(Fwd) Packard Bell commercial -Reply

[Michael MACAN]

On Tue, 29 Oct 1996, Dan Lester wrote:

> Who really cares?  And, if you do, do you really think that
> PB cares a hoot?  Nope.  Not a bit.  

Well, I care about how the rest of the world perceives the library 
profession.  I don't need PB reinforcing a bad stereotype.  Would you 
also not care is M&C Saatchi (the creators of this ad) brought back Amos 
& Andy characters to sell you something?

> When I first saw the ad I figured the thing that would upset 
> people would be the incongruity...that the jackboots are
> trampling on the library and the masses,

Who wouldn't be upset with the images of Nazi Librarians who present a 
threatening presence to the users?  Anyone who has worked hours at the 
reference desk or any public service position in a library (and perhaps 
some on this list haven't had the same contact with the public as others) 
understands what it is like for a patron to approach you and say "sorry 
to bother you, but..." We don't need PB, who is proud of a multi-million 
dollar ad campaign intended to reach "90% of adult Americans", slamming 
us.  I wish more than anyone that people were not influenced by TV Ads, 
but you don't need me telling you that they can make a difference in 
peoples perceptions of others.

ALso, the use of "nazi storm-trooper imagery" (lets call it what it is) 
is just plain offensive for any ad message.

> But, noooooo.....we're doing traditionalist bitching and
> moaning and whining.  At least it isn't an ad showing a little
> old maid in sneakers with her hair in a bun....since that
> would REALLY piss off the folks....

That would bother me too, as should any attack on MY profession.  For 
many librarians it is true that "we _chose_ to serve" others in need of 
help finding information.  I believe we can stand on the moral 
high-ground when it comes to being attacked.  Physicians, lawyers, and 
stock-brokers have given away some complaining rights because they HAVE 
sold themselves out in many cases (more $$$).  Librarians are not 
perceived as a greedy bunch simply because we aren't and I've got the 
paycheck to prove it.  

Lastly, why is it that in order to sell something you've got to make a 
library look like "the Hell on earth of the future".  Yes, you and I can 
see through the smoke and deconstruct the ad for what it is, but MANY 
people in America will walk away believing some of what they see in the 
depiction of the library as unwelcoming.  We (libraries and librarians) 
shouldn't be sacrificed for the sake of PB's advertising slogan.


I encourage others to voice their concerns with Packard Bell.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Michael R. Macan
Rutgers MLS Dec.'96
Librarian, National Transit Institute
Information Assistant, Kilmer Area Library Reference Department
Immediate Past Co-President, LISSA (Lib.& Info Studies Student Assoc.)
All of the above @ Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

macan at scils.rutgers.edu
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Be well, Do good work, and Keep in touch." --Garrison Keillor
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