Why Paper Is Eternal - Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press ...

directions. The consumer’s comment: “They’re trying to get someone to pay
attention to . . . whatever the ad is for, something going, ‘Whoo, whoo, look at
me! Over here, over here!’”
Other images showed handcuffs, the devil, and a trash can overflowing
with garbage. “It feels like I’m being polluted,” one person said. The study
concluded that commercials turn the TV experience into “a battle for control,”
forcing viewers to retaliate through such measures as changing the channel,
leaving the room, or using TiVo and similar devices to avoid commercials.
When asked to select the color that best represented their thoughts and feelings
about TV advertisements, the subjects tended to choose red, a color that,
according to the report, is associated with stimulation and action, as well as
distraction, anger and disruption. 73
Meanwhile, the subjects had largely positive views of ads in magazines,
and the main reason seemed to be the sense of control that paper inherently
affords: The reader turns the pages at will, deciding what to look at and for
how long. One subject said: “A magazine ad is like a glass of wine because I
have the time to sniff it and appreciate it . . . It’s there, I can take it or leave it . .
. . Because I have control, I can take the time to make particular decisions
[about] which ads I will savor and absorb.” A sense of control was also
reflected in the way readers interpreted the content of the advertising, which
was variously described as inviting, “laid back” and “like an embrace.” One of
the interviewees brought an image of a beautiful woman wrapped in a blanket,
to reflect that magazine ads are “soft” and “natural” like “luxurious
cashmere.” 74
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