Advertising overload

It is basic economics. We have stopped funding the institutions called ‘public goods,’ such as hospitals and colleges. The Feds cut Medicare & Medicaid payouts. Cities such as Atlanta and LA are closing hospitals.

Higher education is getting slashed. Take Florida – 15% across the board. So my university made a deal with Coke. Nothing but Coke on campus.

We’d rather fund NASA, a war, a bloated defense department, then our hospitals and education and infrastructure.

It sickens me that institutions of our ‘public good’ have to go this route.

If a company is willing to spend money to fund a hospital, they win, the hospital wins, the patients/kids win. Capitalism may be tacky at times, but this benefits everyone involved. Tacky is low on my list of real life concerns.

I don’t particularly see a problem with advertisement. If a hospital can pull ten million sorely-needed dollars just by placing a few logos around, who can really complain? Are you going to refuse to use that emergency room on principle?

When I found out that Mr. La Monica lives in Brooklyn, that sort of explained it all.

Yes, it has gone too far. We do need some limits on where advertising can be displayed. We also need some adult supervision of the whole culture these days. It continues to go downhill, especially the stupidity of the whole financial sector.

Yep! Except for that spot right in front of the urinal in the men’s bathroom. That may well be one of the most brilliant places for an advertising spot I have ever seen! Kudos to whoever thought of that one. Now, on the other side of the fence is the ad space in the plastic totes at the security line at every single airport in the US–not the place you need to have people pause and digest what is being sold–hurry up Grandma!!! That one marked the beginning of the end for me!

I’m a manufacturer and I’m sick of advertising but it’s a necessary evil here in the US. Your product can be junk but if you have the biggest and best advertising people will believe it’s a great product and it will sell.

However, long term I think people will go for quality. Hopefully with an economy that will limit high speed spending, consumers will once again gravitate towards companies with a longer history and a quality product versus a flash in the pan. When dollars are short, you’re less likely to be a guinea pig for some hot new product.

For some humor, check this out: http://www.moonvertising.com. I saw a billboard yesterday that advertised Moonvertising. To say I was angry is an understatement. I couldn’t believe it. But as you’ll find out, it’s pretty clever.

Of course I’m sick of advertising, but it’s the American way. What I’m really sick of is hearing that “core inflation” is under control. Do I not have do buy food; do I not have to by fuel? Excluding these items from the “market basket” is just the fed’s (Federal Reserve, federal government, congress, whatever federal agency you want to name) way of disguising the loss of value of the dollar resulting from their wrong-headed fiscal, monetray policies, and foreign policies. Anyone who thinks the real inflation rate is 2 or 3% isn’t playing with a full deck. Inflation plus contraction = stagflation.

You got to be kidding me. What will hurt the kids more lack of medical attention or a walking under a plaque that says Abercrombie and Finch. ??William Pascoplake

You pay good money to go see a movie or rent a movie for that matter. I want to see the movie not a Pepsi AD!

I disagree with Jack. There should be a place for advertising. But that place is NOT everywhere. This country is becoming a free-for-all. We are in serious need of appropriate limits…and not just in the financial sector.

Thanks Joe. It was written by David Foster Wallace and the advertising he wrote about was hilariously over the top. I believe that one year was called The Year of the Depend Adult Undergarment!

Take care.

PRL

read the book “Infinite Jest” from the early 90’s. Can’t recall the author but the theme throughout the book was how advertising/sponsors controlled everything. Even the days of the week had official sponsor names.

can you say hippocrite? I mean jeez look at the webpage you are displayed on….