How Much Mocketing Will Super Bowl Sunday Hold?
By Judith Parker Harris | February 7, 2010
Block: To mock
Buster: To love and respect
It’s Super Bowl Sunday and I’m one of those people who is completely obsessed with the advertising that runs as opposed to the football game. After all, I was in the biz.
Today, however, while watching the Sunday Morning Show on CBS, I learned a new word…mocketing. (as opposed to marketing) A group of kids was being interviewed about commercials they like and they “hated” or “mocked” anything with heart. They are totally into messages delivered with sarcasm, ridicule, silliness, scorn, contempt and humiliation. All words used to define mock by the way: (Mock – to treat somebody with scorn or contempt. To imitate people in a way that is intended to make them appear silly or ridiculous. To prevent something from succeeding in a way that causes frustration or humiliation.)
This flies in the face of the old advertising adage, “If you want someone to buy your product, you must show that your product takes away a pain they are suffering. Good advertising used to solve a problem thereby making the consumer feel good. Now our ads must cause pain and humiliation of some kind to get attention.
This takes me back to an article I wrote called, “The United States of Anger.” We are such an angry culture now that we don’t identify with loving, feel good, heartfelt messages.
In order for a message to get through, it must be delivered with a “mean” edge. Mocking doesn’t stop with marketing, there is mockudramas, mockvertising, mockumentaries…and the list goes on.
So, I ask, what is mocking blocking? Perhaps our ability to feel emotions that open us up to being vulnerable. Oh, no! It’ much better to mock all the people on reality TV, like all the losers on American Idol. You don’t have to feel anything if you stay on the surface where you can tease and make fun of and laugh at people making fools of themselves. Mocking is made up of fear, distrust, disappointment and complete lack of respect. Any wonder our kids are feeling this way when they have been let down by so many of their leaders, heroes and institutions? Tiger Woods was a hero, now he’s a lightening rod of ridicule and mockery. Tabloid journalism and internet social media is full of the latest good guy or gal gone bad.
How do you bust the mocking block? I suggest that we actually have to give our kids something to love, trust, respect and believe in – and then teach them how to do just that. While rebuilding our society after the huge Recession we’ve suffered, we need to focus on what there is to love, respect and believe in and build from that. In the same morning show today, they also did a story on the family who sold their big, beautiful home, bought a much smaller home in a different neighborhood and gave half the money to charity to combat hunger in the world. The family found a charity to love and in the process found more love for each other and more love and contentment in their lives. Take that mockery! And, score one for love and respect.
As for the Super Bowl ads today – I’m going to watch them and see if I can find one that makes me feel good, that solves a problem for me, and that makes me feel love – and if I do, I’m going to buy that product.
Topics: Blogs | 2 Comments »
February 7th, 2010 at 11:47 pm
Mocketing – that is so sad. There is so much negativity in the world and I know sometimes it can be difficult to be positive in difficult circumstances. Let’s do everything we can to combat mocketing!
February 8th, 2010 at 12:24 pm
Yes! I say down with mocketing. I was thrilled with the Super Bowl game and the outcome. It was a testament not only to the New Orleans Saints thrilling talent but also to the nation of fans rooting for the underdog. This was a game that left you feeling like “I can” because they SURE DID! As for the advertisements — mocketing was pretty heavy as was physical violence. There were plenty of so-called laughs at the expense of someone — even Betty White. Sarcasm, irony, violence and mean-spiritedness was rampant — in the ads not the game. The game had heart — most of the advertising didn’t. Heart is the way to combat mocketing.