Tag: sex sells

Let’s sing about “reproductive messages” baby

Apparently nine out of ten top ten songs in 2009 featured “reproductive messages” – which means they were about sex.

“Approximately 92% of the 174 songs that made it into the [Billboard] Top 10 in 2009 contained reproductive messages,” says SUNY Albany psychology professor Dawn R. Hobbs in Evolutionary Psychology. That’s right–“reproductive messages,” our newest favorite euphemism.”

Here’s how those songs were distributed across “reproductive” categories.

If its your thing – you can read the study of those songs here (pdf).

Via The Atlantic.

The changing face of Internet News

Sad, but true.

There’s a rude word that I redacted – you can see the original here if that floats your boat.

I’d add that if you’re a really popular news site, particularly in Australia, your front page is likely to feature salacious yarns about celebrities and their private lives, and a smattering of cleavage (or news reports from “fashion shows”). The SMH homepage currently features the word sex 11 times. News.com.au seven times. theage.com.au eight times. Brisbanetimes.com.au nine times. Crazy.

Making “headlines” today

I’m reconsidering the Sydney Morning Herald’s place as my news source of choice. What do other people use?

The writing is as good as ever – there is no political commentator as astute as Annabel Crabb, and few sports correspondents can match it with the likes of Peter Roebuck and Will Swanton.

But when your banner of featured stories looks like this you’ve well and truly jumped the “sex sells” shark…

Core business

I couldn’t think of an Apple pun better than that. Sorry. 

Marketing expert Martin Lindstrom has released Buyology, a book on modern marketing, covering the results from a study onto response to common marketing methodologies and global brands. 

The findings, featured in The Australian, suggest that sex no longer sells. And that Apple is probably a cult. But we all knew that. 

They found an enormous correlation between a powerful religion and a powerful brand. Precient points are:

“In a world where religion in many societies has begun fading away, brands have begun to take over the role of belief. We as human beings need something to believe in and brands have become almost mini-religions,” 

“Think Apple, they have their own ‘temple’: their flagship store; their own religious leader: Steve Jobs; their own cross: the Apple logo; their own rituals (hundreds — just ask an Apple fan); their own enemy (Microsoft) … you name it.”

“These days sex isn’t as mysterious any more as it is everywhere, so that’s the reason why sex doesn’t sell.”