Posted on 04/21/2006 by corporateSlave
Viewed: 379 times
I keep seeing this Dunkin Donuts coffee commercial and it makes me want to scream "What the heck is wrong with our society?!"
The commercial shows a bunch of people going about their daily jobs clutching large containers of Dunkin Donuts coffee in their hands while a bunch of singers chant "Doin things is what I like to do!"
Then they sing:
"I'm slightly more productive now than previous because I'm slightly more efficient than I previously was. Doin things is what I like to do. Yes!"
You may think "oh it's just a commercial" but stop and think a minute about what it is suggesting. It's saying that things should be "go, go go" or rather, since life is "go, go, go" you should get hyped up on caffeine so that you can be more efficient and productive! Yeah...
This is the last thing that we, as Americans need pounded into our heads! What we need is a commercial that tells us to SLOW THE HECK down and take a good long look at the IMPORTANT things in life. You think they'd have a commercial like this in anyplace but America?? No way!
You can see the commercial here: https://www.dunkindonuts.com/aboutus/AmericaRunsOnDD.aspx
POST A COMMENTthe cynic(04/21/2006)
I agree with you, especially as a New Yorker. This society and especially this city are so big on work, work, work, that even half days and sick days are frowned on. We hype up on caffeine because we aren't supposed to get adequate sleep, and relax with alcohol on Fridays to quell the stress. Take time off to see your family? Forget it. Take more than 2 weeks of vacation? Forget it. We have stopped working to make a living, and are now living to go to work, and it sucks.
john locke(04/21/2006)
Well it's been a long time since I commented, but I truly relate to this one. I have been irritated by the tiolet paper commercial, I believe it is for "Charmin Ultra". It depicts a soccer mom type woman upgrading everything in her life, some sort of hair service, the serving size of her latte, etc. At the end of the commercial, the woman is standing in the toilet paper aisle deciding which type of toilet paper to buy and the voice over says something to the effect of, "You upgrade everything else in life, why not your toilet paper too?" Now isn't that nice? Americans are encouraged to "upgrade" everything right down to their toilet paper! And as a result of all the upgrading, people are living above their means, getting into debt adn being forced to stay in jobs that they hate just so they can pay for it all. Do companies know this? You bet!!! They exploit that American "go, go go" and "upgrade, upgrade, upgrade" way of thinking every single day. And if you don't buy into it, they send you to seminars to teach how to manage your time or be more productive. And they do things like install free coffee machines at work to help it all run smoothly. We need to wake up and realize that we are being made fools. Thank you, corporateSlave for opening up this log overdue discussion. I remember why I love this web site.
aggravated(04/21/2006)
NYC is the freakin epicenter for this way of thinking. I moved outta there 2 years ago and my life has improved 10 fold.
the cynic(04/21/2006)
Not sure if this story's credible or not because I didn't see the ad but heard about it from of all people, Dr. Laura's column. But apparently it was an ad for Quaker Breakfast Squares (or something), and was about a soccer-mom-suburban family who ate the bars in the SUV on the way to work and school because they had no time to relax with breakfast. The pullout tray in the SUV was "You guessed it, our table." The rear view mirror was where Mom did her hair and makeup. Mom was thanking Quaker Oats for making breakfast less of a hassle and letting her get to work faster. Anyone seen or heard of that ad?
Rosebud(04/21/2006)
I couldn't agree more. You bust your chops all of your working life, for what? A bigger house, fancy car, blah blah. No one appreciates your efforts. I've seen too many friends drop dead the day after they retire. Reject the endless pursuit of bigger and better "stuff". I put my self in the slow lane. I quit a high stress job and took a no stress, no brain job. I have a roof over my head, food in the frig. It's a lovely sunny day, the grass is growing, flowers are blooming. Don't accept the mantra of living to work - work to live instead. Enjoy your time on this earth. Learn to appreciate what really matters. Corporate America doesn't care about us, we're just another warm body that can be easily replaced. We need to put ourself in a better place. Giving your all to the corporate world is not worth the price we pay.
the cynic(04/21/2006)
Everyone keeps telling me that all you need to do is leave the coasts and big cities, and things improve. Perhaps it's worth considering, but then you have the "fewer jobs available" problem.
just me(04/21/2006)
Maybe it's like all the "Truth" commercials you see out there about cigarette execs plotting ways to manipulate people into smoking eventhough they knew it was bad for people. Back then, nobody would have believed it, but now that it's exposed we see it for what it is. Right now we're in the middle of buying into it and can't see it. I'm guilty of this way of thinking. I stop at Starbuck's in the morning and always say I "can't function" without it. After sitting at my desk this morning, reading this post and then looking down at my mostly drunk venti latte and getting ready to go to a 10 AM meeting on how our team can be more productive...I feel like the biggeset schmuck right now. I am glad this is anonymous. <:)
Rosebud(04/21/2006)
We're in the Midwest. We didn't leave town. We dramatically down scaled our lifestyle, sold the house, got rid of a bunch of "stuff". For years we bought into the hype that we are all fed on a daily basis. I used to wake up every morning with a killer headache. By the way, Dunkin Donuts gives me the sh*** and Starbucks isn't all that.
the cynic(04/21/2006)
Rosebud--Sounds like you got it all figured out. That's awesome, and congrats! Dunkin doesn't give me the runs, but it makes me gain about 2 pounds in a day. Seriously, the stuff's horrible for you (donut or cream cheese-schmeared bagel). And Starbucks just pisses me off because they're a ripoff. $4.00 for a cup of coffee? Forget it!!
avid reader(04/21/2006)
Rosebud, thank you so much for sharing your story. I am in the process of scaling back the lifestyle. My 3600 sq. foot house went up for sale this month. I cancelled HBO and I stopped the Starbuck's as a new years resolution. I just don't want to buy into what this culture wants me to buy into any more. I am pretty scared. Lately I had been questioning my decision because having it all and keeping the corporate job seems so strangely comfortable. You (and all the other commenters) renewed my drive to leave it all behind. Thank you! I am hoping I am on my way to being a much happier person.
corporateSlave(04/21/2006)
Do you see the vicious circle? Must pay $4 for a cup of coffee to keep you going to that job ---> Must keep going to the job to afford the $4 cup of coffee ---> Must buy sleeping pills to get you to go to sleep from all the stress and caffeine ---> Must pay $4 for a cup of coffee to wake you up from the sleeping pill haze ---> Must keep going to the job to afford the $4 cup of coffee and pay for the sleeping pills and the vaction you now desperately need.
Rosebud(04/21/2006)
I just reached a point in my life where I felt that I had lost control. I think it was a case of "I'm mad and I'm not going to take it anymore". Whose life it is anyway?
the cynic(04/21/2006)
And here in NYC, not only do you need all this money in order to buy all these things (in my case it would require lots of overtime, but we live in New Jersey to save money), but people's priorites are such that the things that could bring you peace--family, kids (if that's your thing), time off, etc.--are put last last last after the stressful things. It's fine if a stress lifestyle is freely chosen; not fine when it is expected or even required!
American Made(04/21/2006)
HERE HERE!
freedomringer(04/21/2006)
We have been brainwashed into believing we need all the stupid trappings of capitalism. Don't get me wrong I am not a socialist but things have become too extreme. I too have come to a place in my life where I have "awoken" to the bitter reality. On the oustide it may seem like I have it all, a new car, great career, expensive clothes etc. But my life is empty, there is no meaning to anything. I live alone, work 50-60 hours a week and have no friends. I can not trust co-workers who would only stab me in the back and twist the knife, to get ahead. I have finally figured it out, I dont want it anymore. But I feel trapped!! I know why people drink!!!!
Dharmadee(04/23/2006)
Freedomringer-I really feel your pain, because I have seen the enemy and it is US. When we stop buying into the corporate B.S. machine, we will stop fueling the engine of our own destruction. I think we need to consider Rosebud's solution. This is the life we have been given, it is our job to live it to the fullest, to be who we were really meant to be. NOT to be a cog in the wheel of someone else's machine. We keep allowing ourselved to be brain-washed by the ridiculous Madison Avenue version of reality, which is really just a method of keeping us all at the daily grind (no pun intended).
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