I really, really don't want
this page to be "political," but I can't help but wonder about the connection
between
McCarthyism
and Madison Avenue. McCarthyism was that dark period after World War II when
"communism" was turned into a dirty word and anyone who suggested sharing
as a viable means of getting along was blacklisted and sometimes imprisoned.
So, while Joe Stalin was murdering people in Russia, the US government took
a more sanitized approach, shrouding the proceedings in a aura of legality,
even televising the hearings. Is it any coincidence that those chiefly targeted
were those in the "entertainment" industry? Actors, directors, producers,
writers--all came under congressional scrutiny. Most were intimidated and
silenced, brought into line to promote "the American Way of Life," which
in the post-WW2 economy meant encouraging isolation through suburbanization
to increase individual consumption. It's startling how little has changed
since then. Military
spending remains at "Cold War" levels, and 50+ years of advertising has
shaped wants and created false needs, conditioning the populace into believing
that each person needs one (at least!) of everything. So, shit, forgive my
screed, but it sure as hell felt good to join with others as a
community. And it was
free... |
