Many ideas about Americans can be viewed in contemporary advertising, both constructive and destructive. Not only do these advertisements represent our innermost desires, they also provide a false norm of the American people. We are attacked by them in every waking moment; moreover, we are taught to express ourselves by buying things that we don’t need in order to impress people that we don’t like. Advertisements for popular clothing brands and perfumes define our sexuality, while smiling faces on television promise us a better life if we purchase their glass cleaner or refinance our home. The importance of self worth has driven the American people to use our purchasing power to buy both happiness and peace of mind.

Advertisements provide a false norm of the American people. Unfortunately, most of these advertisers are not held accountable for the damages that they inflict. Advertisements for weight loss, cigarettes, and alcohol have endangered many Americans, with negative results varying from anorexia to lung cancer. Many Americans influenced by advertisements believe that they are unattractive or undesirable because of the messages that they receive every day from television. These norms represented by the media are not meant to represent the ideal American; however, they can represent a harmful fantasy that can become dangerous if absorbed by the wrong person.

I recently saw an advertisement regarding a medical supplement that claimed to possess the ability to increase penis length by 3 inches. There was an image of a shirtless man throwing a penis vacuum into a trash can, and smiling as if he’d just won the lottery! This advertisement seemed to convey that the average man in America is sub-masculine, as well as unhappy with the length of his penis. The advertisement was filled with professionally written testimonials from men that claimed to enjoy their larger penis, and that they didn’t need to use their penis pump anymore. Although completely absurd, these penis enlargement companies create incredible revenue; consequently, these companies are not being held accountable for the damages that their advertisements and products inflict on the American public.

Many ideas about

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can be viewed in contemporary advertising, both constructive and destructive. We are a country with freedom of speech; however, when freedom of speech becomes morally wrong, as well as physically dangerous, we must know where to draw the line. Advertisers must be held accountable for their actions.