Buy Now! Bye Now.

As is all-too typical for what used to be called "the advertising industry," (I refer to it these days as the holding-company-Ponzi-industry) an event that was supposed to change everything changed absolutely nothing.

All through election day--perhaps the most consequential (or the last) election in amerikan history--amerika's marketers couldn't even take an hour off from their incessant and ceaseless inundation of the amerikan public.

Here's a small slice of my email box as millions voted and millions more votes were reputedly counted.

Marketing today reminds me of Kaytusha missiles. The sort the Soviets used as they advanced inexorably west from Stalingrad and took over more than half of Europe. 

There's little ready. 
There's no aim.
There's an abundance of fire.
Every day another Gotterdammerrung. 

As a matter of fact, if I were still in a holding company agency, I think I'd take the two videos I've pasted here, embed them in a PowerPoint deck and add a title page that reads, "Our Media Plan in Two Videos." I'd bet even the boys in procurement would be impressed.

There's no point in this post because no marketer worth his bonus would ever take a break from marketing for something as non-pecuniary as peace. 

Solemnity is a loser's game. Things like respect for veterans, presidents, war dead, religious holidays--they're just impediments to making more money. That's why--except for Christmas--every amerikan holiday is tacked onto another day so we can gave a three-day weekend and buy more shit. Then grill it.

Years ago, I began believing that amerika should change the slogan on our money from E Pluribus Unum--which no one understands or believes--to Tabernam Usque Ad Stillabunt: Shop till you drop. 

I know being a consumer is a personal choice. We can avert our eyes, decide to not buy shit we don't need and even, as I do, keep the TV turned off. 

But the incessance of modern amerika marketing machine has changed every moment into a "purchase occasion." We have no values other than BOGO and save 25% if you buy now. 

There's a lot to worry about in the world today. And maybe rampant over-consumption or frenzied selling doesn't make it to the top ten.

But to me, it's all evidence of a soulless nation. Which seems to be getting not only the leader it wants, but the leader it deserves.