I find it fascinating that this is framed as “Cambridge Analytica weaponised the fashion industry“:
According to the data obtained (the majority of which came from US users), certain fans of American denim brands such as Wrangler, Hollister and Lee Jeans could be more closely linked to low levels of openness and mistrust — and therefore more likely to engage with pro-Trump messaging. This data also showed more esoteric fashion labels such as Kenzo or Alexander McQueen tended towards a more open and imaginative fanbase, which Wylie said leant more towards typical democratic voters.
Who could’ve guessed that a populist right-wing candidate would appeal to fans of Wrangler jeans?
This is the typical projection coming from Marxists; there is no one more closed and mistrustful than them.
Everything’s weaponized. That used to bother me. I used to think some things should just be beyond the reach of politics.
When it occurred to me that it cuts both ways, I felt better about it all. The world is made of weapons, and they’re all up for grabs, so grab yours. Better yet, grab theirs from them if you’ve got what it takes. My higher primate nature rejoices. My spiritual self is simply stoic about it.
The ones who started weaponizing everything first are obviously very clever, but they’re not as smart as they think they are, and I don’t think they understand that it cuts both ways. Beat them at their own game.
Pretentious, self-absorbed birds (note the colorful plumage and incessant tweeting) with a child’s understanding of politics and a self-righteousness that would do a Spanish inquisitor proud. I’ve long since ignored anything the fashion industry has to say, except to mock it mercilessly. Why should we care what these birds think?
My take on it is that the “weaponization” of a lot of this stuff is a one-time use deal; once it’s been identified as an avenue of attack, and the “enemy” is aware of it, it is then useless to further effect.
The other thing is that there’s a lot of validity to the idea that once you start doing this with one thing, then the whole becomes susceptible to the same effect–A perfect example being polling.
How many people even entertain pollsters at all, these days? How valid are the results when a statistically significant fraction of the public won’t even respond, or habitually lies to pollsters about the subjects of the poll? I know that when some jackass calls me on my cell phone, asking me to participate in such BS, they get an earful of questions about how they obtained my number, a refusal to participate, and a significant volume of profanity, should they insist on not ending the call professionally and politely. I refuse to cooperate with these assholes, and so long as they are not paying my phone bill, I feel no obligation to even entertain their approaches with more than forced civility.
Like advertising, there is a limited amount of short-term effect with all these things, and then you’ve trained your subject population to discount the approaches. I dare say that were you to trace a line showing the effectiveness of advertising from its inception to the present day, you’d see a serious decrease in effect for the dollar spent on it. Who really pays attention to this BS, any more? Some do, no doubt, but there are significant swathes of the population for whom advertising is an actual detrimental endeavor. I know a lot of people who simply won’t spend money with advertisers who annoy them, or who participate in telemarketing. I’m one of them…
As with all these flurries of feathers disturbed, this latest flurry is just some lefty ignoramus trying to gain attention by saying something ‘outrageous.’ As the lefties always jump at the slightest nudge, the ‘author’ of this conceit has achieved what all lefties desire; to be recognised (albeit briefly) by their own brain-dead kind. A reaction, however ill-considered, has been stirred. Praise be!
Thus writing pointless tripe gets the writer a little surge of joy when more of his or her or its fellow turnips start making a noise in reaction.
I have achieved glory, I have stirred a small and very smelly pot.