Popular Happiness

Popular culture is related to happiness in the sense that it can be very influential to our thought processes when distinguishing what we think is going to make us happy. For example: there are countless commercials on television advertising all kinds of products and in almost every single one, there is a majestic looking male or female practically making love to the item and looking as though they haven't a worry in the world. For instance, in food commercials, the very attractive actors are most likely smiling\laughing while eating, and sometimes are even at the dinner table with the family, giving off the impression that they, while eating this food item\brand are having the best time of their lives and nothing could possibly bring them down. This is when the poor, depressed, individual sitting on the couch eating a "prepared on the fly" meal that was decided on 20 minutes ago thinks, "Maybe if I eat what they're eating, I'll look that good," or "I wish family was that happy at dinner...I MUST NEED THAT!" Thus, the buying begins in search of the magic item that will bring the family together in laughter and ultimately bring us that happiness we saw in those people on T.V. Yes, it sounds very stupid, but it's true; We would never get some of the ideas we have if not having seen or heard them through the television, radio, or in magazines. Turns out, we may just be perfectly content with what we have and are quite happy, but as soon as someone on a commercial challenges  how happy we think we are with how happy we could be when we obtain a certain product, that's when admittedly begin to let pop culture take over and control what we think we need to bring us happiness.