Who Are You?

No, this is not a post about how much I love The Who (and honestly, who doesn't love The Who?). But this IS a post about a recent commercial I saw (about a billion times, b/c I watch tv on the internet, and a show will get one commercial sponsor and you see the same commercial about 100 times). It's for Norton anti-virus software (and can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOowgs4F1Gc). Now, I usually agree with keeping up with one's anti-virus software (I lost a LOT after I fooled around with limewire on my last computer), but the premise of this commercial...unnerved me a bit. It's all about stuff, and ends with the question: "What are you without your stuff? More importantly, WHO are you?" Now, in modern day America, we ARE obsessed with stuff. Look at the video game industry, its gone from non-existant 20 or 30 years ago, to a multi-billion dollar industry today. We give our stuff to charity so we can buy MORE STUFF!

But we are not the sum of our stuff. We are more. The DNA of this country is littered with people who had nothing and made the history books. It's practically the backbone of our way of life. Since when are we measured by what we have, and not who we are? We are greater than the some of our parts, and it disgusts me that anyone would consider us any less, let alone a company who works in America, providing a vital service to the modern population. Presidents are elected on character, CEO's live and die by how they are viewed in the public eye, not by how many cars they have, or what house they live in (mostly because they all live at that level). Heroes come from all walks of life, and villains are both rich and poor. Who we are is absolutely not measure by assets, its measured by character, will and drive. It worries me that this is the way advertising execs think of the American public. Now we haven't given them much reason to think or behave otherwise (Jersey Shore Season 5? REALLY?).

So, who are we? Will we sit idly by while the advertisers continue to appeal to the lowest common denominator, or will we choose to raise it? Who are we to not educate ourselves? To not pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps, regardless of how much STUFF we have? We are who we choose to be.

So, Who Are You?

Sincerely,

The Future Genius.