Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!ucsd!sdcsvax!ucsdhub!hp-sdd!hplabs!hplabsz!taylor
From: DAVIDLI@SIMVAX.LABMED.UMN.EDU (Dave Meile)
Newsgroups: comp.society
Subject: Computers in advertising
Message-ID: <1874@hplabsz.HPL.HP.COM>
Date: 9 Apr 88 20:20:40 GMT
Sender: taylor@hplabsz.HPL.HP.COM
Lines: 16
Approved: taylor@hplabs

I was listening to the news on television yesterday evening.  A
commercial came up extolling the virtues of a denture adhesive.  What
struck me was the fact the one of the major "actors" in the mini-drama
was a Talking Computer.  It brought to mind another commercial I'd seen
recently, where a Talking Computer described the benefits of a chewing
gum.

Are Computers Our Friend?  What sort of image is being subliminally sent
out to television viewers when they hear these nice Talking Computers?
What message do we receive about what computers are and what they do
when they are portrayed in this manner?  Is it merely an extension of
the Cute Robots in science fiction films?

I'll leave you with these questions for now.  It would be interesting to
see your answers.

Dave Meile