Perversity

The greatest perversity in the culture may be advertising. It's the air pollution of the mind. Ubiquitous, based on half-truths at best, lies, exaggerations, the Muzak of image and words that informs our children and forever makes epistemological health an uphill challenge. We are reduced to a subspecies, Homo consumerus, prisoners from birth. We never buy what we want. We buy among the options of what corporations tell us we want. This system is dehumanizing, top to bottom. It can't be fixed. It's like Chicago in the Lew Welch poem. It's like William Goldman on screenwriting: there's no answer.

Most ignore the reality and go on, hoping for the best. CJ drops out ... until he can' stand it any longer.