Through judicious policing I’ve managed to eradicate most forms of aggressive advertising from my life. AdBlock keeps my Internet calm and when I do watch commercial television I hit the mute button on every break. Even in the car, where we’ve developed a liking for local “classic hits” stations, I switch between them whenever anything that isn’t music blurts over the airwaves (on the hour is a problem, mind, as they all seem to think we’d like a crap impression of “the news”, though I digress).
One of the few places I can’t escape advertising (other than street billboard, though at least these don’t move and shout just yet) is in the cinema where the size and volume of the adverts is matched only by the indignity of having paid to be exposed to them. At the mega multiplexes this is just about tolerable but our local boutique picture house, The Electric, which prides itself on being an alternative to the norm with its sofas and cocktail bar, recently engaged the services of Pearl and Dean to unleash a torrent of vomit and shit over the audience before each showing.
While enduring this prior to a screening of The Artist (which I can highly recommend) I idly issued a tweet.
To which I received a reply.
£12,000 a year. Now maybe I’m missing something and maybe my hatred of advertising is clouding my judgement, but that doesn’t seem like much. £1,000 a month? £230 a week? £32 a day for the right to insult, infantilise and patronise your clientele? Are we really worth so little?
Don’t get me wrong. I appreciate the economics of running an independent operation like The Electric are tight and complex. Every penny counts and if it were between taking advertising and closing down I’d go with taking advertising. I want this cinema to continue and thrive.
But £32 a day is the same as 4.5 cinema tickets. It’s bugger all and actually quite insulting that our rapt attention can be sold for so little. I’d love there to be a way for The Electric, and other cinemas which make an effort to create an environment that is conducive to the experiencing of great works of art and entertainment, to find that small amount of income from elsewhere.
And I find myself wondering if a way could be found. Maybe the cheque could be in the post…
insult, infantilise and patronise, strong words Pete. I like the ads. Advertising is a creative a medium as any other form of art. Maybe it would be better without them, but its a small price to keep the cinema on track, Id prefer adverts than than no show at all.
Nope, sorry. Advertising as it is currently practiced is cynical and evil. It has no place in a civilised society. At best it’s the equivalent of a psychotic man shouting to get your attention when you’re concentrating on other things. Being a “creative medium” doesn’t make it acceptable in any form.
But my apparent dogmatism aside, it strikes me this price is far too small. Pearl and Dean should be paying top dollar for this privilege. Is my point.
How do you imagine it should be practiced?
Ant: Quietly and with respect for others, would be a start.
Advertising is not art, creative and interesting sometimes but not art.
Personally I’d be happy with the terrible adverts at The Electric if they invested that money into some comfortable chairs in the cheap seats.
Ok, you’ve made a start with your suggestion but it doesn’t actually imply what action should be taken or how they should do it.
I’m in the not-liking-advertising camp as well, but without a real, workable solution then you’re stuck with the advertising problem. You said that they/The Electric should “find that small amount of income from elsewhere”. Where could it come from?
Ant, that’s the very question I’m asking. How else could a cinema with a strong community around it raise £1000 a month? Kickstarter? Friends society? There must be more fruitful and interesting ways than succumbing to advertising simply because “that’s what you do”.
All of those are good ideas, but there’s yet another problem: who organises it all? I nominate you!
Well, why not? I propose the formation of The Society for the Eradication of Advertising in Lovely Places, a voluntary organisation which raises funds to offset the financial losses incurred by the turning down of advertising.
It can run on a Kickstarter basis – people contribute to a fund for a specific place which will not kick in until a sufficient sum is raised. Or people can contribute generally by subscription and their funds used to top up where needed.
Related: Light House in Wolves are raising funds from their community.