this post was submitted on 30 Apr 2025
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Showerthoughts

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A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The most popular seem to be lighthearted clever little truths, hidden in daily life.

Here are some examples to inspire your own showerthoughts:

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Advertising, marketing, propaganda. It programs people's brains. It is extremely powerful.

There are dozens of these mass brain-programming campaigns going on right now. It's been happening for many years ... maybe centuries.

The effects can linger for many years. Even passing to the next generation.

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[–] I_Fart_Glitter@lemmy.world 63 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

About a century, actually. Marketing began in the US after ~~WWII~~ WWI when we suddenly had the ability to create more products than people needed. People needed to be convinced to buy shit they didn't need, and thus marketing was invented.

The first notable marketing campaign was cigarettes for ladies in 1929. Cigarette companies were missing a whole section of consumers because women weren't supposed to smoke, especially in public. A group of beautiful young models were hired to smoke cigarettes at a big important parade that was going to get lots of coverage in the newspaper. A reporter was paid to "report" on their "carefree" and "liberated" manner as they smoked "torches of freedom" out at the festivities. Equality, feminism, yay!

Associating male virility with vehicle choice was next. Both were brain children of Sigmund Freud's nephew, Edward Bernays, who was very interested in his uncle's ideas about people's actions being influenced by their subconscious mind, before it was popular in America.

This is a four hour documentary about the social manipulation of the last century, including the above, getting young progressives to vote for Regan in the 80s and much more. Century of the Self (BBC 2002)

[–] victorz@lemmy.world 24 points 4 days ago (4 children)

Marketing began in the US after WWII […].The first notable marketing campaign was […] in 1929.

🤔

[–] sunzu2@thebrainbin.org 4 points 4 days ago

The state needs to be correct with *in earnest.

Marketing as we know it today has its roots in inter war years but but they really started fucking us properly after WW2

A lot of new techniques were developed during the war.

Such as FUD, commonly know online now, was extracted into public knowledge from ww2 sabotage field manual for the army intelligence units.

[–] I_Fart_Glitter@lemmy.world 2 points 4 days ago (1 children)
[–] victorz@lemmy.world 2 points 3 days ago

Ah, makes more sense now 😁

[–] Viskio_Neta_Kafo@lemm.ee 2 points 4 days ago

Obviously B.S.

[–] Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 2 points 4 days ago

Damn. I was just about to reply the same thing. But instead of an emoji, I was going to say "Pick one!"