Hello dear reader,
How are you? I hope you're doing well!
Have you ever thought about the immense impact that Hollywood and the film industry have on our thinking? Perhaps the Red Hot Chili Peppers put it best:
“And little girls from Sweden dream of silver screen quotation
And if you want these kind of dreams, it's Californication”
So, for decades now, the world has been successfully transformed into California - at least in our minds. I think the film industry is America's biggest propaganda tool and they still know how to use it very skillfully.
Recently, I've been delving a little deeper into studying sneaker culture. I even designed my own branded Dunk, which I eventually didn't order after realizing that this model was too uncomfortable for me.
This didn't stop me from watching Ben Affleck's latest movie, "Air" in the cinema, which explores the background of Nike and Michael Jordan's historic business success. As a movie, I loved it and had a great time. It had a great 80s feeling, impeccable visuals, great music, even better actors, witty dialogue, and I heartily recommend it, BUT...
I can't ignore the fact that this movie is a huge advertisement. For weeks before buying my ticket, I pondered whether I really wanted to pay to watch a global company's commercial film. The Nike film is not unique; I already recommended the Tetris movie in the WW107 newsletter, and now I saw the trailer for the epic "Barbie's Ascent into Heaven" movie in the cinema. This is now a trend.
It's incredible that movies are now made about the birth of products. Have we gone so far as to build and celebrate the myths of products in our consumer society?
In 2023, we do not go to church anymore. Has shopping in stores become an act of worship? Suspicious.
What is even more worrying is that "Air" is a gigantic ode to workaholism. The characters of the main protagonists are one-dimensional, and their lives revolve exclusively around work. Even Matt Damon's character sleeps in the office and feeds his overweight body with stolen cashews from the canteen.
When they have to come up with a new shoe for Michael Jordan within a week, they blindly commit to a 72-hour weekend work marathon without even considering the thought of spending time with their families or how stressful this whole rush is.
Instead, they show such enthusiasm as if they have just been given the opportunity to write their names in human history and become immortal.
Also the 10 principles of Nike displayed in the movie are very questionable, but I will address them in another time.
And with this film, the sung corporate heroes have started on the path to achieving cult status, which Tinker Hatfield has already achieved. Sneaker fans worship him like a god - watch the episode of the Netflix documentary series "Design" that's about him!
So be careful with the momentum, as propaganda can easily convince you that work is the only way to become a saint, self-fulfillment, self-realization, and the ultimate goal of life.
Think about what goals you are trying to achieve and why? Are these really your goals? How will you develop along the way? What do you want to experience in life?
And of course, watch the movie "Air" because I think it's really good.
Podcast
After the premiere last week, here is the second episode of the English show, where I talk about the hero's journey, why this model became the most famous narrative framework in the past centuries, and how it appears in many myths, literary works, and movies.
In this episode, I talk about how this model can be applied in personal development and self-help.
On the Hungarian front, I attack with an almost two-hour conversation, where you can hear a wonderful recovery story.
My guest is István Marosi, who has been living drug-free for over 10 years and now helps drug addicts as a therapy assistant.
It's a great story, listen to it on your favorite podcast player and show it to others if you liked it!
Service announcement
There have been big changes in the online presence this week. My new website is finally working in English. Check banandras.com out, it was created by illustrator Láng Zsófi.
If you also would like to have a great website, I highly recommend her.
Thank you for your attention.
Regards,
András