Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Let`s take the ancient practice of yoga, for example.  Many people that are into yoga these days are those that were around during the massive social changes that swept the country in the 60s & 70s. 

I may be generalizing here a bit, but many of those people are in their 50s & 60s today ( commonly known as baby-boomers).  I now see many commercials on television where yoga is part of the ad for selling paint, prescription drugs, cars, etc.  I also see the solemn practice of meditation used to sell stuff.

What I`m saying is that some things that people find sacred or personal have been used to sell stuff.  Personally, I get a bit offended by that.  Perhaps I`m just tired of the consumer culture of consume, consume, consume ... to what end?

The catch-22 is when marketing and advertising firms bastardize and exploit things like yoga or meditation for their own profits. 

Sorry ... I just gotta rant some times.


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Scott Watson.::.

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Ah....okay, now I get it. And I agree. I think the cottage industry is very much different from what you`re seeing though.

It reminds me of how language works its way into society. I remember when "groovy" was a hip new word, used by young people and had nothing at all to do with old people (anyone over 30). It associated with LSD and other hallucinogens, the drug culture, and so on.

Everyone was using it on the streets. Then some media people picked it up, the Madison Avenue guys, and it began to show up in "hip" ads, designed to target the "Utes of America." The word instantly was dropped on the street.

It was as if jungle drums sent out the message, "Use the word `groovy` and you`re a narc."

None of that`s changed. The squares routinely look for hooks and fads, even paying young kids for interviews about "what`s cool." They troll places like MySpace now, just as they did Haight-Ashbury in the 60s. Same people, same profiteers, same exploitation.

Sadly, young people rarely understand they`re being exploited. However, many older folks---the ones putting together micro-businesses---they do understand the concept. You don`t usually see TV ads for a micro-business, or even a super-slick commercial Web site.