Buddha has become a hip marketing tool.......is this a good thing?

[MysticSang'ha]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14205534/



The story in Newsweek shows how clubs such as Buddhakan and Buddha Bar has risen sharply in popularity. One can see images of Buddha not only as Happy Hotei in entrances of Thai restaraunts anymore. Buddha can be seen everywhere on T-shirts, jeans, necklaces, etc.



The article brings up a point about possible exploitation. Is Buddha being exploited in the name of consumerism?




I have no aversion to this campaign, personally. I'm not overjoyed, but I do not see this as counter-productive either.



I laughed at the comment made by a monk who visited a restaraunt with a Buddhist "exotic" theme to attract customers. The owner was worried that the monk would be offended by all the hoopla, and the monk told the owner that the Pad Thai was better than his mom's.




Am I being too passive? What do others think about this latest fad?




Peace,
Mystic

 

[eudaimonia]

Is Buddha being exploited in the name of consumerism?

What does "exploited" mean here? What is the harm?


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[MysticSang'ha]

I do not see harm done, but I wondered if others feel that a certain level of respect for Buddha as a spiritual leader and figure is lowered for someone else's advantage.



A club owner has a Buddha statue in the middle of a dance floor where booze and sexual innuendo runs rampant. The statue is not there as a reminder to quiet the mind or to seek enlightenment. Rather, the statue is used as a tool to attract patrons. This is, from a critics point of view, exploitation.



Peace,
Mystic

 

[Halcyon]

A club owner has a Buddha statue in the middle of a dance floor where booze and sexual innuendo runs rampant. The statue is not there as a reminder to quiet the mind or to seek enlightenment. Rather, the statue is used as a tool to attract patrons. This is, from a critics point of view, exploitation.

I would agree with the critic, from my point of view the whole thing makes Buddhism seem somehow fake, inferior.

Can you imagine a statue of Jesus or the Virgin Mary in the same position?
I doubt it, people would immediately get offended at the lack of respect.

Having Buddha and Buddhism used as publicity tools may get some people interested in the religion, but it may also cause others to take it less seriously.

 

[finalfrogo]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14205534/



The story in Newsweek shows how clubs such as Buddhakan and Buddha Bar has risen sharply in popularity. One can see images of Buddha not only as Happy Hotei in entrances of Thai restaraunts anymore. Buddha can be seen everywhere on T-shirts, jeans, necklaces, etc.



The article brings up a point about possible exploitation. Is Buddha being exploited in the name of consumerism?




I have no aversion to this campaign, personally. I'm not overjoyed, but I do not see this as counter-productive either.



I laughed at the comment made by a monk who visited a restaraunt with a Buddhist "exotic" theme to attract customers. The owner was worried that the monk would be offended by all the hoopla, and the monk told the owner that the Pad Thai was better than his mom's.




Am I being too passive? What do others think about this latest fad?




Peace,
Mystic

On one hand, it is somewhat a desecration; using a religious figure (especially MY religious figure) to sell products. But then again, it also may spark some people's interest in Buddhism. So I don't think it's a bad thing. Each time I see the image of a Buddha, I am reminded to live in the present moment and enjoy life. :wheel:

Plus, now I can buy all these T-shirts with the Buddha on it.

 

[finalfrogo]

A club owner has a Buddha statue in the middle of a dance floor where booze and sexual innuendo runs rampant. The statue is not there as a reminder to quiet the mind or to seek enlightenment. Rather, the statue is used as a tool to attract patrons. This is, from a critics point of view, exploitation.



Peace,
Mystic

Oh... well in that case I would find that offensive but I still don't think all commercial use of the Buddha is negative.

 

[Scarlett Wampus]

This does disturb me. Its not specifically because Buddha is being used as a marketing tool, its the way everything and anything that has meaning is exploited and warped for marketing purposes. It despoils people's inner lives, ya know?

 

[SoliDeoGloria]

This almost reminds me of a Christian exploitation thing that went for a little bit called "The prayer of Jabez". While many Christians liked it, I found it to be disgusting and couldn't believe how far it went. A big part of our western society is to find something that is popular and exploit it to the point of rediculousness. As a Christian, I don't know if I can really speak on this particular issue without looking like I have alterior motives, but that is how I feel in a general sense.

Sincerely,
SoliDeoGloria

 

[jamaesi]

Cultural appropriation is rarely pretty.

 

[gnomon]

Which would you prefer? Being surrounded by a bunch of idiots wearing Buddha T-shirts or a bunch of idiots wearing Che T-shirts. Or imagine being surround by both groups. It would be an incredible meeting of ignorant individuals espousing ideals they wouldn't bother spending more time learning about then they would over the sanity of paying two dollars for a cup of bad coffee.

 

[bigvindaloo]

I was given a Buddha fountain with light display by my sister a couple of years ago. Is this exploitation of the image? Perhaps. But it is unlikely to offend in societies where fads come and go. It would be more likely to offend as commercial exploitation in societies where the dominant belief system is Buddhism. Madonna offends the Catholics and arouses protest with her disco crucifixion and light show in the West. Also it says something about Buddha and Buddhists that exploitation of him does not need to be vulgar to be cool, and that Buddhists can tolerate it.

 

[MysticSang'ha]

Wow.........this is great seeing more replies than I'd assumed I would see.




I still am not alarmed at reports of Buddha used as a marketing tool. What a shame if I discovered twenty years from now that I'd been too passive with any objections to this kind of marketing.





This could be considered all together much different than the marketing of small Buddha statues as religious symbols for the car or for the home or for carrying around in your purse (I have one of them). I have read the criticisms concerning the exploitation of Buddha, but what if seeing Buddha in the middle of a hot and sexy nightclub is a good thing? Might there be any good with small reminders of Buddhahood in the seediest of circumstances?




Peace,
Mystic

 

[bigvindaloo]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14205534/



The story in Newsweek shows how clubs such as Buddhakan and Buddha Bar has risen sharply in popularity. One can see images of Buddha not only as Happy Hotei in entrances of Thai restaraunts anymore. Buddha can be seen everywhere on T-shirts, jeans, necklaces, etc.



The article brings up a point about possible exploitation. Is Buddha being exploited in the name of consumerism?




I have no aversion to this campaign, personally. I'm not overjoyed, but I do not see this as counter-productive either.



I laughed at the comment made by a monk who visited a restaraunt with a Buddhist "exotic" theme to attract customers. The owner was worried that the monk would be offended by all the hoopla, and the monk told the owner that the Pad Thai was better than his mom's.




Am I being too passive? What do others think about this latest fad?




Peace,
Mystic

The consumer fad is the principle form of worship in Western culture.

 

[St0ne]

I don't think using Buddha images as marketing is all bad, My mother came to visit on the weekend and I noticed a small "fat" buddha hanging from here rearview mirror, I have no problem there. As for a statue being in a club where alcohol is served I can see a small posotive but I rather not see it there at all, even if most were ok with it I think the owner out of respect and common sense should not have it there anyway.

 

[Engyo]

The only issue I remember rousing any sort of controversy was a Buddha image printed on a bikini 2 years ago. There was enough of an outcry that the retailer pulled the product. Other than that I can't think of anything really controversial, although some of the misinformation in the TV ads I see lately is a bit sad.

 

[Booko]

I do not see harm done, but I wondered if others feel that a certain level of respect for Buddha as a spiritual leader and figure is lowered for someone else's advantage.

I do.

And my opinion on the subject, which out of courtesy I don't offer unasked, is not what you'd call...mild.

 

[jamaesi]

And my opinion on the subject, which out of courtesy I don't offer unasked, is not what you'd call...mild.

I must ask. What is your opinion, if you are comfortable sharing it?

 

[Tigress]

I can understand why people would find it offensive, however, I just find it funny...like those 'Jesus is my homeboy' t-shirts.

 

[Booko]

I must ask. What is your opinion, if you are comfortable sharing it?

I regard the Buddha as a Manifestation of God, the same as I would Krishna, Muhammad, Christ, or a few others, and as such, think more respect should be shown.

I won't riot in the streets over it, certainly, but I don't think it's a very civilized or considerate thing to do.

fwiw, my religion forbids any use of the images of the Bab or Baha'u'llah, which includes any portrayal in a dramatic fashion as well. There are photographs of Baha'u'llah, but unless I seek out a copy of one that appears in an anti-Baha'i book, I'd have to go on pilgrimage to see a photo.

Even if I did not believe some figure to be a genuine Prophet, it's just a matter of simple human decency not to be disrespectful of such things.

I had a client once I did some garden designs for who had a statue of the Buddha in her yard, right where the dog would tend to pee on it. :cover: We, uh, arranged to move it to an area where it worked better in the garden, and was not where the dog went right by, so it wouldn't get peed on any more. We never said anything to the client. It's her yard and her statue.

 

[Smoke]

I don't see anything wrong with having a statue of the Buddha in a restaurant or bar, but to use him as a marketing tool is another thing, especially for establishments that serve meat or alcohol or are trendy and overpriced.

I wouldn't expect Buddhists to be as offended as Christians would be if you opened a strip club called Revelation or a gay bar called Beloved Disciple, but only because Buddhists tend to be less excitable about that kind of thing. One of my former employers had a plan to open a gay bar called Mecca, and I always thought that was a really bad idea. (Nothing came of it, though.)

I think it's inappropriate, but I don't have any problem with the Buddha being seen as a positive figure in our culture; we could do with more of that. So in the end, I'm ambivalent about it.