The Case against Advertising(反对广告论)
The Case against Advertising
Most people say that they find advertisements useful for giving them information about the products which are available on the market. But advertisements do not only give information, they also try to influence our emotions.
The advertisers know that everyone tends to dream of having a better life. We dream of being better educated,more successful, wealthier, better looking, more adventurpus, and so on. The advertisers try to make us believe that our dreams will come true if we buy their products. This is why advertisements for home cleaning products often try to convince ladies that they can become perfect wives and mothers only if they use those products. And advertisements aimed at men often include the picture of a pretty girl. Such advertisements are suggesting that a man will be more attractive to
women if he owns a certain type of car, or watch, or if he dresses in a certain style.
The feelings that advertisements try to play on will differ according to the age groups for which the advertisements are intended. Advertisements for teenagers will emphasize that those products will make young people not only more attractive, more up to date, more socially successful, and more able to enjoy themselves, but also more successful in their education and job prospects.
The problem with advertisements is that they tell us that money can make our dreams come true. But this is obviously not so. We cannot buy personal good looks, intelligence,good friendships or a happy family. A lot of advertisements are, therefore, a form of lying. They can also make peoplefeel depressed and discontented with their ordinary lives, especially those people who have only a small amount of money to spend on luxuries.
反对广告论
大多数人说，他们发现广告很有用，因为广告给他们提供市场上可以获得的各种产品的信息。可是广告不仅提供信