What does George W. Bush have in common with anti-wrinkle cream?
If we're talking about the kind that's advertised at 3 a.m. on cable channels, the answer is: more than you might think.
The most visible form of direct response advertising-marketing that peddles products straight to consumers rather than through stores-takes place late at night, when television stations switch to "paid programming," or infomercials. You're probably familiar with the general structure: claims that the advertised product miraculously solves one (or many) of life's greatest problems are interspersed between testimonials from those who say they've been helped. Generally, the infomercial aesthetic is characterized by mediocre acting and early-nineties-style production value.
To someone who watches enough of this type of programming, an underlying theme begins to emerge. Infomercials play upon the most fundamental fears and the wildest dreams of their target audience. Viewers are primed to respond to their fear of being fat, looking ugly or becoming old (or having knives that can't cut through denim). Alternatively, they are tempted by the prospect of eliminating chronic arthritis pain, gaining more energy or fighting disease.
Occasionally, such appeals to emotion are not simply fear-based but utterly paranoiac. Kevin Trudeau currently (and consistently) enjoys a spot in the top 20 books on Amazon's Top Sellers list for his Natural Cures 'They' Don't Want You to Know About. In it, he charges that governmental agencies and pharmaceutical companies are at the heart of a conspiracy to peddle drugs that do more harm than good, while keeping alternative treatments out of the marketplace. He's sold over 1.5 million copies via infomercials and other outlets.
Far be it from me to impugn the legitimacy of any particular products sold in this fashion. It's simply interesting how powerful and successful these late night emotional appeals can be.
Compare such tactics to those employed by the current administration. George W. Bush, beginning with the defining moment of Sept. 11, has utilized emotional appeals repeatedly, both to further his agenda and to be re-elected. He invented a culprit-Iraq-to satisfy our bloodlust. He (along with other members of his party) tugged at our heartstrings in the Terry Schiavo case in order to promote his "culture of life," regardless of its constitutional implications.
He currently seeks to downplay his administration's failures in dealing with Katrina by reminding us with indignant cries that now, during a moment of catastrophe, is not the time to question him.
Fear WMDs, seek hope in a war against Iraq, and pity the victims of the hurricane. Just don't question the administration.
The president's approval rating is reaching dismal lows as Americans become less responsive to these appeals. Perhaps we're finally beginning to demand that policy be defended, not by irrelevant exploitation of popular fears and dreams but by concrete reasoning in the world of reality.
Expecting Mr. Bush to respond by changing his ways for the rest of his second term may be like asking an old dog to learn a new trick. But while we continue to buy creams and pills that promise miracles, it seems that America is starting to lose tolerance for an administration that markets its own products in much the same way.
David Kleban is a Trinity junior who spent the summer working at the Electronic Retailing Self-Regulatory Forum, a program that monitors direct response marketing. His column appears every other Thursday.
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