Thoughts while on Penicillin: The Symbiotic Relationships in the Media

There's an interesting irony in the 21st Century media consumption.

An honourable friend on Twitter commented that he hated DVDs because of the trailers.

One of the added bonuses of illegal downloading is potentially escaping the thrusting of advertising down our throats at every opportunity.

[That is, of course, as well as not paying, getting it quickly, general social disobedience joy etc, although I am not condoning such action, one must make a psychological assessment of why such a crime would be committed]

The relationship between media and the advertising industry is symbiotic in a capitalist society. One drives the other, creating revenue streams that can perpetuate as one or the other outdates and society moves on.

Therefore the consumer of the media, loathe to take the thorns with the roses, continues to strive to beat the system.

Downloading films illegally is just one area this can be acheived, although one may make small and large sacrifices to avoid the advertising.

Another is the advent of television one can pause, rewind and fast-forward. This is truly a glorious example of a postmodern interpretation of media, where outdated technology references create an illusion of control that existed in the first place.

On top of this, we see the news media circling around increasing advertising to justify free papers, paying for websites (and do you get advert free The Times now?) and other folly.

The push is towards synopsis, the irony is that the consumers of media become like, or actual criminals, racing to beat the advertisers who appear like CCTV and guards trying to justify the costs of the media.

The relationship between police and crime is as symbiotic as media and advertising, although one could analogise police/crime as lion/deer, where as media/advertising is more oak/mistletoe.

But the relationship between media, advertising and the consumer is more complex, and potentially as dependent.

A friend recently complained to me that Gok was filming in Birmingham and had emptied her shop of customers. And I responded, "Oi Gok, you exist to drive people to shops to purchase outfits, not take them away".

There are, of course, more ways of advertising than simply trailers and commercials. I have moaned repeatedly about nauseous product placement in Larrson's Millenium Triology, feeling obligated to eat certain pizzas, use certain computers and drink certain beers.

Even Twitter is now full of endorsement, blighting marketing agencies' bid to get faux recommendations through social networking, the secret is out and people are simply being paid.

Where does it all end? Will we continue to outrun advertising through criminal and non criminal activity? Or are we truly codependent?