Comments on: Dharma-Burger! …Karma Police, arrest this ad. http://theworsthorse.com/2008/08/dharma-burger-karma-police-arrest-this-ad/ the buddhist sub- and pop-culture site Mon, 06 Feb 2012 01:29:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Eric C. http://theworsthorse.com/2008/08/dharma-burger-karma-police-arrest-this-ad/comment-page-1/#comment-491 Eric C. Mon, 25 Aug 2008 14:28:30 +0000 http://theworsthorse.wordpress.com/?p=759#comment-491 I'm lucky enough as a graphic designer to not be put into a situation(yet) where I had to do any mainstream advertisement. For now I handle a much smaller internal technology/enterprise demographic. A few other non Buddhist but culturally aware designers that I know have to deal with this sort of thing a lot. If you were to look into the most used stock photos over the last few years you'd see a lot of that scenario exactly. Usually a depiction of some seemingly well off and fit woman with her hair up, in a meditative position, with a very content look on her face. Over the last few years I've had mixed emotions about that sort of image and how it reflects the culture of dharma. In some aspects I think it's very endearing for it to be viewed as tranquil and somewhat mystical practice. On the other hand though, as YogaforCynics's example; marketing like this can seriously skew the outside view and integrity of cultures. I love where I am spiritually but lately I'm finding it a bit of an undertaking to explain to people that I meditate and chant mantras without them generalizing me as a granola eating hippie. I like red meat, I don't know any martial arts, and no that's not a sailor's wheel tattoo'd on my arm. I’m lucky enough as a graphic designer to not be put into a situation(yet) where I had to do any mainstream advertisement. For now I handle a much smaller internal technology/enterprise demographic.
A few other non Buddhist but culturally aware designers that I know have to deal with this sort of thing a lot.

If you were to look into the most used stock photos over the last few years you’d see a lot of that scenario exactly.
Usually a depiction of some seemingly well off and fit woman with her hair up, in a meditative position, with a very content look on her face.

Over the last few years I’ve had mixed emotions about that sort of image and how it reflects the culture of dharma.
In some aspects I think it’s very endearing for it to be viewed as tranquil and somewhat mystical practice.

On the other hand though, as YogaforCynics’s example; marketing like this can seriously skew the outside view and integrity of cultures. I love where I am spiritually but lately I’m finding it a bit of an undertaking to explain to people that I meditate and chant mantras without them generalizing me as a granola eating hippie.

I like red meat, I don’t know any martial arts, and no that’s not a sailor’s wheel tattoo’d on my arm.

]]> By: YogaforCynics http://theworsthorse.com/2008/08/dharma-burger-karma-police-arrest-this-ad/comment-page-1/#comment-490 YogaforCynics Mon, 25 Aug 2008 04:19:51 +0000 http://theworsthorse.wordpress.com/?p=759#comment-490 Not exactly surprising, though, is it? I was raised a Quaker--a sect known to a few for its history of non-violence, opposition to racism and war, etc.--but known to far more for that guy on the Quaker Oats box, leading to my being asked all my life if my family travels in a horse-and-buggy. Quakers didn't actually start complaining, though, until the Quaker Oats company decided to make its mascot into Quakerman, a violent superhero. Can Karmaman or Yogaman be far behind? Not exactly surprising, though, is it? I was raised a Quaker–a sect known to a few for its history of non-violence, opposition to racism and war, etc.–but known to far more for that guy on the Quaker Oats box, leading to my being asked all my life if my family travels in a horse-and-buggy. Quakers didn’t actually start complaining, though, until the Quaker Oats company decided to make its mascot into Quakerman, a violent superhero. Can Karmaman or Yogaman be far behind?

]]>