I remember some years ago, I think when I was in college or just out, seeing an article written by Linda Ellerbee. It was titled "We haven't come a long way, and we are not babies." Boom. It was the first time I remember being suddenly aware of the manipulational approach of advertising. I was a smoker then, I knew what she was referring to, the long running Virginia Slims cigarettes print campaign depicting women taking charge of their lives, having fun, and of course, smoking, as if by finally getting what we wanted and/or deserved in the eyes of the american patriarchial society, women had resolved for themselves the RIGHT to fill their lungs with tar and risk cancer. Of course. (Like I said, I was a smoker, then the irony is not lost.)

It was a genius turn of a phrase by Ellerbee, and it hit me right between the eyes. It was about the time I was reading Virginia Wolfe (as the title above suggests), taking a Women in History class, finding feminism to be interesting. It was then and there I developed a strong sense of what was right and wrong in advertising. It is a sense, an integrity actually, that has often made my life difficult in the ad world, but that I've always been loyal to. To be honest its part what pushed me into recruiting, where I get all the things I love about people in advertising, and none of the things I hate. That probably makes me a cop-out in the eyes of many, but it works for me.

I have been thinking of that a lot lately, as I watch all the stupid political ads trying to gain my trust, and my vote, knowing that rather than give me all the facts and let me make up my mind like the well-educated person I am, politicans and lobby groups would rather I not think at all, and just vote from the heart. Blech.

What about you? has there ever been a time it suddenly became clear to you just what was really behind an advertisement (obviously that you didn't write)? Did you find it offensive, or take something positive from it? Maybe its what pushed you into the business, the lightbulb of recognition, making a connection to a viewer, or reader.

I'm not trying to be high and might here. I'm just wondering if anyone else out there finds their own personal integrity to smack up against that of the business we all chose, especially in regard to political advertising. And how do we navigate through that?