Tom, click on "video" under the top title line of "Have you seen this?"

Aha! I was wondering what Allosaur was referring to!!! Thanks for the answer ... and your comments, too, Susanne. I always enjoy them.

The Lancôme Puppet Commercial? Artistically, it was pretty good... ties into their "black and white" theme. Solid message. Enough understated bling, and a feel of opulence.

As to the message - "Do not let others constrain you, and be your puppet master - be your OWN master (or mistress)"... pretty good.

Of course, 54% of all perfume smells like unadulterated feline urine on all people, and 21% of most people, and 23% are allergic to the chemical concoctions off-gassing from the stuff..

My mind shut off the commercial after about five seconds. I kept watching: thinking there might be some kind of message. For the most part: life is what you make it. I don't get the relationship between some girl wearing perfume and freedom. You would pay at least 5% tax if you buy it in Canada. That is not freedom.

A link to an ad ?????

I have survived for 30 years in business never having had anyone claim I groped or otherwise made women or men into sex objects. I treat all employees and customers I meet essentially as equal asexual beings , so gender and sex just never comes up.

Probably a good thing for people to do in this climate. I dont really see anything wrong in complimenting someone on their sexiness, but I sure wouldnt do it NOW.

actually true. Its like a company advertising its products, but they dont want customers to actually buy it.

Yes...so long as one does not go against the tides of existence, (180 from the ways existence exists)...we are seeing that now...not working so good now is it, but that's the "Be what ever you will, there are no rights or wrongs, culture.

Ha ha ha. Clever deception. The advertiser pretends to disavow shackles yet seeks to impose its own while the victim is lulled by illusions of free will. No matter how glossy, glitzy, tempting, seductive, it's a ploy to extract substance from others. Kind of a free market, no? Everyone competes to implant those gossamer bonds on as many consumers as they can, using every emotional motivator from envy to the desire for glamor and the pleasure of power. Still preferable to the government forcing compliance on who must buy and sell what.

My pleasure.

It is a beautiful image, although Julia doesn't particularly appeal to me. Statists make good use of Sirens.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siren_(...

I wish I hadn't.

Okay, Freedom ... you've peeled back the layers for me to see. Thanks for explaining - I really didn't look beyond the artistry of the video itself. I guess I was being a little naïve! But I must say, at first glance, the video was so beautiful and alive and inspiring. But you know, so was Dagny and she epitomized true beauty - through and though!

I see a lie. A company using the illusion of freedom to advance its own interests, and employing a well known actress who supports socialism, not freedom. Lancome has consistently hired people who support socialism, and fired one when the Chinese Communist Party objected to the person's views on freedom in Hong Kong. The ad appeared to be typical misleading rubbish to me, denigrating the concept of freedom and attempting to fraudulently take the production of those who favor freedom to support the opposite. Ever consider that refusing conformity is not always a positive thing when proposed by a socialist? Think that Lancome's CEO favors Trump or Hitlery's policies? Lancome's CEO Jean-Paul Agon, along with 16 other executives, signed a petition in 2011 calling for a tax on the rich, as a way of contributing to society during troubled times. Not freedom, statism.
If we really believe what we claim to believe then we must act to support only those who believe in liberty and free markets. We must try to see through the propaganda and self serving rubbish.

Great commentary ... thanks, Dobrien

Ironic that so many entertainment progressives tout individual freedom while supporting an ever more authoritarian government. It's a result of their own wealth, allowing them to collect any material goods they desire, which they equate to freedom, yet the specter of banishment from their profession if they dare to express a different vision is ever present.

Although we could read into the advertisement that people are slaves but don't resist because the chains are beautiful and desirable it is not what Julia was doing, she was selling her product as freeing her to be more attractive and creating the desire of others to have her. It is a good metaphor for the slavery we are enduring. It is not too confrontational and we get along as long as we go along, but the has been true of all slave nations. The slavers do not want to destroy the herd, just control it for their benefit.

Freedom, Interesting your take on this. What I saw was a beautiful woman (like you, I don't ascribe to Ms. Roberts' political views) refuse the cloak (sparkling jewels) of conformity ... and walk beyond the others into the promise of a beautiful life - free! Freedom was the theme of this 1 minute video, artistically presented to inspire and, yes .... to sell perfume.

Yes, indeed ... "when lived well.". The lyrics in the song bring this to mind ... "Wish I could be perfectly free. It's a beautiful day and I could just say ... beautiful life".

maybe ... somewhat ... for some. For the second-handers, for sure.

Exactly! Be an individual ... even if we must buck the tide ... and live a beautiful life! After all, "In a world full of dictates and conventions, could there be another way?".

Yes, unfortunately many women do this. Sadder still? This dichotomy exists in many parts of their lives - men and women alike.

Isnt the search for sexiness really a search for power over others today?

Yeah, that commercial smells peculiar. .

Interesting that women go all out to appear sexy, then object if men find them sexy. I guess they like the power of the chase, but not the end result.