‘Merica’s addiction to fake

[tackattack]

Fake news, fake food, influencers, “reality” shows, fake body parts…. I mean even influencers are going virtual. I mean when the people faking a fake life can’t even have the decency to be live people isn’t it a little extreme? Why does America have an obsession with the fake and how can it be mitigated? If Alex jones can be guilty why can’t trump?

[Aegon]

That's what happens when your society's culture is based almost entirely on consumerism. It's "fake" at its core.

[tackattack]

I'm not sure it's entirely because of consumerism. I personally, would rather buy something real than skins on call of duty or a subscription to real house wives. Then there's the whole "Made in America trend". I'm not sure... I think it has alot to do with not caring about anything beneath the surface. I would say consumerism, as a whole, might be a good driver for both "I want it now" instant gratification and Not caring where something came from. In that way I could see consumerism partially driving the fake news trend.

So could we do to fix that? I mean the FDA implemented labeling of ingredients, but people still buy crap because it's cheap and readily available. Snopes does a good job representing truth in information. Maybe mandate clear disclaimers on entertainment vs reality? idk, open to thoughts.

[arewethereyet]

You mention 'reality' shows...most of us know they aren't. But it's not that different from movies, books, and other forms of entertainment. Who wants to watch someone cook dinner and clean the toilet? Fake, as you call it can simply be entertainment and/or an escape.

I am going to not take offense at the fake body parts thing. I have fake boobs because cancer took my real ones. Not really my place to judge what others do though I would not do a lot of the things I see done.

If you have to be advised as to what's real and what's not, perhaps you should pay closer attention or educate yourself.

What sells is what sells...be it real, fake, or in between.

[tackattack]

I’m fine with entertainment. I’ll redact the surgery but. I’m not opposed to plastic surgery and I’m glad you are in remission.

Side note.could an admin fix the thread title? It’s supposed to be addiction.

I suppose what sells is what sells. But people aren’t consuming infowars for entertainment unless they’re grabbing clips to mock it. They made a whole movie on the premise that it could be real (Blair witch) but as the sequel proved the potential for real sells even shitty movies, but not without that potential.

I just don’t see the allure I guess.

[arewethereyet]

I’m fine with entertainment. I’ll redact the surgery but. I’m not opposed to plastic surgery and I’m glad you are in remission.  

Side note.could an admin fix the thread title? It’s supposed to be addiction.

I suppose what sells is what sells. But people aren’t consuming infowars for entertainment unless they’re grabbing clips to mock it. They made a whole movie on the premise that it could be real (Blair witch) but as the sequel proved the potential for real sells even shitty movies, but not without that potential.

I just don’t see the allure I guess.

Title fixed as requested.

Different people like different things.  The problem is when people believe the things that are fake.  Husband watches alien and bigfoot stuff and the like...I roll my eyes and listen to an audiobook or a podcast.  Those shows aren't my thing any more than the 30+ years of NASCAR I have been subjected to.  But there are things I will watch on my laptop or in my sewing room/office so as not to torture him with the things I like that he doesn't care for.

If we didn't have differing tastes, things would come in one color or flavor or genre or whatever.

[tackattack]

But why is there seemingly such a taste for fake news. It’s not like entertainment. Those are categorized as fiction / non-fiction. Like another example, giving a fake name to the cops is a crime. The federal trade commission regulates truth in advertising…. Law states something like can’t be deceptive; meaning no more motor oil in place of coffee and the like.

Should the ftc expand advertisements to news?

[arewethereyet]

Some people do see them as entertainment. Just because you don't doesn't mean that follows for everyone.

Do we really need warnings on everything? I am bright enough to know not to use my hair dryer while I'm sleeping or use the toaster in the bathtub. I also know that FOX isn't the place to go for unbiased news. Do we really need to be babysat on everything. Parents should monitor what their kids take in, but damn, as an adult I am capable of making decisions....I may make the wrong one sometimes but I think I've earned the right to not have someone dictate every little thing.

[Belacqua]

Fake news, fake food, influencers, “reality” shows, fake body parts…. I mean even influencers are going virtual. I mean when the people faking a fake life can’t even have the decency to be live people isn’t it a little extreme? Why does America have an obsession with the fake and how can it be mitigated? If Alex jones can be guilty why can’t trump?

I think the love of money is sufficient to explain most of it. 

We all know that potato-based snack foods with all the nutrition baked out makes a lot more money than raw potatoes, so that's where the advertising goes. It's designed by chemists to take advantage of our evolution-based preference for fat, sugar, and salt, so it tastes great. 

Similarly, each "news" station has its market niche that it caters to. Fox, MSNBC, etc., know that it's far more profitable to pander to their audience, so that's what they do. Rachel Maddow's lawyers used a defense pioneered by the Coca Cola company: that no reasonable person would believe what she says, therefore it's OK for her to lie. But she affects what people think, nonetheless. 

Fake-deep literature sells better than challenging, worthwhile literature. It flatters the reader. Fake intellectuals sell far more books than people who have actually done the hard work of understanding. And since it's giant corporations who control publishing, servants of empire fill the role that real intellectuals should fill. 

When he was first in charge of the BBC, Lord Reith saw his job as educating and inspiring the masses. So he didn't broadcast what was popular, but what he (and his friends) thought would lift the general cultural level of England. Naturally people now see this as elitist. If the people are paying, then the people should get what makes them happy.

[Belacqua]

Should the ftc expand advertisements to news?

This has become a tricky thing.

Liberals, who formerly stood up for a free press, have started demanding that the government or zillion-dollar corporations (Facebook, Google) censor what people post. Or at least they did when Trump was in; Biden's lies generate less concern. 

In practice this has caused even more fakery. For example the big news people supported Biden over Trump, so they dismissed certain news stories as Russian propaganda. Yet a lot of them turn out to be true. (e.g. Hunter's laptop was real.) If you cast doubt on early statements about Covid (e.g. you won't get it if you're vaccinated) your doubts were flagged as misinformation, but it turned out that doubt was warranted. 

I suppose it's human nature: we want to believe what suits us.