More About Sex and the Environment

   I would like to add my perspective to TSP leader John Ince's article Good Sex is the Solution to our Environmental Crisis published in the Georgia Straight Provincial Election Commentary.

   Much of my professional career was spent as a Graphic Designer.  Advertising Psychology was a part of my educational curriculum.  In that particular part of my training, the lesson that remains most prominent in my memory is how all advertising is designed to appeal to three basic human primal motivators: the need for sustenance, the need for shelter, and the need to procreate.  One of the exercises was to go home, watch TV, monitor and document all advertisements in a chart of the aforementioned human primal motivators.  Several ads even appealed to two or more.  We also made notes on what our emotional response was to each ad, or what we felt the message's intended emotional statement was.  The need to procreate/human sexuality almost always got a check mark.

   Everyone always says, "Sex Sells."  It does.  The unfortunate part is that much of the advertising says the viewer is simply not good enough or attractive enough unless he or she buys a particular cell phone, drives a particular car, wears the right brand of lipstick, wears the right jeans, drinks the right beer, etc.  This fear based brainwashing results in exhaust fumes on the way to the mall, fast food wrappers strewn all over the environment and plastics bulging at the seams of our landfills.

   I'm not against taking care of one's appearance (My wife says I look pretty snappy in a navy blazer and I do like to look good for her.) and I'm an entrepreneur, so I believe in free enterprise.  However, as consumers and voters, we all need to ask ourselves, "To what end are we buying all this stuff?  Who are we benefitting and who or what are we hurting with the purchases we make?"

   I'd like to throw out a little challenge to readers:  Try the exercise I did for Advertising Psychology.  I bet it will be a real eye opener, but draw your own conclusions.  In the meantime, step away from the mall, you're fine just the way you are, and go get a little something else instead!

All the best!
Dietrich Pajonk
Your Vancouver-Hasitngs TSP Candidate.