I thought that, from what we have seen, this film is very well done. It was actually kind of alarming to see just how prevalent advertising is everywhere. Something that stuck with me was when Morgan said that people are an advertisement, then went on to talk about people’s brands and what that meant. There really is no escape from advertising, at least in the United States. It was very enlightening to see Sao Paulo. There were absolutely no advertisements on buildings, cabs, street signs, or anywhere. Compared to what it is like in Manhattan, Sao Paulo looks empty.
Also, this isn’t really relevant, but in the film when Morgan was talking to his lawyer, in the background behind the lawyer, there was a film poster for the film The Celluloid Closet. I only mention that because we had seen that in class. It doesn’t really relate to anything, I just thought it was an interesting observation.
I also thought that the fact that there were no advertisements in Sao Paulo was enlightening, and also a bit shocking. Living in the US, like the documentary suggests, advertisements are everywhere: online, on billboards, in pictures, etc. When seeing Sao Paulo in the film, the contrast between in and New York City for example was astounding. Both are major cities, yet without the advertisements Sao Paulo looks so much more open and less hectic. Not to mention, an advertisement also is not surrounding you at every second which is amazing. However, one thing about Sao Paulo was that it looked very dull, especially compared to New York City, without advertisements which I found shocking. Additionally, I also agree that the film was very well done and that Spurlock definitely gets the point that advertisements are everywhere and so powerful very effectively.
I agree, I think without advertisement it makes the city of San Paulo dull. The beauty of the city is there, but it is not what most people are use too. Imagine Times Square in New York City without any advertisements. All the lights from the billboards, stores, and screens truly give New York the reputation for the city that never sleeps. Without any advertisement, the city would be dark and dull without the same life it had before. At the same time, the amount of advertisement around us needs to be cut back. When I go on a music app like Pandora, every two songs that pass, an advertisement will pop up for 30 seconds. No matter what we are doing, there will always be advertisement around us.
I really loved that they went in that direction as a city. It truly add so much more natural beauty to the city. Not only did it add more to the city it also took back the control that some of these big businesses had on these places. Instead of always having to view what these companies want to see about them. Now people will have to ask questions and communicate about which places may be the best place to eat or where certain places are.