University of Virginia Library

Commercial Hypocrisy

There are three reasons why this
is all so depressing. The first is the
susceptibility of the modern
American mind to any method to
save or earn a dollar, even at the
price of insulting each other's
intelligence. For, the only reason
the propagation of this vacuous,
popularized rubbish is perpetuated,
is that we are willing to buy the
products it displays. This is, in
itself, a reason to despair. It is hard
to believe in the integrity of minds
that create and employ this drivel,
but harder to accept the fact that
we have fallen prey to it.

The second reason for our
remorse is even more disastrous to
the society. The appalling truth is
that the very people who
disseminate this kitsch are those
who cry, "disrespectful little
bastard!" when they see a
motorcycle helmet decorated in the
American Flag motif, or a 'Would
You Buy A Used Car From This
Man?" poster of Richard Nixon.
The hypocrisy is blatant, but
somehow they manage to justify
the double-standard. It is
acceptable to plaster tasteless
billboards advertising. "Big Tex's
Monster Farm" along beautiful
countryside or tell our mother to
follow the advice of a "white
tornado" or "Man from Glad"
when they go shopping because
these things keep the wheels of
commerce in action. But the
destruction of a few acres of
donated farm land for a rock
concert in New York or Wisconsin
is the work of a degenerate
generation.