Flu Shots, Grape Soda, and Self-Respect

“You're turning over your whole life to him… And if it means so little to you that you can just give it away, hand it to him, then why should it mean any more to him? He can't value you more than you value yourself.” ― Toni Morrison

If you’re over 30-years-old, you may remember a time before flu shots were available at every pharmacy, and prescription drug advertisements hijacked every TV commercial break. You may even remember how pharmacies used to be sparsely-scattered, unobtrusive, privately-owned businesses, and then started cropping up on every empty lot, seemingly overnight. In my small neighborhood alone, they replaced the roller rink, the local delicatessen, a seasonal gift shop, and two discount stores. I can think of 8 drug stores within reasonable walking distance of my home.

Prescription meds used to be something your doctor recommended, presumably guided by his or her vast education and experience. Today, every drug commercial suggests that you approach your doctor asking for medication. In addition to sending salespeople to doctor’s offices to sell their product, they’ve taken to marketing directly to the end user, despite the fact that they likely have no relevant medical knowledge whatsoever. “Ask your doctor about Miasma” and he’ll be sure to write the ‘script; since many of them have become little more than street-pushers for legal drug rackets.

The flu used to be a general winter illness that nobody worried much about. But then the news started reporting how dangerous it could be, and how some people even died! Next thing you know, they were recommending that everyone get a flu shot – not just once, but every single year – and the widespread availability of this product became advertised at many local stores. Why wait for a doctor to recommend and administer the shot? We’ll shoot you up right in the store where you buy your shampoo!

Doesn’t this marketing blitz clearly reveal the primary motivation behind these shots and prescription meds? It’s no different than any other product – they want them sold to as many people as possible. It’s not about serving people in need, it’s about creating the perception of need in order to feed their bottom line. And hey, don’t worry – your insurance will cover it. Try getting that deal with your local schoolyard pot dealer!

The weirdest thing about all this was watching the mind control completely pervade the culture. Everyone starting talking about these flu shots as though they were a matter of course. I felt like I was the only one taken aback by how the phenomenon popped up out of nowhere. It seemed like everyone forgot how life was before they were around, and they all just started parroting what they were hearing on the news as if it had always been this way.

“Did you get your flu shot?” As if flu shots were something inherent to humanity, and everyone had to have one. There is no “my” flu shot, just like there’s no “my” taxes or “my” driver’s license. These things are not essential to human existence, and the use of the possessive pronoun reveals an assumption – an acceptance of these things as unquestionably fundamental to life, without any critical examination.

So why are people so willing to have these assumptions thrust upon them? Why are they seemingly blind to how they’re being manipulated and used by those greedy for wealth and power? I think we can find some answers by a closer examination of grape soda…

A Fizzy Fraud

Did you know that grape soda doesn’t need to be purple to taste like grape? You’ve no doubt seen sodas and other drinks that don’t use artificial coloring – Snapple used to make them. Cola, root beer, grape, orange, and cherry soda – all perfectly clear like a glass of seltzer. The color has nothing to do with the flavor, so why’s it there?

Well, quite obviously, it’s to draw your attention and elicit a response in the buyer. I’m not immune to this myself; when I see that bright orange soda sitting on the shelf, my mind recalls the taste of citrus and I’m more inclined to desire the product. But a strong case has been made for these artificial colors being harmful, and at the very least, no one is suggesting they provide any health benefit. Omitting them couldn’t hurt, and even if the only upside was reducing the cost of the product, that would be a benefit that companies could pass along to the customer.

So there’s potential benefit to not adding the color, but only potential harm by adding it. And yet, these companies choose to add it. So who are they doing this for? Are they doing it for you, or for themselves? Clearly for themselves, and even if they didn’t believe it was to your detriment, it’s a blatant deception and manipulation. That’s not the color of the soda, and the soda is only being made that color to entice you to buy it – not based upon the inherent qualities of the product itself (its taste or nutritional value), but on a false facade.

It may seem like a petty concern, but it speaks to a larger issue with far-reaching implications. What would you think about someone at a yard sale who was trying to sell you a product based upon a lie, or a product that they altered to be potentially harmful with the single-minded purpose of tricking you into buying it against your best interests? Would you consider this kind of person a friend or foe? Would you willingly reach in your pocket and support this person’s deplorable behavior with your hard-earned dollars?

And yet many of us do this very thing every day, buying a plethora of products from people who are only concerned with their own increase, even at the expense of the people who support their business. Why is this behavior so commonplace? Why are we not indignant at the attempt of these people to diminish us for their own advantage?

The Stand

I submit that it’s a case of eroded self-respect. We’ve bought into the idea that pleasure-seeking is the whole goal of life, no matter the cost to the planet, other people, or ourselves. We may not consciously subscribe to this notion, but it’s woven into every aspect of our culture, and our behaviors largely reflect this perspective. Getting that sweet fix (yellow #5 notwithstanding) serves the one goal that’s been made to supersede all else. Once we’re willing to accept these manipulations in small matters every day, it’s no wonder that we’ll allow ourselves to be shot up with God-knows-what year after year, pop pills with no long-term health research behind them, and submit to all manner of insane imposition from politicians laughably claiming to be our “servants” or “representatives”, and police pirates claiming to be our “protectors”.

It behooves us to challenge every assumption of our culture. M&M’s being multi-colored isn’t fun – it’s a manipulation that’s enacted with complete disregard for the people using the product. The people who do this are our enemies by any definition of the word – they abide (and even purposefully contribute to) our detriment for the sole purpose of gaining some personal advantage. This same description can be appropriately applied to the mugger, the rapist, and the cannibal.

The least we can do is not willingly subject ourselves to these predators. If you saw a mugger robbing an old lady’s purse, would you rush over to offer him yours as well? Even if you’re not going to champion the cause of stopping these mongrels from taking advantage of humanity at large, at least don’t knowingly walk into their trap yourself. Take a stand in whatever small way you can. Withdraw your support to reduce their influence, and more importantly, respect yourself enough to not submit to their victimization. Why should they respect you when you don’t even respect yourself?

Fear and greed are the enemy here. I’m not afraid of the flu. If I’m wrong, and the flu kills me, so be it. I had to make the best decision I could at the time, and I simply cannot trust the information being peddled by the media and drug companies, who are clearly trying to manipulate me. A miscreant may be telling the truth 1 out of 10 times, but I won’t risk supporting his 9 lies to have a shot at that 1 truth. And if I’m not willing to sacrifice the temporary taste pleasure of a grape soda for the sake of standing up against victimizers, then I’m nothing more than a greedy, gluttonous beast not fit to be called “human”.

Deception and evil are synonymous, and when I recognize deception – be it the false cadence of a newscaster’s voice, a sudden marketing blitz purported to be a public service, or a food product laced with poison and dolled-up to look desirable – I must honor myself and the rest of mankind enough to stand in defiance and say “NO”.

Thanks for checking in!
Brian Blackwell

Relevant articles supporting a deeper understanding of the ideas presented above may be found here:

• Let Go of Your Dreams

• Playing the Game of Culture

• Language, Euphemism, and Distorted Definitions