the programs that we watch so religiously are only there so that we watch the commercials in-between. Even news programs dont deliver us the real news. They go for what we want to see; blood, violence, social disorder. News is also brought to us by way of newspaper. Newspapers are filled to the brim with stories, opinions, advice, comics, movie times, yet most importantly, advertisements. Ads are what keeps the newspaper in business as they keep radio and television shows in business. Companies spend thousands of dollars to make the consumer aware that life would be oh so much better if she wore their brand of lingerie. They control what we believe our needs to be. We need food, water and shelter. Yet, marketers would argue we need a swimming pool because a Santa Ana is coming; we need to buy their brand of cosmetics or else our skin with break out terribly. Advertisers propose problems to us we may never have known before, like how many pores our face has, and show us a solution. We, as consumers, believe because we see it.In Platos allegory of the cave, the people sat in the depths of a dark cave, watching shadows pass by their eyes. One might ask why didnt these people try to break free and get out of the darkness? They didnt know they were being held captive. The images that danced before them were wonderful. They believed everything they saw to be correct. Because these people were so used to being chained, if someone came in proclaiming that there is so much more to life, they would have laughed that person away. This cave is where they are comfortable. Its what they know and all they think they need to know. They may even feel they see more then they want to at times. These people Plato describes are not mythical beings. Instead, these people are ourselves. We completely trust that the news being brought to us every night and on every page of the newspaper is 100% factual and has no holes. We watch movies ba...
