I read The Space Merchants by Frederick Pohl and C. M. Kornbluth years ago and found it a bit over the top. It's the future and advertising dominates the average person's life. Everything is advertising. Even using Calgon [1] in your bath wouldn't take you away from the advertising. So shut up and drink your Pepsi. [2]
A bit later (but still a few years ago) I sat down and watched Network, [3] a film about an over the top news program. In 1976 it must have seemed the top, but in the mid-90s? It's hard to top Jeraldo Rivera (although Rick Sanchez, [4] a former local talking head could give Jeraldo a run for his money) these days, and Network seems rather tame.
So this comes as no surprise:
Acclaim Entertainment said yesterday that it would pay relatives of the recently bereaved in return for placing small billboards on headstones, and that the offer might “particularly interest poorer families.”
Via Flutterby, [5] Game publicity pan raises grave concerns [6]
I'm just waiting for the day when advertising becomes mandated by law.
Oh, by the way, this post brought to you by the letter “X” and by the number “13.”
[3] http://us.imdb.com/Title?0074958
[4] http://www.msnbc.com/news/592590.asp
[6] http://www.guardian.co.uk/computergames/story/0,11500,667942,00.html