Further proof, as if any were needed, of Marshall McLuhan's prescience. In 1964, he wrote:*
"The classified ads (and stock-market quotations) are the bedrock of the press. Should an alternative source of easy access to such diverse daily information be found, the press will fold."
*Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man (ARK edition, 1987) p.207
And, while we're on the subject, here two more McLuhanisms on advertising:
"Ads are the cave art of the twentieth century."
"Ads are not meant for conscious consumption. They are intended as subliminal pills for the subconscious in order to exercise an hypnotic spell, especially on sociologists."
And finally, how about this?
"I don't necessarily agree with everything that I say."
