Needs. Lies. Money.
Really interesting thread at Ask Metafilter. The subject of marketing diamonds turns to several examples of industries creating needs, desires and fright around myths.
Here's my favourite comment: "People are being told that every little thing that is in the slightest way imperfect is something that should be treated with medicine. Because, of course, medicine is a highly profitable product.
So, for example, kids are no longer simply energetic, they are hyperactive or they have some damned syndrome. Adults, too, suddenly have syndromes rather than, for example, plain old crappy concentration. You take pills to sleep properly and pills to eat properly and pills to shit properly. And if there is no real medicine to cure the complaint for which they want to sell you a product, they put a label on a bottle of water and vitamins and sell it as "homeopathic" medicine."
Here's my favourite comment: "People are being told that every little thing that is in the slightest way imperfect is something that should be treated with medicine. Because, of course, medicine is a highly profitable product.
So, for example, kids are no longer simply energetic, they are hyperactive or they have some damned syndrome. Adults, too, suddenly have syndromes rather than, for example, plain old crappy concentration. You take pills to sleep properly and pills to eat properly and pills to shit properly. And if there is no real medicine to cure the complaint for which they want to sell you a product, they put a label on a bottle of water and vitamins and sell it as "homeopathic" medicine."
