32. In order to determine whether advertisements reflect a nation's ideas, it is
0 v2 m; \7 ], `- b* B9 c" knecessary to determine whether advertisements present real ideas at all, and, if so,
+ n5 J, M0 _+ l: s- [4 Y" fwhose ideas they actually reflect. On both counts, it appears that advertisements fail to
. [8 L, G" m4 N' ~3 saccurately mirror a nation's ideas.
) C; z3 K2 P* F) j- n' H Indisputably, advertisements inform us as to a nation's values, attitudes, and
, u* i3 Q! V0 H6 l& d4 Q- ~3 z* Cpriorities—what activities are worthwhile, what the future holds, and what is " Y* F4 l: F# c3 ?" Y
fashionable and attractive. For instance, a proliferation of ads for sport-utility vehicles
9 a; N" @% M8 k9 areflects a societal concern more for safety and machismo than for energy conservation / {2 s1 r2 p# q$ }9 z
and frugality, while a plethora of ads for inexpensive on-line brokerage services reflects
9 I- P) d9 p. }% ]. Ran optimistic and perhaps irrationally exuberant economic outlook. However, a mere
+ o1 o2 }0 h3 t2 v8 spicture of a social more, outlook, or fashion is not an "idea"—it does not answer ) @' E: m7 z2 L) x5 c, I
questions such as "why" and "how"?
) m6 f- j/ @! k9 F# [4 x8 b" C) v3 y Admittedly, public-interest advertisements do present ideas held by particular 8 {" }/ \- }1 U+ R, }/ o
segments of society—for example, those of environmental and other public-health e4 x! a3 U; S3 k+ x
interest groups. However, these ads constitute a negligible percentage of all
9 l5 ~/ X, b, h) \: eadvertisements, and they do not necessarily reflect the majority's view. Consequently, to ; X9 O* @8 w& y
assert that advertisements reflect a nation's ideas distorts reality. In truth, they mirror , x+ X$ h, P; h/ R
only the business and product ideas of companies whose goods and services are
3 ]7 L; o, C `7 p2 A4 a/ s+ N: B8 badvertised and the creative ideas of advertising firms. Moreover, advertisements look
1 T6 d. ~* |9 }( Qvery much the same in all countries. Western and Eastern alike. Does this suggest that
" I. q3 n$ L, C8 K7 sall nations have essentially identical ideas? Certainly not." h, V( H8 V$ O* r
In sum, the few true ideas we might see in advertisements are those of only a few
9 V) \6 \7 y- Y9 x, ebusiness concerns and interest groups; they tell us little about the ideas of a nation as a
* H( L# V' {8 d+ {$ l9 t, zwhole. |
发表于 2012-8-15 21:50:16
