Subliminal messages may not be a part of everyday life, but they are out there. Movies, TV and advertising all have a history of using these hidden messages to either secretly say something, or sell something to their audience.
Even today, rumors of secret messages run rampant, from packs of cigarettes to the startup screen on Microsoft Windows 95.
Notice the legs of the camel on a pack of Camel cigarettes the next time you come across one. The front left leg of the camel supposedly contains a naked man. He's looking to the right and has his elbow cocked with his hand resting on his hip. But even family companies can't escape the accusations of secret images.
Disney has been the center of controversial content multiple times because of risqué images and content. Disney has come under fire for having a phallic symbol on the cover of a movie (Little Mermaid) to supposedly having subliminal messages telling kids to take off their clothes (Aladdin).
Microsoft's hugely successful Windows 95 reportedly contains subliminal messages ranging from animals to sex. At the startup screen, the Windows logo is displayed over a background of clouds and blue skies. If you look to the left of the logo, there is an outline of a horse bucking up its front legs. Could this be a hidden message meaning power? Also, it's been said that in the blue space above the logo there is an eagle spreading its wings. Finally, there is supposedly even a sexual innuendo displayed. Directly above the logo, there is reported to be a man and woman embracing each other in the missionary position.
Even though I looked at the startup screen for a whopping seven minutes or so, I could only pick out the horse. It's definitely there in my opinion, but the other ones may take a little more searching and mental creativity to see.
My research on hidden images didn't stop with Microsoft though. Many of you probably already know the surprisingly eerie $20 bill coincidence. You know, the one where you strategically fold the bill so that the back picture of the White House looks like the Twin Towers burning on one side and the Pentagon on the other. It's all the creepier when you realize that once you're done folding the $20, it kind of resembles a paper airplane.
On the other hand, and on a lighter note, there's the tried and true Land O Lakes butter trick people have been pulling for years. If you cut a few holes in the box (where the box of butter is between the girl's hands), and fold the portion with the pictured Native American girl's knees up just right, you can make it look like she's holding her breasts.
Neat stuff, huh? While these aren't exactly subliminal messages in the classic term, they are at least examples of the power of suggestion. You might be skeptical about how many times stuff like this and subliminal messages are used, but really, they're everywhere. Just look at an ad in a magazine sometime and tell me you don't see certain trends that lean toward sex and popularity. Speaking of sex, if you look at the cover of Playboy, you'll notice that imbedded in every cover shot is the famous bunny logo. Sometimes it's obvious and out in plain sight. Other times it's made out of something like a shoelace, or strands of hair.Eventually you'll probably come across an example yourself. The film Fight Club is a good start because it comes right out and talks about subliminal messages, and then throws a couple into the movie just for fun. If you really watch the film closely, you can figure out the twist ending before you're even halfway through it.
You still don't believe me about these hidden things? Well, there's one in this column. See if you can figure it out, and I promise I'll pay you back one day.
