Discussion Post #4

1. Publicity influences consumers to buy products because producers know what type of status people want. Individuals who seek to have up to date trends, styles, and nice expensive materialistic things buy everything and anything they want to feel good. They are seen and represented as “glamorous”. While others envy them for what they have and who they are. As Berger describes people believe that if they use these products they have better lives. 
2. These differences are important because it states a clear reality and fantasy. Oil paintings illustrated a person’s wealth and status in the moment of the painting regardless of how they consumed it. Whereas publicity illustrates a fantasy that everyone wishes to have. It’s not obtained by the consumer just yet but waiting to convey the consumers to purchase it. The only way of obtaining anything is with one important thing, money. This reveals that money is the only way one can obtain these products and once they do they can have the wealth. Money basically buys your happiness, your economic status, your wants and desires. People fear having nothing because then you are seen as nothing as well, faceless as Berger expresses. Anxiety spikes because of this fear. 
3. Berger talks about 3 dreams, one of them being “The dream of later night”. He discusses how something so small can be the life of the party. Alcohol, cigarettes and other substances are what people look forward to when escaping from their daily lives. Berger expresses these substances as “it is you who will bring the greatest pleasure of all” People intentionally surround themselves around this to have a “good life” Advertising uses imagery to manipulate consumers into buying cigarettes and alcohol so they can see how wonderful it is to use these products when trying to relax and party with other individuals. These are escapes nothing else can give you.