Why Am I Being Cyber-stalked By a Guy in Spandex?

I know how ubiquitous targeted advertising is, especially online, but my recent experience is a little ridiculous.

In high school and college, I was quite fit. I'd played sports through most of high school, and I majored in dance in college (my first of many career explorations). After college, I got a "real job" and my behind spent most of its time attached to a chair, so I gained some weight. Since then, I've spent time off and on striving to regain a healthy level of fitness. And, occasionally, I've been lured into buying this product or that to help me.

I've seen an infomercial the last couple of years about a fitness video series "guaranteed" to transform my body into something amazing. The variety of exercises used in the series and the "before" and "after" testimonials have tempted me, but the steep price and my pathetic track record with actually using the exercise paraphernalia that I've purchased before have kept my punching finger away from the phone.

Recently, I've wanted to refocus my attention on attaining a healthy level of fitness again. A couple months ago, just out of curiosity, I looked up the website for the video series, to see what they were charging. Nope. Still not willing to pay that kind of money for a product I probably wouldn't use (besides, I put the series on hold at my local library, so I can check it out for free).
But, ever since then, I've been cyber-stalked by a guy in spandex. Whether the website has been one of my favorite music sites, a website for dog toys for my puppy, or an educational site I've consulted for my work, up pop the lean, lithe, well-muscled thighs and torso -- clad in spandex shorts -- trying to tempt me to pull out my credit card and send away for the solution to my fitness troubles. One day I counted: I saw the ad 10 times, all on different sites. I started to feel a little paranoid. Would I next see spandex-thighs-guy peeking out of my phone bill? Would he be coming to my door? Stopping me at the grocery store and offering me a limited-time special deal if I acted now?

Seriously. I looked at the website for about 90 seconds 2 months ago! How long is this guy going to virtually follow me around?

It was funny at first, but now I find it sad and frustrating (and a little creepy). No wonder we find it so challenging to ignore and counteract all these marketing messages blown at us from all sides on a daily basis -- especially when they target our weaknesses, desires and flawed perceptions of ourselves and what will truly make us happy.

Fortunately, we can call on our knowledge about how marketers are trying to manipulate us, and on our will to align our choices with our deepest values and turn away from the products and promotions that don't support our vision of the healthy, just, compassionate, sustainable world we want.

~ Marsha

Image courtesy of SuperFantastic via Creative Commons.

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