I'm from the Bay Area, so you can imagine my disappointment when my dad informed me a few weeks ago that a proposal was made to allow corporate advertising on and around the Golden Gate Bridge. I mentioned in class one time that once you drive into the city, there is advertisting absolutely everywhere: billboards, posters, giant screens, the works. The bridge however, is completely free of the media monsters. Ever since coming to college 3,000 miles away from home, I absolutely love the first time I drive into the city on each return visit home. Coming out of the Waldo tunnel and driving down the hill toward the bridge is one of the most beautiful and enlivening sights. Hearing about the advertisement proposal infuriates me because it is the perfect example of trying to take control of one of the few things that are still untouched. Imagine pictures you've seen of the Golden Gate bridge, either on postcards or photography books or even in person if you've visited, and think about how different the effect would be if the bridge was plasted in advertisements
LUCKILY, the proposal was denied. (you can read about it at http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/10/27/BAIPT1MHO.DTL). Apparently, some people thought it was necessary to allow this proposal in order to raise more money for maintenance of the city. I guess they realized, however, the irony that would lie in this because the corporations who would have paid for their advertising on the bridge probably don't care about the well being of the city as much as they do about making an extra buck.
This was a close call though. If they do ever succeed in passing a proposal for advertisments on something such as the Golden Gate Bridge, what else will they try to destory with media?
Comments (1)
While there are certain aspects of life in Vermont that I have come to despise (bad pizza, bad drivers, so many fans of Boston sports teams, etc.) I still really enjoy not seeing this beautiful state sullied by bill boards. It's nice to get away from advertisements even if at times I feel cut off from the modern world in this bubble community of Burlington. I'd be rippin' pissed if I lived in the bay area and they were thinking about placing a billboard on the landmark, that is the golden gate bridge. Bill boards are large and obnoxious, hard to avoid and placing one on something so many people drive on during their daily lives one shows how detrimental this can be.
Posted by Ron Mexico | December 10, 2007 5:47 PM
Posted on December 10, 2007 17:47