Should We Ban All Advertising? - 100% absolutely yes

[Finnish Air Force]

"I live in a rural piece of the UK, but I just got back from a work trip to North America.

Talk about culture shock.

Driving through the US and Canada reminds me of the strip in Las Vegas.

So much light, noise, color, and signage.

I can’t remember the last time I saw a billboard in the UK. And I’ve never seen one of those obnoxious 100-foot high restaurant signs off the highway. (They’re probably illegal.)

About a decade ago, my wife and I traveled through Central America and randomly discovered a ridiculously gorgeous town in Mexico called Patzcuaro. We couldn’t put our finger on why it was so beautiful until a local pointed it out:

We don't allow advertising.

We looked around the main town square with new eyes. That was it. There wasn’t a single sign in sight.



Instead, each storefront was permitted a tiny space over its door to hand-paint the name of its business, all in the same font and color:

Even the mega-chain Subway sandwich shop had to conform to type.

Not only did it unify the town’s color scheme — and ensure every shop had a fair shot at earning your business — but it made sure no commercial enterprise distracted your attention from the real gems of the city: trees and fountains and the central square where teenagers and old people danced by moonlight.

It was the most enchanting town we’ve ever visited.

And it recently got me thinking:

Do we really need advertising?"

https://archive.is/KeqLY

 

[BirdUp]

"Even members of the radical left, who are among the bitterest critics of advertising, engage in advertising themselves. [...] Usually whenever the radical left has access to a bulletin board, the messages placed on it are at first uniformly small, neat, and similarly printed. After a while, in order to attract attention, some of the messages are printed in different colors, and on different-size placards. Eventually, in the competition to attract attention, larger and larger placards are used, with bolder printing, coloring, and illustrations. [...] The reason radicals write messages such as, “OFF THE PIG” or “FUCK THE STATE” on walls or buildings in big red letters, is not entirely out of a desire to shock. It is also out of a desire to impart the revolutionary message, by first attracting attention to it. If it is not read, however informational it may be, it will impart no information. But as much can be said for the typical soap opera advertisement." - pg. 62-63, Defending the Undefendable

 

[JULAY]

There's a town in Colombia a lot like that, Villa de Leyva. One of the most beautiful towns I've ever seen, it looks almost exactly like it did 500 years ago. They aren't as strict with signage as Pazcuaro, but there is nothing garish or over the top allowed there either. Here are some pictures:

Spoiler: Large Image with Shops

And as far as advertising in general... I'm an American, so billboards and ads plastered all over everything are something I'm very used to, but I have an adblocker combo that really works well, so I don't see digital ads on anything, including Youtube, and I forget that they even exist until I'm on someone else's device. Jesus Christ, they are intrusive and annoying as fuck. If I had to put up with ads on the internet, I think I would just quit using the internet.

 

[Mankirk]

I'm a firm believer that Advertisement often (or always) violates the NAP.

While you were in the states, did you enjoy our Direct-to-Consumer advertising of pharmaceutical products that require a prescription? That's an American special!

 

[SSj_Ness (Yiffed)]

We should start by at least restricting it. I'm sure childhood obesity is such an issue in part due to junk food targeting kids, for example. There's no good reason to allow that.

 

[Osama Bin Laden]

Ver archivo adjunto 5245246

 

[Soggy paper straw]

If we want to be specific - I would ask what is exactly advertising?

However from a practical perspective, I want laws to go towards the direction of banning advertising.

First ban all ads for prescription medication; ban advertising through media stories / social media posts; ban ads for toys for kids; ban ads for fast food, etc..

Also I have offered to install adblockers on friends laptops and they don't care. Certain things are beyond human comprehension.

 

[Finnish Air Force]

Also I have offered to install adblockers on friends laptops and they don't care. Certain things are beyond human comprehension.

I've actually had boomer relatives get angry with me when I suggest ad block. Like they're addicted to popups or something.

 

[Osama Bin Laden]

Also I have offered to install adblockers on friends laptops and they don't care. Certain things are beyond human comprehension.

you are a very good friend

 

[rel=alternate]

I live in a rural piece of the UK,

Opinion discarded. Go back to your retarded country.

Funny how he would dare to criticize a billboard, when you can't watch TV for an hour in the UK without having to watch multiple commercials from charities putting bug eyed children at the forefront or personal injury lawyers.

How about the cameras in every street every few meters? Do they mesh well with the historical decor?

I am sure there is a compromise to be found. But if there is anything I am even more sure about, is that nobody in the UK should be involved in the decision process.

You just know they would find a way to make it a pain in the ass for everybody just for fun. It's less scary than Turks carrying kitchen blades.

 

[Mothra1988]

We should start by at least restricting it. I'm sure childhood obesity is such an issue in part due to junk food targeting kids, for example. There's no good reason to allow that.

Do you not realize you sound like a leftist nanny-stater or is it a gimmick at this point?

Also OP lives in the UK, where they would get thrown in prison for their avatar. Lack of self awareness in this thread is hilarious.

 

[SSj_Ness (Yiffed)]

Do you not realize you sound like a leftist nanny-stater or is it a gimmick at this point?

Is there a reason you can never engage the subject?

 

[Mothra1988]

Is there a reason you can never engage the subject?

My position is implied by my comments. Do you have a learning disability? Unless you're in a historic district of some sort of cultural importance, banning advertising is government over-reach and should be determined by the property owners/publications/etc., not bureaucrats. I guess MAYBE city councils should have some level of input in regards to literal signage, but "ban ALL advertisements" is the level of black/white dumb think that I'm getting tired of reading on the /pol/ adjacent internet.

I'm just amazed by your level of horseshoe theory that you're now talking about junk food like it's cigarettes and this is the Democratic Underground forum. What based and redpilled limousine liberal positions will you take next? lol

 

[SSj_Ness (Yiffed)]

banning advertising is government over-reach

Make a compelling argument for why this is so, if you can. I'd love to know why it's a right to market addictive poison to people's kids.

you're now talking about junk food like it's cigarettes

It's arguably comparable, but it's irrelevant anyway because even if it's not as harmful it is still bad.

 

[Mothra1988]

Make a compelling argument for why this is so, if you can. I'd love to know why it's a right to market addictive poison to people's kids.


It's arguably comparable, but it's irrelevant anyway because even if it's not as harmful it is still bad.

Candy is now "addictive posion." Oh, wow. You really are losing it aren't you? lol

I'm not arguing with some lunatic who negrates pro-constitutional arguments about "moral arguments" regarding why chocolate bar advertisements that have been a thing for 150 years shouldn't be banned by a ridiculous power hungry cabal of leftist busy-bodies you want to unironically empower to make everyone's lives miserable.

If you are mad at being fat because of chocolate bars, your remedy is to put the Snickers bar down. lol It also isn't your job to parent other people's children, nor is it the government's.

 

[Otterly]

You can certainly ban garish signage in conservation areas.
But I think a better way would be to teach children a whole series of lessons on how advertising works and why it’s corrosive. I went to fairly shit school but we had one or two really good teachers and one of the lesson sets I still remember almost in it’s entirely was the one about advertising and the media. The guy brought in all the uk printed newspapers for a week and we read the same story in each type of paper. So several versions of each. He explained that each stable of papers had a gutter press, middle and tabloid offering, who the major players were in this world (murdoch etc) and encouraged us to look at the use of language and opinion in each paper.
He expressed absolutely no bias whatsoever during this entire time. None of his politics were ever discussed. He just asked us questions. ‘What does this paper want you to think? What kind of language does it use? This same man owns these three papers, why are they so different? Who are they aimed at? Why do you think that? What kind of adverts are in each? Count the bare nipples (this was page three days and we were 16 and we were amazed to discover the sheer number in the Sun…) the last wasn’t at all sexual but it was a segue into his next topic which is ‘what is this advert trying to sell you and how?
We went through the history of adverts, the major ways adverts make you feel bad to want stuff. You are not sexy. Buy the thing and be sexy. These sexy women don’t want you. Buy the thing and they will. Poor? Buy this thing. Insecure about your skin? Or looks? Buy this. Insecure about feeding your family well? Buy this. Not cool? Buy this or be square.
We went into ads directed at younger kids and pester power.
We came out of it all wiser people, and I recall that lesson set almost weekly. I’m teaching my kids the same stuff. Getting them to think about adverts.
Guy was absolutely fantastic. He was hounded out of the school a few years ago for not being woke enough.
Remember that the people who invented prozac couldn’t market it in Japan because there was no concept of depression as a physical illness and it had its own cultural significance. They marketed depression to the Japanese as ‘a cold of the soul’ and they sold a lot of prozac. And probably changed for the worse how they culturally deal with it.
ALL advertising is bad. Only completely honest ads are ok. An example would be my local garden centre: hey everyone! We’ve got seed potatoes in for the season, available first of march! It’s just informative. It’s still wanting you to buy spuds but there’s no manipulation there.

 

[SSj_Ness (Yiffed)]

Candy is now "addictive posion."

I was going to go through the effort of linking to sources about how addictive junk food is, how it's purposefully designed to be as alluring and addictive as possible, and go on about how it's obvious such a product shouldn't be marketed to be appealing to kids, but I know you'll just make some snide comment and dismiss everything so I won't bother.

It also isn't your job to parent other people's children, nor is it the government's.

Agreed, good thing that's not what anybody is asking for. By your logic it's bad that cigarettes, booze, porn, and gambling can't be marketed to minors, it's the parent's job to intervene and not the government's, right?

 

[Power Appreciator]

After you work in advertising for a few years, you begin to realize that everything is advertising. At first you reject it. After all, you were told that so many things are genuine, that they are true and honest. But that was also advertising. Everything you see is an ad. There is no escape. Consume the product. Believe that you have yearned for it all along

 

[Mothra1988]

I was going to go through the effort of linking to sources about how addictive junk food is, how it's purposefully designed to be as alluring and addictive as possible, and go on about how it's obvious such a product shouldn't be marketed to be appealing to kids, but I know you'll just make some snide comment and dismiss everything so I won't bother.

There is no day light between you and the left now. You are Michael Bloomberg. LOL.

Agreed, good thing that's not what anybody is asking for. By your logic it's bad that cigarettes, booze, porn, and gambling can't be marketed to minors, it's the parent's job to intervene and not the government's, right?

And you go straight into extreme strawman arguments in the most bad faith way possible. You're talking about what FOOD children should be allowed to look at in public, and you go straight to drugs, porn and gambling.

WTF happened to you? I'm serious. I said this last time, but it's like your reasoning capability has been downgraded. Did you go through some kind of illness or something? I'm just laughing now at how absurd this is. lol I'm on the right track arne't I? Did you change medications? lol

 

[XANA]

I'd agree to ban outdoor advertising. Vermont doesn't do outdoor advertising, and it's honestly pretty refreshing to just drive around and not be bombarded by ads on signage or on those giant billboards. It's a nice break from rampant consumerism.

I don't care about ads in print, since you can easily ignore them. Online ads are a bit tricky, but they can be removed with the help of adblockers. It's only when the advertisers start trying to get intrusive and follow me around websites trying to sell me shit and collect my data that I take issue.