Most advertisers play on the psychological phenomenon of association/disassociation. An example of association/disassociation might be displayed in a comment like: “The trailblazers lost last night” when my team loses, and “We won last night” when my team wins. I disassociate from what I perceive as losing and associate with what I perceive as winning. I explain why I think we do this in Searching for God Know’s What, relating it all back to what really happened at the fall of man. But right now I want to address how we have all been duped by this phenomenon as it is used in Apple advertisements.
Advertisers carefully position their products next to people who carry social commodity. Often, this is sexual, but it can also be wealth, power, humor and wit (which in ways are all sexual, too). Advertisers, then, are associating their products with our biochemical desire to reproduce and carry on our lines, and also with a relational insecurity we all have regarding redemption. Usually, this is subtle, an attractive man or woman using a certain dish detergent or driving a certain car is seen touting a products significance.
Sexual fertility manifests itself in women in high cheek bones and a 70% waist-to-hip ratio, and in men through a chiseled jaw and broad shoulders. Usually, what we find immediately attractive in the opposite sex is actually our reproductive system wanting our line to survive.
And last years Apple campaign came just came right out and said it:
If you use Apple computers, you are more likely to get laid.
Essentially, the campaign stated if you are young, cool and smooth, you will use Apple products, and if you are fat, old and geeky, you will use IBM.
Here is a good example of the familiar ad:
What amazes me about these ads is that they appealed to and “worked” on an audience many people perceived as cynical about this sort of manipulation. Apple, having been a minority share-holder in the market branded themselves as aloof outsiders, swimming upstream in a culture of conformists. But in all reality, those of us who have fallen for this campaign are the worst offenders. I would even argue the use of Apple products, to some degree, mark us as the most insecure about our identities.
Apple products are defended with near-religious zest. But in our zest are we defending a company or our own identites? Perhaps what we’ve been offered is a brand to associate ourselves with, a brand that triggers our survival instincts, revealing we don’t believe we have enough to survive without this association? Perhaps the use of Apple products reveals insecurity more than it reveals confidence.
Consider Microsoft’s counter ads, which expose the stereotype being created by Apple, focussing on the use of a computer as a tool to do good in the world:
While the ad was true, I doubt it will do much to counter the sexual/social instincts Apple plays upon.
It could be argued that Apple has better product, but I don’t think this is true. There is plenty of superior product that has not taken off the way Apple product has. I think they have great products, and they are user-friendly to be sure, but this can hardly explain the explosion in sales and market share. Without good, user-friendly product, the ads wouldn’t carry the company, I know. It’s the combination of the two that is making Apple a successful company.
But my question isn’t so much about Apple as it is about us. In a culture where we are made to feel socially inferior if we don’t use certain brands or products, what does a true counter-culture look like?
If you think about it, the most confident of counter-culture heros aren’t talking on i-phones, wearing designer jeans or jumping in the air in their facebook photos (why are all the hipsters suddenly jumping in their facebook photos? Why didn’t anybody call me to say we were doing that?) but instead are the people most of us might not notice. The reason we don’t notice these people is because they offer us no beneficial association. They buy products because the products work, they buy jeans because they cover their asses, and coats because a certain coat will keep them warm. A true counter culture is not manipulated by the whims of fashion and therefore is not made up of fashionable people.
I’ve used Apple computers for about fifteen years now. If I had bought Apple stock with all the money I’ve spent buying Apple products, I’d own a lot of Apple Stock (it took me twenty minutes to give up on that line) and to be honest, I’ve been influenced by the commercials without even knowing it. Using a Mac has made me feel cool over the last few years.
It’s true most of my cool friends use Apple Computers. In fact, I think all of my cool friends use Apple Computers. All my friends in rock bands have I-phones. All the girls I know with high cheek bones have I-phones too. They don’t call me with them, but I’ve seen them talking on I-phones to my friends in rock bands. Maybe Apple products do help with fertility. I guess that’s a nature/nurture question. Or maybe all my cool friends are secretly fat losers on the inside. Who knows.
But the reality is, even though I use Apple products, I am not cool. I never have been. I don’t have a chiseled jaw or broad shoulders. I am the same approximate height and weight as the PC guy in the Apple ad, (not the bloated version, although I used to be) and I’m probably a couple years older than him.
Don’t feel sorry for me. It hurt to realize these things at the time, but the truth is I’m probably happier now than I’ve ever been. I don’t exactly know why, except I’m older and part of me has just given up on the game. It feels good to quit. The world will go on with or without me, and I don’t want to miss another sunset worrying about it.
That said, the reason I wrote all this was to ask you hipsters a question:
Would it be okay if I continued using Apple products? I don’t know how to use Windows.
And also, can somebody photoshop me jumping for my facebook photo? I don’t jump. I don’t much see the use of jumping.
P.S. I am about to get bombarded with a bunch of “apple is a superior brand with superior product” which I’ll have to talk about for a second.
this was not a bash of apple product. it was a bash on advertising. and on sin nature. that said, without the advertising strategy, the product would have never been sold, and the development dollars never earned. so we are all buying these products because of the advertising. i think the quality of the product is exceptional, but the two go hand in hand.
P.S.S. Reader Dave Stevens offers this: Thanks Dave!
I started with a one-piece mac in 1989. Two floppy drives and no hard drive. I definitely wasn’t cool, didn’t become cool, and have no coolness now. Except that it’s 16 degrees in Atlanta tonight.
I do, however, sense that Google is the new cool, and I’m all over the Google apps. Maybe this is my decade.
Your post is fun.
So, I definitely didn’t read all these comments but people, seriously, I don’t know Don personally, but I’m gonna take a wild guess that the purpose of this blog was not even slightly to debate whether Macs or PCs are better. I’m a Mac girl myself, but even I, in my absolute love for my dear macbook and iPod didn’t feel myself responding to this blog with a sense of defense of the Apple brand. Don seemed far more interested in conveying, as he said, the sin nature of man and how advertisers take advantage of it. All this said…let’s spend more time reacting to the real purpose of this blog rather than having a little “my mom is better than your mom” commenting party on D. Miller’s blog page.
By the way, Don, good point. I mean, I personally enjoy the Apple advertising campaign and find it entertaining, but everything you said about it is true.
It’s interesting that you blame Apple for their slick advertising campaigns that “play upon our insecurities” and pro-creative urges because the overall sense that I got from your blog was that you were asking permission to use Apple’s products out of some negative self-perception of being too uncool or unattractive to own a Mac or an iPhone.
You say that we’ve all been duped by the phenomenon of association/disassociation as perpetrated by Apple and yet, you’re doing exactly the same thing by appealing to people’s insecurities and prodding them to join a “counter-culture”.
I understand that this a blog and so verifiable data isn’t necessary to assert your opinion, but if there really are so many other “superior” products to what Apple has to offer, can you seriously suggest that their lack of market-share is simply due to an “Apple=sex” mindset?
The reason why Apple is as popular as it is, is because everything works together. All of your Apple products can be synced to one another which makes life much easier for the AVERAGE computer user who may not have the time, aptitude or patience to figure out MS-DOS, BIOS, or C++ commands when something goes wrong with their PC.
(Just so you know, I’m a PC user primarily because it’s familiar and comfortable to me. That and I despise not having a right-click button or scroll wheel on my mouse.)
Have you ever stopped to think that perhaps the reason Apple products are so popular is not because they’re so trendy/sexy, but because they’re accessible, usable and functionable. And that, in and of itself, is sexy.
There’s an expression that says: “Don’t hate the player. Hate the game.”
Don’t bash Apple for having great products that are not only reliable but work super-well with one another, but also having a great understanding of how the game works.
At the end of the day, whether it’s with electronics, books, clothing, or music, we all seek to be part of something larger than ourselves. (Isn’t that part of the grand “advertisement campaign” of Christianity and religion in general?)
Any way you slice it, we all associate with one thing while disassociating with its opposite. But the definitions of which one is sexy or cool is completely up to us as individuals.
Oh man, my brain hurts. This Mac user swears by her computer… but is pondering. Thanks.
Don,
I’ve had a hard time figuring out if I even like advertising anymore. The title of your post says it all. Sometimes the shortest and simplest way of saying something is best. Some take the blog approach, which I am not knocking you for as I have a blog, and others leave it as said. The farmer, middle-America dialect may be just the most honest and forthright way to say what one needs to say. We see this a lot in Jesus, our Savior! Anyway, man…
I read the paper, I study some ads here and there, and I find myself getting pretty bored and over-educated in this pitfall of jargon that really substantiates itself by outmaneuvering the competition. Words are not meant for this, you know, man?
Alas, advertising and its industry have climbed down into this pit.
I want to start a non-profit with my cousin. I want it to be honest, and full of the Spirit. But I have to let the drawing nature of world–namely business–go first and foremost. I am a business major and after reading your books I have said to God, “this man is interesting; my cousin told me so; a pretty hip christian lent me this book; but I do not want to be him. His life is his own, and my life is my own. I love your life, Don.”
It just goes to show you that a struggling, ad-minded, innovative individual can be inspired–more so thankful–by another, and at the worst and best moment all at the same time. A lot has changed in my life since the beginning of this year. God alone is responsible. At your small expense, He let me learn about the great struggles we all face, man.
Advertising and Apple will go away. So, use the products, but ask God to guide their utility in your life. Maybe I’ll ask God to find me some jeans that don’t fall off, haha!
Peace Through Christ,
Jeremiah
I have always used a PC, not due to any conscious decision on my part, but because at work I use a PC. I admit though, the Apple ads make me want an Apple. If I had enough money to switch, I would. I guess my finances limit my coolness. That and the fact that I don’t have a picture of me jumping into the air on my facebook. Dang.
Hey Don,
Why don’t you be counter cultural in your Facebook picture. Have some one take a picture of you falling because you tried to jump.
[...] not even sure if my friend Dave reads this, but I know he uses an Apple. Granted, this is probably a horrible way to share a blog post by Don Miller, but it was all I [...]
Apple became great because of design and execution. Much like their commercials. In the old days (or ahem, the Superbowl last week) you stuck a half-naked hot “babe” next to your product while you raked in the dough.
Why do I like Apple ads? Because they proclaim: women are cool, men are cool, people of all colors and nationalities are cool. Sure, they’re selling cool. But it’s a kind we can all participate in…with *gasp!* our clothes on. How refreshing.
“But my question isn’t so much about Apple as it is about us. In a culture where we are made to feel socially inferior if we don’t use certain brands or products, what does a true counter-culture look like?”
I don’t know. Short of living in a log cabin with no electricity, I’d say that being “counter culture” in 21st Century American culture has less to do with the products we buy as it does our attitude towards them.
My Apple computer won’t redeem me, neither will my dish soap or car or designer bag or even my career or relationships. Like Jesus said——store up treasures in heaven, ’cause where our treasure is, that’s where our hearts are, too.
What really works about the Mac ads that feature “Mac” and “PC” is that they are mini “stories” that are entertaining. The other Mac ads that don’t have these characters and just feature products (ie. iPod ads) are as boring as the Microsoft “I’m a PC” ads. It’s the “trials” and “tribulations” of PC that make me want to stop fast forwarding the commercials on my DVR and watch the mini drama unfold. Why, because it’s usually funny, and I like to laugh… even if it’s at “PC’s” expense
Hey Don,
Perhaps if want to be really counter cultural we should use vista….. That way we really would be in the minority.
@ all,
So what do you think the significance is that nearly every commenter felt obligated to identify themselves as MAC or PC user?
1) Use what works best for you and makes you feel more comfortable.
2) If adds didn’t exist, there would be many more people unemployed
3) Isn’t it great to wonder about things?
A very interesting post, I have to admit
I understand your point, and I think for many it’s probably true. But I also think you paint with strokes too broad. My wife and I use products simply because they’re better. We both had Dell’s that were horrible. Never had an issue with our Mac’s.
I like my iPhone because it’s a great phone that does everything I need, not because someone will think I’m cool. In fact, if anything, I’m almost embarrassed to have one because people assume I only have it because I want to be cool.
And I enjoy the Mac commercials because they point out the problems with PCs in a humorous way that is very true. They may have the effect you’re talking about on some people, but I think you also may be over-analyzing this one.
I’ve used PC all my life (expect for when I was a tiny child and we had both an Apple and an IBM for a short time). I’m looking to get a laptop soon (for my return to academia).
Am going to the dark side if I’m considering an Apple? Or am I staying on the dark side if I stick with PC?
[...] you should go read Donald Miller’s Blog. He says it better than I ever [...]
Don,
I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about how Mac users really do almost become “religious” in their defense of Macs. I totally understand where you are going with this ad. I’ll be doing a lot of thinking about this.
Thanks.
What if everyone felt as cool and sexy about tithing as they did about what kind of computer or phone they use? I’m not suggesting that anyone create an ad campaign for tithing…it’s meant to be an act of obedience and devotion to our Holy God. I’m just sayin’!
Also, cool images aside, I don’t think God cares what brands we use as long as we appreciate whatever we have as a gift from Him and we are financially responsible about our purchases. I don’t even think God cares so much if we purchase something for the cool factor, as long as we recognize our identity in Him above all else.
I’ve always been hostile to the Apple adds. It makes me bitter that they work so well. I attempted to be my own self and “rock” my new Dell, but now that I think about it, I have done everything I can to make the dinosaur Dell look like a Mac book. I downloaded the Mac browser and even got a white cover in a final attempt to look cool. I am ashamed–almost (at least I saved money!)
So, I got rid of satellite TV about 8 months ago. Still have the TV, but now we just pretty much use it for watching movies courtesy of Netflix. I don’t spend an exorbitant amount of time on the internet and for the most part, I mainly listen to CD’s or my very cheap, but totally functional mp3 player, instead of the radio.
All this to say, I miss a lot of crap this way. Advertising is a big part of that. Am I a little bit out of touch with the newest and coolest stuff, sure. Do I care, yeah, sometimes I do, I hate to admit it but I can be as shallow as the next girl. But most of the time, I’m okay with being slightly out of touch. Because honestly, the constant pressure to be beautiful, wealthy, have all the latest stuff, etc., I hate it. It’s overwhelming and little by little it really does erode my grip on what actually matters. And next thing I know, I’m spending way too much money on something useless that I really don’t personally need just because it makes me feel better about myself. Or prettier, or cooler. And it’s bullshit. So, I freely admit that I am uncool, and it sort of bums me out sometimes, but for the most part, I am more peaceful and that’s worth it to me.
“Why do I like Apple ads? Because they proclaim: women are cool, men are cool, people of all colors and nationalities are cool. Sure, they’re selling cool. But it’s a kind we can all participate in…with *gasp!* our clothes on. How refreshing.”
i’ve never seen those mac ads… the ones i always see say “upper middle class white hipster guys in their 20s are cool.”
[...] thinking it might be nice to go Apple next time our family purchases computers. Apparently the manipulation of my weak self-concept has worked [...]
You know Don, I once had terrible design job where I used a Mac and a PC SIMULTANEOUSLY. I didn’t feel cool – just tired. And…you know, when it came down to it, the end result was always some lame ass business card or letterhead. And for a customer who didn’t care what I used to make it.
I guess it’s the same as when I worry whether I look cooler drinking diet pepsi vs. diet coke.
1)Diet? Come on. 2)Both are pop. 3)And are preserving my insides for generations to come!
I’ve always been a Mac. Don’t know how to use anything else. I liked it when we were counter-culture, the weirdo minority!
Also, the Mac guy doesn’t have broad shoulders. He’s kind of “every guy” to me.
Also, did you dump me from Facebook or everyone. Can’t find you there.
Also, do you think play a role in Josh’s job with Obama. Your mentorship initiative is great. And I know a partnership between churches and the community in Orlando where we are helping the underemployed find jobs. Search Jobs Partnership. I’ve never been a part of anything like it and I’ve been in “ministry” for 18 years.
All the best to you, Donald!
Judy
Maybe Don would want to come on GodsMac.com podcast and discuss this? Legit invite, think it would be a fun discussion / also include info on what’s up in your life at the moment. Thanks for the post, Don!
What I find interesting is the comment section has become more about selling one product or the other by it superiority, rather than about Don’s actual point. Yes the iBook is cooler than my “happle” (HP with iTunes and that ever cool apple sticker) but the point is this is a HUGE example of the world selling us what they say we need by playing on our fears, insecurities and the ever present “I want to be cool” factor. Here is a thought…what happens when the counter-culture minority becomes the bill paying majority? Doesnt that disqualify them as being unique?
Larry –
If only we could figure that out,
translate it into numbers,
and express it in an equation –
because I think we’d have a real working
“theory of everything” (TOE!).
I jest, of course.
In all seriousness, though, it seems to me that my generation is gasping for our last breath as we’re sucked down in the swamp of peer validation, but somehow we’re blissfully unaware of being in any danger whatsoever.
Don, I absolutely loved this post. Whatever I may think about the Mac vs. PC thing, I refuse to say on principle. Your cultural instincts are right on, and I’m glad to see you using that incisive wit and sharp writing as an equal opportunity weapon: against the “uncool” institutional world and the cool countercultural “institution”. There is indeed sin everywhere. Heck, there’s grace enough for Bill and Steve… *grin*
Not sure if someone has said this yet, but:
One big flaw with your perspective is…
YOU ARE COOL, DONALD MILLER!!!!!!
Crap.
I saved for 6 months to buy a MacBook and was finally able to take her home from the Apple Store in December.
Now I feel like such a sucker.
That being said, I’m still completely uncool (my students remind me daily just how uncool I am). The thing about being suckered into Advertising is that one must have Moolah to buy that which tempts you. So I don’t know if I’m counter-culture or just plain cheap but I don’t buy things I can’t afford (unless I save for months on end).
I stopped using a credit card nearly 3 years ago and I can’t tell you how much that simple act has changed my perspective on advertising. Most things I see now just seem so ….silly. Or convenient and then my mind goes nuts thinking about how lazy Americans are that we need to have our vegetables ready in 30 seconds in the microwave because we don’t have time to cook. Advertising is very busy telling you that You are too busy for Living and their product will make your life run smoothly and conveniently.
Don’t get me started on advertising.
Do you REALLY smoke, or is that home-page photo a joke? You were/are on my list of potential suitors, meaning you might suit me just fine. (I would LOVE to bike cross country with your gang.) You’re three years younger than I am, but I was willing to forego that part and hope that some miracle of psychological/mental-emotional/spiritual maturity would make up the difference. I haven’t read your books, but a dear pastor/writer friend (I’m sure Eugene Scott in Denver would love to hear from you on facebook.) of mine has, and he refers to you enough to merit my respect. But smoking? I will not even KISS a smoker. Forrest Gump put it best, something about tasting like cigarettes. Anyway, and in all seriousness, best wishes with the books and movie. (Written from my gorgeous, lovely iMac, which suits me just fine.)
I’m a PC. But I do have an iPhone. Because my employer (IAM) bought it for me. Probably so I could work more. Great post, DM.
lets face it, I am getting old, I am over weight, and my skin is oily…… Apple makes me feel cool and I will keep paying the 1200 per laptop as long as they make me think i am cool… its a drug I am sure you understand….I am a sinner caught in a web of consumption!
PC SUCKS!
Nice post, Don! I’m not going to weigh in on the “mac vs PC” thing, but I never knew that having high cheek bones and a 70% waist to hip ratio made a woman more sexy/fertile. If that’s true, then part of me wonders why, much to the chagrin of my mother, I’m 29 and still single. HA!!!
I find it very interesting that our current president wooed America with an AD CAMPAIGN of association/disassociation. PC=uncool apple=hip….McCain=Bush Obama=change, newness, hope.
who wouldn’t want to associate with someone so eloquent, smart and likable when his opposition is being associated with an unpopular president viewed as dumb and corrupt by so many.
it sure seemed like the “cool” thing to do to vote for BO, and just like many say Apple products are better than PC and that is why they use them, many will say they favor Obama because of his policies…but one can’t deny there became a culture of cool and hip associated with our new president.
[...] apple plays upon our insecurities Posted on February 7, 2009 by alymhawkins A funny, thoughtful post from author Don Miller about coolness, advertising and [...]
Don,
You used the word ‘ass’ in your blog…that’s a bad word.
Just kidding.
Take care,
Ass.
Don, give me a break. You may not be attractive, but you are cool. You get interviewed by Willamette Week, live in Portland, Oregon, wrote a book that makes Christian kids feel good about being Christian, voted for Obama, did work at Reed College, and regularly get your opinion sought as the voicebox of postmodern Christianity. This was a good post, and I like your writing, but give up the self-deprecation act (which is in itself somewhat cool): You’re hip.
(And by the way, the entire paragraph above is tongue-in-cheek. Please don’t be insulted.)
I own a Macbook. I like it a lot, and I’ll admit I bought it partly because it’s pretty. But I honestly am tired of the Mac vs. P.C. debate. Who cares? Both of them work well, and I like to use an iPod (instead of another mp3 playing brand) because it’s EASY. I just plug it in and, boom, it syncs itself. I like ease, I like my computer, and I see no reason to care one way or the other whether I’m countercultural or not because that’s not the point. (For me)
I get sorta angry. I’m sorry.
About a year ago I wrote a blog entry about that topic. “When a brand becomes a lifestyle”. It’s in German only, but maybe some of the readers knows German, so here’s the link: http://www.takkiwrites.com/wenn-eine-marke-zum-lebensstil-wird/
Don,
First off, I disagree, you are attractive. I met you once when you were heavier, and thought you were way to cute for a girl like me. Also, your love of Jesus makes you a super catch. See I have lived my whole life with the truth that I was ugly. I don’t really feel that way, but I have been told by many that I am. As a Christian this can be even feel cruel, because you assume Christian men are diffirent. If anyone in the world should get to know you for who you are on the inside, it is the Christians. When that doesn’t always pan out to be the truth in my experience. I only bring this up because I was sucked into the lie that I was ugly. I spent money I didn’t have on perfume and products. Then gagets and clothes. The story I share next is the climax of the whole lie.
In 2004, I audition for the part of the t.v. show, “The Swan.” For those of you who don’t know, it was a show where women had plastic surgery done, and then had a beauty contest at the end. Well, the producers really wanted me, because I had a great story and the potential to be beautiful. Wow! Was I flattered. At first, all I wanted was weight loss and lasik, but by the time I knew I was a shoe in I wanted everything. As I waited in the pool of finalist, I heard other women talking to the producers. Their stories were tragic ones of abuse, suicide, lost dreams, and I thought they weren’t that ugly. Then I looked in the mirror. I said to myself, “God you made this face, and I really want to know what it would be like to wake up beautiful, hip, and adored by at least one person.” Then I did what the world would think was unthinkable. I told the producers that I was leaving, and that all I really needed was lasik and some weight loss. They rolled their eyes and said,”Really? You’re kinding.(Oh yes they did!) Well, here is a sheet with our contacts out in Hollywood if you change your mind.” I wish I could say that I threw that paper away as soon as I left, but I held onto it for two months. I had only enough bravery to make it to my 1996 Blazer and get home. I was in my senior year of college a few months later, and told my theology class about the experience. There was laughter, shock, sympathy, and finally prayer. The prayer worked miracles. However, I still fight a very real battle within myself over what is God’s truth about my beauty. Yes, I do wish I were a Mac at times but God made me a Dell. I share this story in the hopes that someone who reads this might identify with the pressures of society to be a sexy, attractive woman verses a Proverbs 31 woman.
You make some good points, but the mac vs pc ads don’t just appeal to the need to want to be “cool” – generally Apple has made products for people who have more of a creative bent. The mac vs pc ads appeal to the creative part of me, and they inspire creativity. This world is generally set up for logical thinkers. It’s nice that there’s a company out there who gets me. And yes, sometimes they’re a little manipulative in the pursuit of my loyalty (and a larger market share).
Besides, everyone knows that creative people are cooler ☺
I think I can say I know only one person who uses a Mac SOLELY because he believes they are the better product. It’s sad that the computer has become so inseparable from the Artsy, Urban image of the iGeneration.
I use a Samsung.
Who needs a jumping photo anyway…wouldn’t taking the counter-culture path lead you away from facebook all together?
I’ve worked in the IT industry for over 10 years and am a MCSE (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer) who has used every Microsoft product since windows 3.11. Despite that, I bought a macbook pro two years ago to familiarize myself with the OS and see what all the hype was about. I love my Mac and I love my PC, and though I have both loaded on my Macbook, I prefer the Mac OS. I guess that puts me somewhere between the “COOL Mac and FAT PC”…seems pretty accurate for a middle-aged, balding “IT Guy.”
Call it counter-culture or simply maturity but there is a freedom in not having to jump to fit in.
The thing I find interesting about this post are the references to our insecurities based on “our reproductive system wanting our line to survive.”
That idea I associate with evolutionary psychology (from a book called “The Moral Animal”) and I often interpret human behavior through that lens…that men are driven to spread their seed and women are driven to attract the man and keep the man, so that the offspring can survive.
Interesting stuff – our impulses and insecurities going way back to survival of the fittest/evolutionary principles
Hey ,
Great post, I totally agree. I am a grad student getting my MFA and I must say that PC’s are very much frowned upon in any art community I have been a part of. And honestly I do feel cooler that I have one and I realize how LAME that is.
I was a T.A. for the History of Communication and Design at Wash U last semester and this same topic came up in class several times. The Vis Com students (who at 18 are much smarter than me) were discussing this topic and one said that she read a study that said that it has been proven that sex doesn’t even sell products it only sells itself. So basically it is just making people more sexually crazed in an unhealthy way and not affecting sales at all.
I would have to disagree with your last statements though. I know many woman (including myself) who think you are good looking and hip. I have even heard people compare you to the likes of Jeremy Piven and Dave Matthews. Sorry it needed to be said!
wow, what an incredible response. i am struck by how well thinking this blog audience is. and i love that so many of us have taken up the mac/pc debate. for the record, once again, i do use a mac. i can’t say its superior because i haven’t used anything else in more than a decade. but i can say i like it. of course, i wouldn’t use it and neither would you if it didn’t work so well. as has been mentioned, this blog was more about “sin nature”…i could have done a much better job clarifying that. so any rabbit trail in our comments is my fault.
i do think sin nature is misunderstood. i think the way the fall of man is spelled out in the book of Genesis is a work of genius, and can be translated into a personality theory on par with Freud or Maslow or Pavlov, though much of what the fathers of psychology state are certainly true. I am also surprised with how much Darwinian evolutionary theory stacks up against genesis to provide an answer for human motivation. anyway, it was fun to talk about all this through the lens of an Apple advertisement. I’ll try to keep the conversation going, though I may be switching to blog posts about writing as right now i am wrapping up A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, which seems to be taking “a thousand years.” but the journey is a blast. can’t wait to share it.
More soon!
I scanned through all of the posts, and am glad that several people have pointed out that you are the king of cool in the world of those of us seeking authentic christianity.
Secondly, I can’t stop wondering if I have a 70 percent waist to hip ratio. Thanks for giving us girls something else to second guess ourselves ok…
Next, I have never been a technology leader- always a lagged, but I did treat myself to a new iphone last year. It is my first “toy” and it is a lot of fun. Now I feel a little bad about it, and don’t even ask me what would jesus drive. It is even more fun than the iPhone and I already feel guilty, so no need to go there.
As for arguing over which is better, apple or mac-that seems to me characteristic of every person I overhear talking about anything at all. People enjoy arguing and criticizing and thinking their ideas are the best. It’s a way of feeling morally superior. A moral victory is better than no victory at all. I’m as guilty as the next person, although I do try to put a lid on it when I can (see, morally superior).
We could benefit from channeling all of that energy into something more productive.
Finally (you couldn’t wait , could you), many moons ago I dated a veterinary student. He would sometimes start to snicker when he kissed me, and say we were like animals. I assure you that is not the most appealing thing to bring up to a member of the fair sex. We like to think it can be something more noble and lovely.
A little more high mindedness and poetry, a little less science! Still love you…just one lady’s thoughts.
Don,
You mentioned Darwin. You might enjoy Earnest Becker’s “Denial of Death” and “Escape from Evil.” His gist is that we live out our lives subconsciously working our immortality projects. It touches on what you are getting at w/the “animal” aspects of sin nature.
(I was reading Scot McNight this weekend. He caught my attention by saying that death being the wages of sin was a form of grace. Without death, Jesus could not of have sacrificed himself for our sins.)
It’s hard to admit that we aren’t just rational beings, spiritual beings, or even emotional beings. We are also instinctive and hardwired. I don’t like to own that truth.