Response to Britney: Charlie Sheen

From a marketing perspective, despite Charlie Sheen's popularity, I still feel as though I wouldn't want this person to represent my product, or television station.  I just can't help but wonder if negative marketing is just as good as positive marketing.  Based on Sheen's success in marketing himself, I absolutely agree with him, he is winning; but are consumers?  Is it a good thing that consumers are paying attention to what Sheen is doing and enjoying it?  Could it be possible that negative marketing is actually effective marketing?


I would also not want Charlie Sheen being the “face” of a show on my network. this popularity that Sheen has been able to create will not last and he seems to be on a self-destructive past. One has to look at Charlie Sheen’s past to understand the type of person we are talking about. He has been in Hollywood for many years and I think the fame and fortune just built up and he eventually snapped like many stars before him.

I think sheen should take care of himself during this period. But I also agree that he should also take advantage of this marketing opportunity. He should seek to make as much money from this ordeal because he will unlikely have a career once he fizzles out and he will be in court for the foreseeable future, for which this money will be handy.

It is good for Sheen to be doing what he thinks is the right thing in his life. Sheen is not the only one benefiting from his recent outbursts. The internet is alive with t-shirts, posters, and other profitable goods that everyday people are earning money from. Only time will tell how “poisonous” or “nurturing” this new fame will be for Charlie Sheen.

Week 9: "The Overspent American"

What are the latest items of conspicuous consumption today? Do we see a continuing trend in what the video identifies as the “overspent American”? How does marketing today play a role in these trends today?

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“The Overspent American” was an interesting look at an economy that is overspent. According to the film the big three items that we spend our money on are, cars, houses, and clothes. In class we agreed that technology is also an item that Americans consume greatly.
These items are what Americans spend the most money on, and are likely to continually spend their money on these items in order to keep up with the “Joneses.” I thought it was interesting to see how the American spending trend has moved away from keeping up with financial peers and has moved towards keeping up with the rich and affluent that are glorified on TV.
This is what “overspent American” is discussing. Not only are Americans spending more money than ever before, but they are spending their money on items that are above their pay scale. According to the film, this creates a vicious cycle of working more, to earn more, to spend more, only to work more to cover the debt. This is an unhealthy cycle that has contributed to the financial crisis we are in today.
I see marketing as one of the main contributors to the overspent American. People are trying to emulate the lifestyles that they see in the media. In America often times these lifestyles are those of celebrities and the upper middle class. This leads to the middle and lower class Americans to envy the luxurious lifestyles of the affluent and re-create them in their own lives. By marketing this rich lifestyle americans are consuming more, which is the goal of the marketing, but americans are consuming more above their means. This is perpetuating the financial crisis we are in. What do other people think? Do you think marketers are to blame? Are American consumers to blame? Or is it the affluent?