Asexuality and advertising
Feb. 16th, 2010 04:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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asexualityInspired by the post on a quiet dreamwidth comm meme, have a post.
Does being asexual make it easier to resist advertising messages?
As an introvert and an asexual, commercials and ads that tell me that their product will make people want to be around me and have sex with me are not overly interesting to me (so if I don't buy your product no one will want ever to have sex with me? Perfect!). I've never had much of a problem distancing myself from the various messages that the media presents about how we are all full of problems, and they will help us fix those problems if we just give them our money. Lately I've been wondering how much of that was the result of good work from my parents, and how much of that was simply that the subtext they were selling me wasn't something I was I cared about. I'm not wired to care about sex and popularity.
On the other hand, advertising also sells belonging, which is something that can be very tempting, especially to a person who hasn't quite figured themselves out yet and is still trying to see how they fit into the wider world ('If I buy into this, maybe I will finally understand what the fuss is about').
note: I'm trying to not present this in a way that sounds of "asexuals are better than those silly sexual people who are all slaves to their base desires" because I certainly know many sexual people who do not base their lives on what the TV tells them to do. However, I'm an introvert; I don't know that many people, period. I'm also the only asexual I know, so I hardly have access to a good sample of either side. It's just that my other discussion idea on asexuality and kink didn't seem like a good first post.
Does being asexual make it easier to resist advertising messages?
As an introvert and an asexual, commercials and ads that tell me that their product will make people want to be around me and have sex with me are not overly interesting to me (so if I don't buy your product no one will want ever to have sex with me? Perfect!). I've never had much of a problem distancing myself from the various messages that the media presents about how we are all full of problems, and they will help us fix those problems if we just give them our money. Lately I've been wondering how much of that was the result of good work from my parents, and how much of that was simply that the subtext they were selling me wasn't something I was I cared about. I'm not wired to care about sex and popularity.
On the other hand, advertising also sells belonging, which is something that can be very tempting, especially to a person who hasn't quite figured themselves out yet and is still trying to see how they fit into the wider world ('If I buy into this, maybe I will finally understand what the fuss is about').
note: I'm trying to not present this in a way that sounds of "asexuals are better than those silly sexual people who are all slaves to their base desires" because I certainly know many sexual people who do not base their lives on what the TV tells them to do. However, I'm an introvert; I don't know that many people, period. I'm also the only asexual I know, so I hardly have access to a good sample of either side. It's just that my other discussion idea on asexuality and kink didn't seem like a good first post.
no subject
Date: 2010-02-17 01:25 pm (UTC)This is exactly my reaction when adverts try to sell me things with sex. "So, if I use this product, I'll be covered in half-naked women? Note to self: avoid this product."
That is, once I've finished laughing and if I watch one at all. I was brought up with a very "ah, the adverts! Time for the mute button and a three-minute conversation or loo break" attitude :D
no subject
Date: 2010-02-17 03:19 pm (UTC)