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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...
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