Utterly and completely retarded.
I picked this up because the cover amused me (I was not sexually aroused by the cover).
The best part about this book was the introduction by Marshall McLuhan who actually had something interesting to say about media and culture in the modern world and how it relates to advertising but as soon as Wilson Bryan Key opened his mouth this book it became ridiculous.
The basic idea that advertisers provoke eroticism and disguise pornography within adverts to boost engagement is more or less true. When Key sticks to this he seems quite sensible. Not that it’s a very novel idea.
He starts to degenerate quickly when he brings up an advert and traces the word “SEX” in some ice cubes.
Glad I read this because I heard about the book about a week ago and was considering picking it up. Sounds a lot dumber than I was expecting lol
Ah if you’re interested in the general topic of media manipulation I would recommend Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television , Who Paid the Piper? , No sense of place and Surveillance Valley instead. I should maybe make a whole list because there are too many I could give you. The trouble with this type of book is that info gets outdated so quickly and it tends to attract some quacks. I think I have reviews up for these anyway.
Four arguments for the elimination of television is pretty much the title. It veers off into silliness occasionally and the overall case is poorly made but the basic ideas it lays out are very interesting. Also importantly makes mention of the hypnotic effects of TV and of course you can extend that line of thinking to TikTok reels very easily.
Who paid the piper tracks the scale of government interference in general culture post WW2 making the case that nothing from 1945 onwards was out of the sphere of the CIA.
Surveillance valley is the most modern and up to date and focuses on the internet most of all.
Special mention to Weird Scenes Inside the Canyon by David McGowan which for some reason isn’t embedding.
Oh I just saw this! All sound interesting, I will add them to my reading list - Who Paid The Piper is especially timely as I'm currently 1/3rd of the way through the Jakarta Method so CIA meddling is very much on my mind. Thank you for the recommendations :)