Why Does The Supermarket Play Pop Music?

[Philonous]

Noise culture.

I’m grateful the 2 supermarkets nearby me don’t play the current stuff. One won’t play anything after about 1988, and the other—which is a family owned business where lots of old people shop—they just play stuff from the 1950’s and early 1960’s.

Regardless, all of it—even the pop music from the 1950’s—is a tribute to the outrageous and narcissistic. Here, let me belt-out 8 rhyming lines at the top of my lungs for 3 minutes about this girl who shunned my proposition, do so with a full orchestra—do so while I’m still in the prime of life, and can still nail close to 4 octaves.

Oh—and let me do it to a beat that kinda-sorta mimics your heartbeat, and gets you inadvertently walking in cadence when you’re searching for paper towels.

It’s about getting you to buy stuff. Getting you slightly agitated and even slightly euphoric, as that way you’re less likely to think, “I can live without 3 bags of potato chips.”

“Consumerism” and “domination” are neoliberal priorities. So is debt. So are megalithic corporations with lots of lobbyists and lawyers that make it impossible for you to ever get that crap turned off while you’re shopping for groceries—you’re the plebe, you have no agency, get used to it.

And no, it absolutely doesn’t have anything to do with Christianity. It operates on an animalistic principle. Animals live to consume. A great many of them can and do consume a lot more than we do—eat a third of their own weight, never get sick and just keep growing proportionately.

Animals also live to dominate other animals. They expand their territories, and when they can no longer expand then they increasingly dominate the other creatures in those territories—any they can get a handle over. Similarly, neoliberals micromanage people to death—the exact opposite of Matt 20:25.

 

[ralfy]

It can probably be seen in light of points raised in books like The McDonaldization of Society, Amusing Ourselves to Death, and The Hidden Persuaders. That is, it's part of what allowed for phenomena like supermarkets themselves.

 

[Mr Moorii]

I have been reducing my consumption of pop music, and instead I have increase classic music and choosing other music genres where lyrics are rich and thoughtful, closer to god or where the artist approach music with themes out of the classic narcissistic love or selfishness, silence has also play an important part on healing, learning to be in silence. I have notice that it have had positive impact, for one music is becoming once more engaging and fulfilling, even reminding my the times where I was a kid and discovered Carmina Burana for first time, the conversations with my girlfriend have also have deepening and help to make emotions stable, my cat even is more in peace.

 

[messaggera]

Was at Barnes and Noble to pick up a memoir, and visited the young readers' section. There were two books about Billie Eilish: one for learning ABCs, and the other as an icon book. This is satanic, and grooming.

Grooming (satanic and sexual) because the content and placement of these two books are targeted at young children, as young as a child who is learning his or her ABCs? Below is the description:

​

All [e]nglish alphabet letters and this coloring book is awesome Toddler Coloring Book with​

Fun activities, Letters, Shapes, Colors, Animals: different activity Workbook for Toddlers and Kids​

Satanic because it is the entertainment industry propping up a flawed and demonic icon (I feel sorrow for her) Here are a few of the produced lyrics from sinister songs, and even the videos are demonic:

• For the debt I owe, gotta sell my soul​
• All The Good Girls Go To Hell​
• Cause even God herself has enemies - She'll want the devil on her team​
• My Lucifer is lonely​

Now I need to pray

The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.

I will call on the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

​

 

[GodfatherPartTwo]

In reply to Sitting Bull: Years ago, when I drove taxi, I had a customer who was a guy in his mid 40's who embarked on a 10 minute ride downtown. He couldn't stand the fact that I didn't play the radio in the cab. He actually said that he was becoming so "uncomfortable with the silence" that if I didn't put the radio on that he'd have to get out of the cab right now. He was really agitated about it. So, I put it on for the remaining 7-8 minutes of the ride, and then to ensure the point was made I shut if off again as soon as I pulled the car up to let him off. I like riding in silence. I like to be alone with my own thoughts. Imagine a guy who gets so unnerved at the thought of not having music pumped into his ears that he is about ready to freak-out. I found out in later years that many of my friends have 'noticed' that I don't run the radio in the car; I guess they find it odd.

One of my favorite things in life is cruising around listening to the oldies (50s - 70s), even blaring it.

That said, a guy who couldn't sit still in silence for more than a few minutes is a child. I got a friend who can't watch any movies because he gets anxious during the talking scenes and is just waiting for the action to pop off. It's pretty sad to see.

Somebody mentioned Walmart blaring pop music in the parking lot. I thought they started doing that right after that guy shot some people in the Walmart parking lot. Looks like it indeed is used as a form of social control after all.

 

[georgetasker]

There are times I find the music in the supermarket to be such garbage that I have considered it an experience to be endured rather than enjoyed.

I guess on the bonus side such music motivates me to get out of the place before I throw too much into the trolley.

 

[Dixie Expat]

One of my favorite experiences was being in Eastern Europe and hearing gangster rap being played at the supermarket and nice restaurants, of the 90's variety. Not because I liked the music, although I did, it was just so funny to be hearing obscene music being played in such nice, foreign settings. I'm sure no one had any clue about what was being said.

 

[Sebastian Hawks]

I remember as a kid the supermarkets used to play soothing music. The vanishing genre known as "Easy Listening" stuff like Percy Faith's Theme from A Summer Place. The Boston Pops, 101 Strings, etc, there used to be a whole lot of symphonies in Central Europe churning out this music. Then we had Smooth Jazz for a bit as it is pleasant on the ears. Now it's pop, but not the really foul stuff, at least at Walmart it seems more 80s music. I never really paid attention much to the lyrics, but when I look at them they sure do seem subversive, especially the message of these post 2000 "female pop singers" targeting young girls who really do pay attention to lyrics far more than middle aged men. I had seen Roosh hint that there are only about 10 men in Hollywood that write all the songs for these female pop stars. They are little more than actresses who don't write their own content. I notice they are getting more and more hideous too, right before new years some music show on one of the networks came on and instead of pretty girls like Brittany Spears was 20 years ago, the female pop star had a male crew cut, blue hair, was covered in tattoos and piercings, and had on an ugly farmers overalls and a tank top. The lyrics seem to be written by gay men putting words about their own sex charged, promiscuous sex lives into the female pop singers mouths. No girl would write lyrics like this? They don't seem to jive with female nature, they sound like a typical gay "hungry bottom." I noticed Taylor Swift is now mouthing this crap, she dumped Nashville for Hollywood and Manhattan, singing some song about endless sexual flings resulting in covering her body with tattoos of the names of male sex partners. Did Taylor Swift really think up this stuff or are these the filthy thoughts of her male songwriters? And what is with all these nasty tattoos these days, when did this become acceptable? I remember none of this tattoo and piercing stuff in 1990 but by 1999 is was popping up all over the place. Can this tattooing craze please go away?

 

[Maddox]

Again, per Stop & Shop reps: "During our survey process, it was determined the best type of music for the stores is a mix of well-known '60s, '70s, '80s, and '90s. The three top music genres preferred by both customers and associates are classic rock, classic hits, and classic R&B. Lots of nineties! The music is played at the volume of a conversation, and the playlist does differ by time of day for morning, afternoon, and evening shoppers. It was also indicated in the surveys that both customers and associates wanted to hear familiar music, and shopping trips are not the place they wanted to hear new songs.

What I've noticed is that stores have different genres they like to play. Trader Joes and Sprouts here in the US seem to play the oldies from the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s. That falls in line with the quote above from a study about which music people want to hear.

But I've noticed that a major grocery chain near me won't play that stuff at all. They only play new music...top 40 crap. It makes no sense to me as most of the customers are older and surely don't like that type of music. Like me...

 

[Viktor Zeegelaar]

Any chance to pollute our brain with distraction is being harnessed against us. Whether it's music, or adverts. Due to the fake corona measures I wasn't too used anymore of being in the public square, but now I'm going through public transport and the likes of it, you really realize the intensity of it all. They're trying to recruit you to Satan's team with every inch of possible influence they can find. Imagine adding to that hours and hours and hours of social media and TikTok a day, and you're truly draining in a swamp with barely a chance of making it out. That's your average teen nowadays.

 

[EntWife]

This is one reason why I don't take my kids in stores very often; I don't want to expose them to the filth from overhead music, as well as the visual ads throughout the store.

One time when my daughter was a toddler, I took her into a children's clothing store, only to find that they were playing hip hop with nasty lyrics. I picked her up and walked out. I was an atheist at the time, and even then I knew better. What is wrong with these people, that they'd play that garbage in a children's store??

Then a few years later, I noticed they started sneaking LGBT stuff into kids' products. Not even bubble wands are safe. I bought this for my kids at Wal-Mart, then after getting it home, realised that something about it bothered me. After looking at it for a bit, I figured it out - there are six of them, in the colors of the "gay pride" flag, and they're even packaged in the order of the colors on the flag. Here's a link. My local Wal-Mart still carries them.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Play-Day...-6-Pack-Multiple-Colors/44664722?athbdg=L1102

 

[TexasJenn]

Then a few years later, I noticed they started sneaking LGBT stuff into kids' products. Not even bubble wands are safe. I bought this for my kids at Wal-Mart, then after getting it home, realised that something about it bothered me. After looking at it for a bit, I figured it out - there are six of them, in the colors of the "gay pride" flag, and they're even packaged in the order of the colors on the flag. Here's a link. My local Wal-Mart still carries them.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Play-Day...-6-Pack-Multiple-Colors/44664722?athbdg=L1102

I don't believe we should let symbols be co-opted from conventional use. I had rainbow everything as a kid. Those are colors of the natural spectrum, what you see in the sky as a natural phenomenon. I still have rainbow socks, notebooks, and things, and nobody is taking rainbows from me

 

[Celibate Warrior21]

I'm gonna go on a radio fast while I'm driving.

I noticed, that I tend to get a little emotional and ponder about my problems when listening to too much music. I think I'm just gonna chill out and listen to some silence for a little while. Plus it's safer that way, might get into an accident

 

[TheLoneReader]

What I've noticed is that stores have different genres they like to play. Trader Joes and Sprouts here in the US seem to play the oldies from the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s. That falls in line with the quote above from a study about which music people want to hear.

But I've noticed that a major grocery chain near me won't play that stuff at all. They only play new music...top 40 crap. It makes no sense to me as most of the customers are older and surely don't like that type of music. Like me...

They probably don’t realize that the music is actually killing their produce faster if it’s true that classical music is the best for plant growth.

 

[EntWife]

I don't believe we should let symbols be co-opted from conventional use. I had rainbow everything as a kid. Those are colors of the natural spectrum, what you see in the sky as a natural phenomenon. I still have rainbow socks, notebooks, and things, and nobody is taking rainbows from me

Thankfully, the pride people don't use the actual rainbow. They use six colors instead of seven, and the shades of the colors they use are off. They couldn't use the rainbow the way God made it; they had to distort it and make it ugly, which is just another sign that their movement is from the devil. God's rainbow is still beautiful!

You can't really see it in the pictures on the product listing, but the bubble things from Wal-Mart match the pride flag pretty well, to the point that when it's still in the package, it looks kinda like a bubble pride flag.

 

[TexasJenn]

Thankfully, the pride people don't use the actual rainbow. They use six colors instead of seven, and the shades of the colors they use are off.

I didn't know that. Learned something new today. Thanks!

 

[EntWife]

I didn't know that. Learned something new today. Thanks!

You're welcome. I'm happy to spread the news that the pride flag is an ugly abomination, and the beautiful rainbow still belongs to God. I wish I could tell everyone.

 

[Juan777]

I used to be against all forms of pop and secular music as well in 1993. Unfortunately, it appears I backslided at some point after 1997 and went made mix-tapes in the late 90s. I don't listen to pop music all that often now, but when I do, it now usually because I like looking at a nice music video with a lady singing at me through the screen, or it's just cinematic. Thankfully, the now defamed Hillsong church had also released allot of music videos which I like looking at too and ofter a soft alternative to secular pop.