Selling Words

While debates rage over the televising of liquor ads and the degree to which Joe Camel encourages adolescent smoking, of far greater concern, R. George Wright argues, should be the passivity with which we accept excessive commercialization. For many, the spread of commercialization by any means other than fraud or deception today seems merely a reflection of the capitalist pursuit of well-being. Yet, owning and spending, except in the case of the poor, is at best only weakly related to happiness.

In recent years, corporate America has shrewdly sought shelter from reasonable regulation by embracing the First Amendment. Focusing on such flashpoint issues as the Internet, tobacco advertising, and intentionally controversial ads, Selling Words serves up a forceful warning about the dangerous elephantiasis of our commercial culture and the perils of conflating commerce with First Amendment rights.