www.interesly.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Natlamp73.jpg?w=286&ssl=1) ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2021, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-blatantly-manipulative-media-you-ve-ever-seen/956824/5 "2021-12-29T14:42:08Z")
Hair loss commercials can only sell by making someone feel insecure or self conscience. At least weight loss has a health benefit. Hygiene is important for health reasons too even if you don’t care what people think. But hair loss is a meaningless issue that needs manipulation to make it a problem that requires a solution. That all the solutions are silly hair stapling or snake oil is just added insult to injury. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2021, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-blatantly-manipulative-media-you-ve-ever-seen/956824/6 "2021-12-29T15:14:20Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > Hair loss commercials can only sell by making someone feel insecure or self conscience. Yep, advertising has been creating problems that don’t really exist in order to sell solutions as long as there’s been advertising. I remember in the 80s or early 90s a particularly blatant series of commercials where a guy at a party was trying to talk to women, in the process would discreetly scratch his head, just a quick little scritch, and the women would recoil from him in horror like he had the plaque-- “he must have…_ **dandruff!** _” ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2021, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-blatantly-manipulative-media-you-ve-ever-seen/956824/7 "2021-12-29T15:33:04Z")
> [@solost](#): > > the women would recoil from him in horror like he had the plaque Plague, not plaque, missed the edit window. 😊 But now that I think of it, I’m sure there’s been a toothpaste or mouthwash commercial that made plaque sound as bad as the plague. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2021, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-blatantly-manipulative-media-you-ve-ever-seen/956824/8 "2021-12-29T15:41:19Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > “Blatantly manipulative” may be a loaded term, but I don’t think you can top The Man and the Dog in any form of communication. Maybe they should just run motorcycle ads? ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2021, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-blatantly-manipulative-media-you-ve-ever-seen/956824/9 "2021-12-29T16:33:56Z")
Ah, kids today. Can’t remember back when blatant meant blatant. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/BugBwt2ESpo/maxresdefault.jpg "The Ballad Of The Green Berets") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BugBwt2ESpo) [![](https://i.insider.com/4df662b2cadcbbd3030d0000?width=1000&format=jpeg&auto=webp) ](https://i.insider.com/4df662b2cadcbbd3030d0000?width=1000&format=jpeg&auto=webp) [![](https://i.pinimg.com/474x/84/c2/ee/84c2eee63d6dfa6b44a18daaa2f23545--vintage-images-vintage-ads.jpg) ](https://i.pinimg.com/474x/84/c2/ee/84c2eee63d6dfa6b44a18daaa2f23545--vintage-images-vintage-ads.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2021, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-blatantly-manipulative-media-you-ve-ever-seen/956824/10 "2021-12-29T17:02:57Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Can’t remember back when blatant meant blatant. I’ll see your “Cashmere Bouquet Soap” body odor shame ad and raise you a Lysol feminine hygiene shame ad: [![](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3Yj3P26xH40/YSxsEJdbEgI/AAAAAAAEMPA/UXaIxGe69wgdUoglVomjPWbuAs_2iF84gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1200/1950s-lysol-ad-crop.jpg) ](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3Yj3P26xH40/YSxsEJdbEgI/AAAAAAAEMPA/UXaIxGe69wgdUoglVomjPWbuAs_2iF84gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1200/1950s-lysol-ad-crop.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2021, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-blatantly-manipulative-media-you-ve-ever-seen/956824/11 "2021-12-29T18:35:42Z")
This an ad for GYCST shampoo? ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2021, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-blatantly-manipulative-media-you-ve-ever-seen/956824/12 "2021-12-29T22:34:23Z")
That remind of the old Internet meme: “Every time you masturbate, GOD kills a kitten.” ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2021, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-blatantly-manipulative-media-you-ve-ever-seen/956824/13 "2021-12-29T22:44:44Z")
As someone with bad dandruff as a teen women WILL recoil in horror if they see you scratch your head and see white flakes fall off. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2021, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-blatantly-manipulative-media-you-ve-ever-seen/956824/14 "2021-12-29T22:54:35Z")
Commercials in which they ask you to give to little kids in India, Pakistan, Africa, and places like that. “This four-year-old girl must walk the streets barefoot, because she doesn’t even have enough money for a pair of shoes.” Um, you’re there, right now. Give her a fuckin’ pair of shoes, you heartless idiot. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2021, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-blatantly-manipulative-media-you-ve-ever-seen/956824/15 "2021-12-29T23:51:59Z")
Virtually any fiction involving dogs. Seems like putting a sad dog on screen is all it takes to get people sobbing and it drives me nuts. I don’t lack empathy for dogs. I love furballs of all kinds, but…jesus, are most people such soft touches that you can literally put no work into it? (The Seymour Asses episode of Futurama, I’m looking at you.) ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2021, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-blatantly-manipulative-media-you-ve-ever-seen/956824/16 "2021-12-30T00:17:46Z")
Shriner’s Hospital ads. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2021, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-blatantly-manipulative-media-you-ve-ever-seen/956824/17 "2021-12-30T00:25:23Z")
At least those ads actually promote an organization that does what it says it does (St. Jude’s Hospital, too). Don’t donate to the national Humane Society. If you want to help homeless animals, send that money to your local shelter. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2021, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-blatantly-manipulative-media-you-ve-ever-seen/956824/18 "2021-12-30T00:30:44Z")
Lots of ads are blatant and on the spectrum from dubious to wrong. Skin lightening creams that encourage demeaning attitudes. Skin tightening creams that do nothing. Frightening people with unneeded treatments for minimal problems. Ring around the collar! Dishpan hands. Ass-No-Smell (as parodied on SNL). ---
**Author:** ![Toxgoddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Toxgoddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxgoddess)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2021, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-blatantly-manipulative-media-you-ve-ever-seen/956824/19 "2021-12-30T15:28:10Z")
I saw the thread title and thought “Fox News, duh”. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2021, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-blatantly-manipulative-media-you-ve-ever-seen/956824/20 "2021-12-30T15:36:46Z")
First thing I thought of was [Russia Today](https://www.rt.com/). They exist to point out every flaw of the Western countries and glorify everything Russian while complaining how unfair the West is to them. They look like a news network but are I believe basically run by the Russian government. The weirdest thing is PBS used to broadcast RT every day, I suppose as an effort to broaden the horizons of Americans. But did the people making decisions at PBS realize it was just pure propaganda? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-blatantly-manipulative-media-you-ve-ever-seen/956824.md?page=2)