A Guide To Self-Improvement

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Term Paper Title	A Guide To Self-Improvement
# of Words	911
# of Pages (250 words per page double spaced)	3.64

     A Guide To Self-Improvement
     Through the Act of Purchase

     In our culture today, are we to assume that society openly accepts people weighing 300 pounds with receding hairlines?  When in a single hour of television there will probably be at least one advertisement for hair replacement systems or weight-loss programs, it is clear that we should not accept ourselves unless we are flawless.  Although the quest for self-improvement is by no means a negative, the danger lies when we are constantly bombarded with images which suggest we are less significant and less attractive without the products and services being sold.  Advertisements make it obvious that unless you where born wealthy and with the features of a Greek god, only their product will make it possible for you to drive the fastest cars, enjoy the attention of supermodels, and vacation on white sand beaches.  An ad may rely on many different approaches when trying to sell something including sex appeal, glamour, and the envy of others.  However, the most prevalent purpose of almost all advertisements "... is to make the spectator marginally dissatisfied with his present way of life... [by suggesting]  that if he buys what it is offering, his life will become better." (Berger P. 142)

     To begin with, if we had not been convinced that our lives would change for the better, would anyone care about the lustre and sheen of their hair or the silken smoothness of their skin?  There is no aspect of our lives that cannot be improved, ranging from the alcohol we drink to the furnishing's of our homes.  We are led to believe that by this improvement we increase our sex appeal and earning potential when this is rarely the case.  However, in order to cause this change to occur we must spend our money to buy the product which "...will make us in some way richer - even though we will be poorer by having spent our money." (Berger P. 131)  Rarely do the products purchased provide the anticipated effect, leaving the buyers dissatisfied and increasingly aware of their faults.  From the moment when we first wake in the morning until we lie down to sleep in the evening, our shortcomings are always with us.  After seeing ad after ad displaying our dreams, lasting peace of mind and a sense of contentment often seem less likely than winning the lottery.

     Appearing in the April 1995 issue of GQ Magazine, there is an advertisement for Tanqueray Gin which clearly relies on the readers insecurity.  The ad is se...

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