Planet Waves :: The Issue with Advertising

New York, March 10, 2017 | Read on Web

Dear Friend of Planet Waves:

Yesterday, I sent a letter about the financial picture of Planet Waves, describing how we've handled the rapidly changing internet environment.

This is supposed to be funny.

This is part of our most-successful-ever subscription and membership drive, as we work toward a goal of raising an additional $25,000 with renewals from our previous subscribers.

We are well on the way, and will get there with your help. If you're already renewed or subscribed, thank you for making our work possible. We do this for you, and we also do it with you.

Here's one true fact: we're not going to do this with corporate sponsorship or advertising, for a very good reason. We all know there's something toxic about advertising, but it seems like there's little we can do about it. Well, now you can do something.

Back at the dawn of the public internet, there was no advertising. There were very few graphics, and no video; audio was a rarity and content providers worried about things like how much bandwidth was consumed by a .jpg or .gif.

Ah yes, stories to regale the grandchildren with. I remember when the internet had only text, and when it snowed during the winter!

Long into its career, prior to being purchased by Google, even YouTube was advertising-free. Now, even the ads have ads stuck on them, and you can buy YouTube Red, which charges you to block them.

The takeover of advertising has seemed normal in a world where all media is supposed to be plastered with sponsorship messages. You almost need advertising to make your website seem credible.

Today's kid sugar addicts are tomorrow's alcoholics.

As you know, from the beginning, Planet Waves has been advertising-free. We're a small, boutique operation. You don't need Budweiser sponsoring the neighborhood cafe. Most people like that we don't have ads, but they quickly forget, as they finally find some peace and quiet. Nobody misses ads when they're not there.

I've watched as internet designers get ever more desperate to get your attention, stalking you with cookies, starting audio on background windows, and taking over your screen when you're exactly one minute into an article.

We don't do any of this crap. I cannot stand it.

I've had two main influences on the advertising issue. One was Prof. Sut Jhally, a UMass Amherst professor, whose video Advertising and the End of the World (which I discovered in the 1990s) makes the case that advertising drives needless consumerism, which is destroying the planet because people buy so much crap.

He describes the ways that advertising takes over all cultural narratives, and messes up our minds as much as plastic messes up the oceans. Most advertising is designed to grind down your self-esteem, and make you feel incomplete. You respond by buying Pepsi or skin cream or diamonds or whatever.

I've also read Adbusters since the early days, and began critiquing ads for their demeaning psychic and social messages. I think nearly all ads are ugly and stupid. When I'm watching TV, I keep my creativity going by finding anything even vaguely interesting about them, such as a camera shot or a funny line. Ads, however, make excellent social artifacts, and are super-interesting after 20 years.

My main issue with advertising is that it's renting out space in your mind. It's not about renting space in a magazine, website or TV -- it's about taking up your resources.

Second-hand smoke -- the ultimate statement of love and respect, and the perfect seduction tool.

My other problem with ads is karma. The publication or network that carries the ads takes no responsibility for what is claimed. That's the supposedly "free pass," and the sell-out to the devil.

I would take an ad for anything that I'm willing to take personal responsibility for. (I give The Mountain Astrologer a gratis banner on Planet Waves FM's website -- I write for them, and I trust their cautious editorial process and their business practices. And they trust me to do some enterprising work.)

As for Planet Waves, we don't need ads. I'm here to cultivate my relationship with my readers, which I want to be a one-to-one experience. As an author and publisher, my commitment is to let no third party (a sponsor, an advertiser or an investor) get in between us.

My commitment is to you and to the integrity of the work that I do.

That makes your membership or subscription supremely important to the success of our mission -- and you get the benefits of a clear and quiet place to think, to learn and to grow.

Please renew your Planet Waves subscription today. Here are some options.

Thank you for your friendship, your loyalty and your business.

With love,

PS -- Since we have such excellent momentum, I have set a fundraising goal of an additional $25,000 for this drive. Thank you for joining me in this goal. It would not take many renewals to do that -- just 250 or so. If we can reach that goal, I can pay some bills, solve some technical problems and have a cushion left over. Please join with me to make that happen. Thank you. Here are your membership options. You may write to me if you want to become a Galaxy Pass holder.

PPS -- If you're already a member or subscriber and would like to make a donation, here's a link where you may do that. Thank you.