Proctor and Gamble: No Links with Satanism Essay

Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is human nature to be easily lured into tales of the strange and the extraordinary. In fact, any person generally relishes on spinning tales of his/her own probably to attract attention, and for sheer fun, make others believe as if they were true. Nowhere is this more applicable than in the many instances of modern oral traditions. Stories such as the biggest snake reared as a twin of the daughter of the owner of the biggest mall in the city. That this huge snake got lost one day and swallowed one or two customers in the mall. This story has circulated in countless other malls and in plentiful variations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the case of one of the world’s biggest manufacturers of household materials, Procter and Gamble experienced one of the unforgettable rumors some malicious people spread in an obvious effort to pull them down. It was allegedly orchestrated by a rival corporation. What happened with Proctor and Gamble that it has suffered losses in business because it was accused of being involved in satanic activity? Just what is the nature of urban legends and its proliferation today inspite of modernism? This paper briefly describes and explains urban legends, the case on the Procter and Gamble and its supposedly satanic connection, and the veracity of the claims to the contrary by the management of the corporation. Discussion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Microsoft Encarta, urban legends refer to â€Å"contemporary stories that are set in an urban environment and reported as true (sometimes in newspapers) but that contain patterns and motifs that reveal their legendary character† (2006). Why people believe in them and the apparent failure to quash these stories are crucial to our deeper understanding of the nature of this phenomenon.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The myth and controversy that featured well the problem of P&G, gives people in the present time to adjust and â€Å"feel† that urban legends exemplify the fact that at times people would rather believe an unsubstantiated report, even stick to it in the face of obvious lack of proofs. Discussion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   What is the case of the Proctor and Gamble company and reasons why the belief that it has satanic alliances? In all likelihood, there was truth to the fact that rival Amway Company made sure that this rumor will reach the public and might probably cause the public to pull out their product support from P&G. Before the controversy, P&G had many little rumors spreading like bush fire. It started with the logo – that of the thirteen stars among the head of a man with horns on his head and the news then communicated that it represented satanic occultism. Later many short stories around the same theme circulated already, i.e. that the CEO of P&G had arranged for an appearance in Donahue show, and supposedly spoke openly of his alliance with the satanic church. Many, after P&G won its lawsuit against Amway, still enjoy the way the story gets around. On a more serious note, what it had escalated to be, authoritarian voices say, was all a part of the fierce marketing approaches that had existed for a time now. After the rumor, approximately 200,000 inquiries were received by the company which all inquired on the satanic church alliance or its friendship with Rev.Sun Myung Moon (known as Moonies) that P&G was accused of. All these were not true because no evidences are available to establish that the P&G CEO or president had this affiliation. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Many believe urban legends like what happened with Proctor and Gamble because they think that the strangeness of its logo, are proofs that something â€Å"fishy† is going on. The unstoppable proliferation of the story is deemed to be due to our curiosity of what unfamiliar things are to us. The P&G dilemma remains to be a continued reminder of again, lack of preparations which might probably due to the inconvenient manner of physical preparation. Works Cited Page _____ It’s Back:Rumors of Satanism plague Proctor and Gamble.    accessed june 21, 2007. ______ 5th circuit: Proctor and Gamble ant have another shot at Amway. Associated Praise. Marrs, Texx. Devil companies, Devil Products and Devil logos?    Accessed June 20, 2007.