Advertising, Bribery and the First Amendment

I have almost stopped watching network TV. Once in a while I'll catch an important sports event, but that's about it. Network news is marginally interesting at best, scheduled programming is boring to revolting, but the real reason I have stopped is advertising. Not only are the advts. creeping up on program content in length and number (most egregious is the number posted just before the weather forecast on the news) but their material is more and more nauseating. One of the reasons that I watch international soccer is that there's no stoppage of play and thus no advts. can sneak in.

Advts. are not only upsetting of themselves but they destroy the carefully crafted mood of good drama. How can you follow a demonstration of major grief or anguish or terror with a smarmy housewife pitching floor wax with a stupid grin?

Anyway, commercials are here to stay. And anyone who can stand them should be able to watch. But, then, why the ineffectual and ludicrous regulations about content? Take the clearly mandated ones about automobile leasing. First, the hype. Then come the legally required facts about the lease, printed in dirty grey, 10-pitch lettering, scrolled at unreadable speed. Or on the radio, spouted by a trained pitchman at half volume like a tobacco auctioneer. No wonder our government is regarded as a toady to commercial interests. Here's proof all can see or hear every day. Whom are we kidding? It's literally nauseating.

And drug ads. As a retired physician I have been as guilty as most in accepting largesse from Big Pharma and believing some of what I am told without confirming through scientific studies and double-checking the claims. But I'm not proud of it, and would be delighted if all ads. for prescription drugs, and all pitches to physicians were to stop. It's dead wrong and it's dangerous.

But there is the First Amendment. Corporations are as free as individuals to speak out on any (well, almost any) subject. I would love to see a law banning marketing of prescription drugs, both to patients and to physicians. But I fear that such a law would be unconstitutional.

I would love to see the FTC really force advertisers to comply with the spirit of regulations, not just their letter, and stop the hypocrisy. But as long as the electoral process is like an auction of influence and power to the highest bidder, that ain't gonna happen either.

Comments?