Second Floor Common Room [Tuesday afternoon]

[rings-of-grace.livejournal.com]

It had been several weeks, now, since Po had arrived in this strange land, and he felt fairly educated about his new surroundings. The indoor lights and running water had fascinated him, certainly, as had these mysteries called "electronics," but he felt confident that now, at least, he understood these things in theory, if not wholly in practice.

Today, though, he was left with questions as he stared in confusion at the television. He had been told these devices were for entertainment, and thus he'd happily watched as people behind blue boxes bearing their scrawled names had answered questions about this world, moments earlier. But for the last twenty minutes, an older man had appeared and attempted to convince him that comfortable sleep was nigh unto impossible.

Po frowned as he watched, unsure what this strange man's purpose was. He made sleep seem as though it were a mission that could never be achieved without this pillow -- surely the same audience that so enjoyed the questions before wouldn't fall for this spiel? It seemed like misplaced advertising.

And, also, a really stupid pitch for a fairly useless-sounding product, but Po supposed that was neither here nor there.

[this post brought to you by the endless My Pillow infomercial that has been airing on every TV I've happened to see this week. Open!]

Comments

[whenshewasnice]

"Advertising is the greatest use of modern psychology," Natalie shrugged, perring into the fridge. "It's kind of amazing. Also terrifying."

[rings-of-grace.livejournal.com]

"It seems harmless enough in this instance, but I can only imagine if they were trying to convince me of something more nefarious," Po said, arching his brows.

And given that they existed in the television, he wouldn't even be able to use his abilities. Hm.

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie pulled a can of yogurt from the fridge. "Well, that would be propaganda instead of advertising. But essentially the same thing."

[rings-of-grace.livejournal.com]

"It's not still advertising if they're attempting to take my money?" Po wondered. "Or is this not propaganda because currency might exchange hands?"

[whenshewasnice]

"Well, I guess it could be propaganda and advertising simultaneously," Natalie mused with another mild shrug. "If they were pushing a pilow-related agenda. But mostly, they're probably just pushing pillows."

[rings-of-grace.livejournal.com]

"It boggles the mind that there are people who would go to the effort of ordering such things," Po said, shaking his head.

[whenshewasnice]

"Not really." Natalie was a veteran of this world, okay, and a fairly cynical one at that. She peeled the lid off her yogurt. "People like buying stuff."

[rings-of-grace.livejournal.com]

"Then why the pressure?" Po countered, smiling. "If people like buying things, why must they be coerced?"

[whenshewasnice]

"Because otherwise people might buy the wrong things," Natalie retorted. "And they can't have that."

[rings-of-grace.livejournal.com]

"And thus the scare tactics," Po sighed. "My world is a bit less advanced than this one in many ways, but I'd like to fancy my people a tad less gullible."

[whenshewasnice]

"I doubt they are." Such an optimist. That came out with the usual dry delivery, too. "But not being used to consumerist culture would probably help them a bit."