Who's Manipulation?

Intuitively I would think you couldn't make one single product that would appeal to all people, due to a diversity of tastes, unless of course you were able to dictate to the people what they wanted. Obviously our contemporary media are doing this, but who specifically is doing it and why?

Why all this homogeneity? Could it be in the best interest of most people to have common likes and dislikes and to fit into specific groups? Is it for the people's own good to be corralled and controlled unbeknownst to them, especially when most people do not believe they are being manipulated. Everyone individually thinks they are at least somewhat free, but when taking a broader look the corporate and media control appears obvious. Who then is being manipulated?

If you live in Canada perhaps the manipulated appear to be in the States, or if you live in the US maybe they are Canucks or oversees. Maybe only the poor are being manipulated. Or the rich. It seems maybe we are all being manipulated and shifting the perception of manipulation elsewhere. But again who is doing it and why? And are we asking, or are we simply acquiescing?

Sometimes the question is more important than an answer.