False Advertisement Analysis

We all see numerous advertisements everyday and think nothing of them. Instead of reading through them we just look at them for what they are, maybe colorful, full of fun and catchy words or phrases, and pictures plastered on billboards, in magazines, newspapers, etc. From listening to my english instructor I realized that ads are advertising a lot more than they claim to be, especially ones about alcohol. In my essay about "false advertisements" I've elaborated on how ads about alcohol are sending subliminal messages to certain groups of people in society. It was somewhat hard to explain the messages behind the ads, but once they are understood it's surprsing to see what's been discovered!

Alcohol is a drug no matter how we look at it. Even at low dosages it significantly impairs our judgment and coordination, and those are only the short term effects. Long term effects include permanent damage to vital organs, high blood pressure, sexual dysfunctions, or even different types of cancer. We didn’t sit through all of those long and boring health classes discussing drugs and alcohol for nothing, did we? Well, if we know these things why do we continue to drink alcohol, causing possible harm to ourselves and others if not consumed responsibly. An answer I’ve discovered is magazine, newspaper, and television advertisements.

How many times do I have to flip through a magazine and see a woman with a bottle or can of beer either in her hand, or sitting nearby? Women have absolutely no relation to the selling of alcohol but yet they’re still there in those photos, why? Advertisers are putting them there purposely in order to attract the attention of men. The ads don’t tell them this but a sexy woman with a can...

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...Once someone chooses to pick up a bottle or can of alcohol and takes a swig there’s no going back. They may have made a decision that will impact the rest of their lives. It’s not right for advertisers to use people and things we admire and hold dear to our hearts in order to pass on these false perceptions about alcohol, but they still do it anyway. Advertisers are part of the reason why people not only suffer from alcoholism, but obesity and improper nutrition. They’re suggesting that we are weak and their products could make us feel better, look better, or even be better people, but the only person who can determine that about us is ourselves. Although they’re not the one to put the bottle in our hands it’s always good to be knowledgeable about what we purchase and put into our bodies. As the ancient Latin’s would say, “Caveat emptor, or, “Let the buyer beware.”