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E Trade Tirade


I have to rant just a bit following up my Quick Fix post from a couple days ago. I recently saw THIS E Trade commercial and it epitomizes the broken perspective so pervasive in our culture. If you didn’t hit the link, the commercial shows a bunch of partiers passed out alongside a pool and the aftermath of last night’s bash. Then it says, “some people can afford to wake up at the crack of noon … but you aren’t some people. Don’t get mad, get E Trade.”

First of all, you have the blatant promotion of a quick fix, the ol’ get-rich-quick fallacy. The ad is trying to tell us that the secret road to wealth is as easy a trading a few stocks.  It insinuates you and I can be independently wealthy, effortlessly and quickly, by using their platform and software to outthink and out trade the masses. By the way, the average E Trade account is under $18K (not exactly wealth, nor is it enough to even buy a new car) and if you adjust for inflation, the average account value is less today than in 2001, according to Forbes magazine.  I guess E Trade isn’t a short cut to wealth after all.

The other toxic message of this ad is that once you become wildly wealthy with no effort, unplugging and being completely un-productive is your reward. It’s as if the goal of wealth and financial independence is to be totally selfish. What an empty and hollow perspective! It’s telling us that you can’t sleep in until noon because you can’t afford to, not because it’s a grossly negligent way to spend your time here on this earth.

I understand E Trade is trying to have a little fun with this commercial and it isn’t meant to be completely serious. However, they are obviously catering to a certain mind set and have spent millions of dollars getting it in front of viewers. There is a perspective and thought pattern they are appealing to and seeking to entice.

This commercial endorses and encourages only destructive mindsets and I am against everything it stands for. I am sorry for the rant but I really had to get that off my chest. Thank you, I feel better now.

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