People want violence too. That doesn't mean I have to think it is particularly good for society, or for individual humans. Our evolution took place over a long period of time in societies nothing like the complex society we live in now. We have evolved to be tribal territorial creatures, but our circumstances outdistance our evolution. Advertising plays on the basic drives and fears of our species, and it does so very effectively.
Yes, I think some aspects of advertising are very problematic, when it comes to food. Obviously other people do too, which is why there have been moves to restrict the impact of food advertising on children. In a country troubled with obesity, as ours is, where just one of the obesity related illnesses (diabetes) will cost us billions over the next 10 years, it seems insane to me that most of the advertising people see, with regard to food, is for utter crap.
And yes, there are problems with music. I think rap music presented some real problems for our society. The sex and violence in some of the rap songs was, imo, extremely antisocial, and that is not something you want to encourage in people. We are animals, after all, what we are trained to think, we will think- and rap trained it's listeners to accept some pretty unusual and destructive ideas as "entertainment". But I feel the same way about very violent video games. Research shows that when we see something, in a video game or in a movie, it lights up the same pathways as actually doing something. That's a problem.
The "public" is willing to enjoy many things I do not think particularly advance society, and yes, I think that is a problem. I'm not a very draconian or censorious person, so the fact that I see a problem doesn't necessarily mean I would do a lot to solve it, because I'm not sure what you can do about people's bestial character and tastes, but do I think it's a problem for a "civilized" society? Yes I do. |
