Ads

It's somewhat refreshing to watch a story like Mad Men without advertisements. Ironically, the show itself features an advertising agency, but I don't feel like I'm being sold something. That's either cleverly subtle, then, or innocent. I doubt it's both.

I had the quick thought though: what if reading a story had advertisements, and in between each chapter there was a pause which would interrupt you. I'm glad it isn't like that.

Buy this. Think of this. Place your attention here.

Ads could park themselves neatly on the white lines between paragraphs. There is something to be said about there being spaces for ads; if a paragraph hooks towards the end, and there is then a pause, digestion and wonderment occurs and potentially one anticipates what will happen next, and waits for it through the pause. The pause itself though, when filled with ads, attracts attention in itself, so there is perhaps less time for digestion and quiet contemplation amidst the story, but instead an interruption.

I'd imagine there is place for space in the middle of stories, and I could imagine it being just white space. Seems peaceful.