ADVERTISING PRACTICES AND ETHICS


	I see the whole advertising industry as a huge, Godzilla monster.  It's big, green, 

and ugly.  Some of the ads are beautiful, but the industry itself is ugly.  I guess it produces 

beautiful crap.  The purpose of advertising seems simple--promote the product for greater sales.

 But in practice, it lies to consumers, gives them a false sense of reality, and a distorted 

self-image. 

Advertising fosters materialism and greed.  Oh, and a little envy too.  It feeds on our 

insecurities and low self esteem.  Ads make us think we can do the inconceivable and be the 

impossible.  Sure, I can be carefree and jaunt through the Australian outback if I have the 

right vehicle.  I can have any man I want if I wear the right clothes, perfume, and eat the 

right low-fat salad dressing.  And of course I'll look like the model, complete with sparkling, 

white teeth.  Oh, and I need to JUST DO IT if I want to win any sports competition, as long as 

I wear the right shoes and wrist bands.  It's all guaranteed.  After all, the people in 

magazines, on TV, movies, and billboards are routinely able to achieve all of this with relative 

ease.  So why, then, does it seem so much harder for me to do the same?  I've bought all the 

right stuff.  Oh, why can't I be more beautiful?  Why can't I be more clever, maybe a little 

smarter?  I should at least be able to take a big 'ole bite of Snickers and not get nuts in my 

teeth.  Sigh, I'll never compare.

Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 9.