Advertising is unethical, manipulative, and ultimately destructive to the human condition.

[Bill Ryan]

Here's a good short video — with no ads in it! — to begin this thread. (Who knew that some new fridges present advertisements on a built-in LED screen?)

They're Putting Ads in Everything Now

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=DSIH-ol29bk

But that's just a tiny part of this. We're besieged by advertisements, commercialization, and monetization of all kinds. And it's getting worse and more invasive by the year, maybe by the month.

Long ago, when aged just 20, and even before I'd ever heard of Edward Bernays (a strong candidate for the antichrist of his time), I knew that advertising was fundamentally unethical. But it was such an unusual conclusion about the world, I could hardly get anyone to listen.

I've never changed my view. That's why there are no advertisements here on Avalon (and never will be), and why I never once monetized any of my videos. Even in the days of Project Camelot, one of the biggest alternative media sites of its time, we never tried to sell a single thing and lived off donations only — which we didn't even ask for. That worked just fine for us. Just trust, and it all works out.

Advertising is a subset of the larger issues of:

• The overwhelming influence of large corporations and their profit motive.
• Relentless dog-eat-dog competition that itself is ruthlessly monetized and exploited.
• Deep-rooted greed and fear (which are two sides of the same coin), seemingly hardwired into the DNA of 99% of people.

I'd be interested to know who else here may quietly agree.

~~~

Closely connected to the far bigger societal picture, do also see this thread of mine from back in 2018. (And it's MUCH MUCH worse now.)

• Marketing, money and manipulation in the Alternative Media

[Bruce G Charlton]

I quietly agree!

I have not monetized my blog, or even the last five books I wrote (instead, I retained copyright, so I could post them online free).

I don't feel I deserve much credit, because the sums involved would have been very small! But I still felt that I needed to eschew allowing advertising to remain independent. My observation is that advertising is nearly-always corrupting to those who engage in it - people deny this, but it is observable.

More generally - I think there is a corrupting effect from making a livelihood from something like art or science or philosophy - which can, I believe, be seen when comparing the days of "amateurs" (who made their living by doing something else, and for whom art, science, philosophy were a vocation. Most of my most respected "mentors" among authors made their living from something else.

e.g. In my working life as an academic and scientist, I made a living by university teaching (for two years subsidized by my wife - and for seven years, in addition editing a journal) - and my scholarly activity was paid for by myself, from that - I did not apply for grants. This made me feel free to pursue ideas wherever they took me - rather than doing only that stuff which somebody would fund me to do.

[Mark (Star Mariner)]

Agree 110%. I shared my personal thoughts on advertising in the post below (4 years ago). I haven't changed this opinion a single iota. In fact, I've doubled down since then, and detest advertising now more than ever.

Posted by Mark (Star Mariner) (here)
I haven't watched a single advert from start to finish in maybe 30 years. They are literally scripted programming for sheeple brains. They are designed to convince you that you want to buy stuff, stuff you probably don't want and don't need. I refuse to subject myself to them. I despise shopping at any rate (i'm a guy, go figure). I know this outlet or that outlet exists, and I know where to find most of them. If I don't, I look them up. I know generally what they sell; if I need something I can go find it.

Consumerism is bad enough, but plugging, promoting, and blasting it at us 24/7 is pure cancer, and should be treated as such. Advertising should absolutely be eliminated from all forms of broadcasting and print media.

Yellow Pages used to exist. If you need something, you canvas and search for it, not the other way round.

[rgray222]

Advertising is about overconsumption, manipulating behavior and controlling the masses. They happily sell alcohol to alcoholics, sugary foods and drinks to diabetics, and gambling to gambling addicts, just for starters. They eagerly induce fear, anger and greed in people to sell products. They feed biases and discreetly engage in identity politics. It is much easier and cost-effective to sell to specific groups (black, white, gay, straight, rich, poor, etc) than to everyone all at once. Advertising is frequently dishonest.

Today's advertising is uninspiring, offensive and contains damaging content that serves no intrinsic value for society. The sheer volume and the colossal overload are damaging for adults and catastrophic for children.

As you probably can tell I am not a great admirer of advertising in any form.

[shaberon]

I advertise my agreement.

Personally, I grew up around this "profession", which is to say it was well explained to me by the time I was about seven. I understand how it works, so, since then, I have been going the opposite direction.


And yes, what's "for sale" these days is not "goods", but, rather, the ad and intellectual property usually based around a blurb.

We're not selling items. It's an experiment about what manipulates most.

For example, in the complex where I work is a stand-alone Hallmark store. I don't do Hallmark holidays, so, it's meaningless. This kind of store also has fancy knickknacks like porcelain from China and so forth. And in the spot where I work, we have a massive Hallmark section.

About once a month, someone throws away the entire inventory of magazines and greeting cards, and replaces it.

Not much else to it.

Most anything you buy hardly concerns the direct cost of labor and supplies; you have to double that amount for the non-essential office people and advertisers and financing, and double it again for the units that get thrown away. I estimate that for the one of me that "does stuff", that is, directly deal with goods and people, there are probably about six people doing something silly with their hands on it, barely. Therefor, most labor is mis-directed.

It's terrible. I just want quiet stuff and to inform myself about things. Wouldn't want most of what is out there.

[Inversion]

Ads being projected into people's heads is something they probably already have. The pharmaceutical companies will probably sell a pill that'll suppress it.

This Man

New tactics? Should the term "Targeted Individuals" be changed to "Targeted Society"?

They're definitely exploring new ways to exploit us as tools/products/experiments. There was talk over a decade ago about transmitting commercials directly into people's minds. On a Coast-to-Coast AM episode there were reports of people seeing a man with bushy eyebrows and wearing a white lab coat in their heads as if a test run

[Michi]

Yes - the "FREE" websites, the "FREE" apps, the "FREE TV" all those live from people clicking on their ads or buying their stuff. And actually EVERYBODY hates it but just lives with it, trying to tune out that obtrusive brain-washing.

At it's base lies the money and it's always a race, who can amass the maximum and in return control with it the masses. It's like a closed-circuit dilmema.

[Mark (Star Mariner)]

Ironic and strange this topic would come up today just as something extraordinary has happened in the advertising world, here in the UK.

I thought this story worth mentioning:

For years, advertisers -- and by extension brands, companies -- have bombarded us with woke content and identity politics. It's become so blatant and pervasive that we've come to expect it in almost every single advert we see, especially now with Christmas around the corner.

The Christmas advertising campaign is always a big thing. All the big-hitters show out, John Lewis among them. If you're American, think of John Lewis as an upmarket Walmart. They're big, and very influential. As stated, wokeness and 'diversity' is always par for the course in these campaigns. They punch us in the face with it every single year (not that I much notice, I generally never watch adverts!).

Well, John Lewis just dropped this year's Christmas advert, and it's causing a big storm. Some are calling it 'radical'. Radical! -- Diversity? Nowhere to be seen. No feminism, or LGBT messaging either. It's all about a father and son; the father fondly reminiscing about his misspent youth -- the rave era of the 90's, but then realising that what he lost, what he left behind, was replaced by something immeasurably more precious: his son, and him becoming a father.

Wow. Where men appear in adverts these days, they usually put them down. They're treated as worthless and stupid. The merit and importance of fatherhood never even get a mention. This is a message I've not seen advertised for a very long time, and like I said, it's causing a storm -- but in a good way! Returning to wholesomeness and decent family values has struck a chord nationwide. John Lewis hit the jackpot here if the comments are anything to go by.

Where Love Lives | John Lewis & Partners | Christmas Ad 2025
1M views 3 days ago

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=z1bRlnyQeDk

@StolenEyes-g8t
2 days ago
And John Lewis instantly wins the Christmas ad campaign for 2025. Beautifully done.

@rossko727
1 day ago
Thank you for seeing us John Lewis

@entropy-m2m
15 hours ago (edited)
Best advert you have done in years. Dad's shown in a positive light, rather than being made fun of. There are videos of this ad making people cry. You nailed it . Amazing work you guys.

@wickwicker8575
2 days ago (edited)
As a divorced Dad this advert floored me. Brought home all the precious time I lost with my son who is 25 next birthday. Well done John Lewis for the best Xmas advert ever.

@steveelvin823
1 day ago
That is the most beautiful refreshing advert I've seen in such a long time. To see a man exemplified for a change and celebrating masculinity and fatherhood and how delicate men are too... bravo John Lewis.

@melissafrancis-brown4747
3 days ago
A Christmas advert aimed at father's and their sons. How lovely. Thank you John Lewis for seeing and supporting men and teenage boys. I feel they've had a tough time as of late.

@punkback90
3 days ago
The country needed this 🙌❤️

@raegalea
1 day ago
John Lewis, you read the room AND got the memo.
What a beautiful advert.
Just take my money now.

@marinab106
1 day ago
I'm a woman with no children😅 and I think this is a fabulous ad. Great vibes, true Xmas family spirit, resonates with a lot of people, tugs at all the right strings🥰. Well done John Lewis❤❤❤

Bev Turner in FLOODS of tears after watching 'incredibly moving' John Lewis advert - 'They get it'
GBNews

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=-C6ew2iSneQ

[silver birch]

If you haven't seen this old Derren Brown story, it may be illuminating.

He is using two advertising experts (probably ADs), to show how even the brains behind advertising can be massively manipulated, without even knowing what hit them ...

Only seven minutes.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=43Mw-f6vIbo

[Ewan]

Used to hate ads with a passion, nowadays take my mind off in a mini meditation focusing somewhere else and blocking out, as well as I can, the crap floating on the periphery.

[truthseek]

I also quite agree.

Has anyone seen the TV series "Mad Men"? It is a perfect demo of how dispicable that field really is.

If anyone remembers some of the classic new age related books from the 60's and 70's, many authors came from the advertising and media circles.

I was really disgusted recently that even at our local gas station for instance one can not enjoy a quite moment pumping gas anymore, because as soon as you turn on the pump one is blasted with videos full of loud (mid range frequency for added aural impact) advertising. And, we live in a rural area!

[seekingtruth]

Just this week we had a long talk with our 13yr old about the dangers of being influenced by advertisements and not being sucked into whatever garbage is being promoted by pop stars and so on.

Did you know that in Roman times actors were considered the lowest members of society? They were lower in status than even beggars, apparently, due to the simple fact they could be paid to say whatever they were paid to say.

Once I explained this to our child she was a little shocked, but the penny dropped. Only time will tell if it gives her enough strength to resist each fad that will be fed to her eyeballs every hour of every day.

[pacificator]

I totally agree, not only adds everywhere, but products placement are definitely and constantly accelerating in all kind of production.

[Ernie Nemeth]

I absolutely detest advertising. I know it is manipulative on a subconscious level. So I always have a verbal narrative to dispel the entrainment. The reason I do this is because my father said he knew they were messing with his head but he could control the brainwashing. But I noticed the opposite, many times buying things he'd seen on TV.

I haven't watched TV in 30 years - I can't stand the ads!

But it definitely works! They destroyed my business by banning me from advertising...imagine banning a little guy from reaching his customers. Ever heard of such a thing? - only in Canada and only in the electrical trade.

[sdv]

When I am online, I always skip ads as soon as I can, or put my phone face down to avoid them completely.

At present YouTube is trying to brainwash me with ads for a Tai Chi product. I admit that I have days when I scream at those ads when they appear. The ones for Temu are awful, and I do some screaming at them when they appear, in those seconds before I can click 'skip'. Maybe I should stop with the screaming and chant Ohm instead? It would probably be better for my health!

I never buy any product or service advertised online. Supposedly a lot of people do. Why? Ads are never informative and they never ever feature a product or service I might actually need.

[Bill Ryan]

Posted by sdv (here)
At present YouTube is trying to brainwash me with ads for a Tai Chi product.

My sympathies! But do please see this Avalon thread about ad blockers, featuring quite a few suggestions which work well.

• YouTube Ad Blockers

[thepainterdoug]

I am so tired of adds on youtube videos such as a very popular NDE youtube channel. I cannot just play the video without having to stay ready to skip the add to move it forward . so my solution , i dont watch these video channels anymore, rather I got to nderf.com i click on a nde , copy and paste it into my reader , shut my lights and play the recording straight thru.

[Michi]

One problem with advertisements is that they mostly DO WORK and create increased revenue.

For quite some time (and even now) I was completely puzzled, why very expensive TV ads would yield any return. I couldn't understand, that so many people would be so stupid and run to their next store and buy their products.

The point is in fact the following: There is only a small percentage, who fall for it but the ads are being broadcasted to such a large public, that it still pays off for their advertisement budget. That's also why they continously seek larger coverage.

And if this doesn't work - they look for other means.

[Raskolnikov]

Thumbs up to everyone who's voiced their outrage. Advertising is the absolute worst, and they have the nerve to crank up the volume for such rubbish. I get blasted at home right when I get comfortable and relaxed after a long day. Ad-blockers are a must but now the ads are penetrating everything with most podcasters mixing them in to their podcasts. Understand we've gotta make a living but it's truly infuriating. I drive to the gas station to fill up and now I'm assaulted by ads as soon as I lift the handle:



"Oh, I hated the Colonel with his wee beady eyes!"

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=P8yWWz0ROD0

P.S. Thank you Bill and Co. for remaining ad free!

[shaberon]

Posted by seekingtruth (here)
Did you know that in Roman times actors were considered the lowest members of society? They were lower in status than even beggars, apparently, due to the simple fact they could be paid to say whatever they were paid to say.

Whereas slaves were relatively high.

Typical job for a slave:


Business Manager.


Yes, it's a matter of rank...something like Galley Slave is pretty much pure damnation, but, you can go up like a well-to-do "free" person.


The quoted comment amends what I posted earlier...my grandfather was not from the Advertising Department, he was a sound tech from the early days of tv broadcasting, and was assigned to make a lot of commercials. These are a couple of things he told me around 1980:


There's a tv that's only about an inch thick that hangs on the wall like a poster.

Once all this takes effect, we won't be able to talk to each other any more.


He was, as far as I can tell, correct. Not that I doubted it at the time. The reason is because I also grew up around an Economist, which means governments and businesses were exposed to me as garbage rather transparently. Advertisements and politics have never affected me because there is nothing for them to stick to. Well, let me re-phrase that. As an "effect", I might perhaps get "terminated" due to my objectionable habit of failure to advertise. Quite a bit about like an actor, minus...a plot.

Today I thought about maybe trying the water fountain.

Instead, I will probably have to play games consisting of obscure, preferably foreign words, such as Finnochiona. I have tried that several times and there is zero registry. I may move to something more recognizable that I deliberately mis-pronounce and misrepresent because I don't really know what it is. I mean, I have pretty free reign here, so, I can run my own manipulative experiments.

That includes me looking like an idiot if, for example, I think a piece of decorative astroturf is something you can eat.

Obviously my plan is advertise to fail.

Would you like a lump of watermelon cotton candy and a can of condensed milk?

I mean, I just watched someone take two pounds of cubed yam and warm it slightly to the point where it was still basically inedible, and expect anyone to be interested. This is while I watched a bunch of peeled boiled eggs sit out open for several hours, and I think they kept it to use again.

Maybe I should advertise that.

Artichokes and latkes.

Birthday cake jello and habanero almonds.

Roe clotted cream.

Millions of suckers are going to fall for my schemes, and, I'm going to be rich, I tell you, filthy stinking rich. They will want to give the rest of their money even while they are starving, because that memory was the only thing worth living for. Finally the inmates are running the asylum.


I actually have to do this, and, I'm willing to take suggestions. If you were forced to listen to something dumb that you'd rather not hear, what is the best way to remedy the situation?

As a last resort, I could use something intelligent like Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar. If I can ever find anything that actually has value, I have that capability as well. Royal Jelly. Might have that. This list is short, because I need to be somewhere that focuses more on this.

Might be fun to try soap sales, I mean you really need an excuse to say "Zud" every now and then. I don't know if they make that any more. I shall have to check. Or Lava. If you have not used Lava soap, it is made with pumice, so it is about like washing your hands with the street. When you need to get meticulous, there's some equipment that's just handles with nothing attached to it, like we use, let me show you how it works. See, it just sits there, until you knock it over.

I can do terrible things, like try to solicit my way into the bowling league with chocolate hummus.

Does this count? It's not what my degree's in, and I haven't actually gotten it to work, but I have done it before for somebody who told me what to say, and that didn't work either.