32.        In order to determine whether advertisements reflect a nation's ideas, it is
necessary to determine whether advertisements present real ideas at all, and, if so,
whose ideas they actually reflect. On both counts, it appears that advertisements fail to
accurately mirror a nation's ideas.
     Indisputably, advertisements inform us as to a nation's values, attitudes, and
priorities—what activities are worthwhile, what the future holds, and what is
fashionable and attractive. For instance, a proliferation of ads for sport-utility vehicles
reflects a societal concern more for safety and machismo than for energy conservation
and frugality, while a plethora of ads for inexpensive on-line brokerage services reflects
an optimistic and perhaps irrationally exuberant economic outlook. However, a mere
picture of a social more, outlook, or fashion is not an "idea"—it does not answer
questions such as "why" and "how"?
      Admittedly, public-interest advertisements do present ideas held by particular
segments of society—for example, those of environmental and other public-health
interest groups. However, these ads constitute a negligible percentage of all
advertisements, and they do not necessarily reflect the majority's view. Consequently, to
assert that advertisements reflect a nation's ideas distorts reality. In truth, they mirror
only the business and product ideas of companies whose goods and services are
advertised and the creative ideas of advertising firms. Moreover, advertisements look
very much the same in all countries. Western and Eastern alike. Does this suggest that
all nations have essentially identical ideas? Certainly not.
      In sum, the few true ideas we might see in advertisements are those of only a few
business concerns and interest groups; they tell us little about the ideas of a nation as a
whole.