Ways of Seeing Part 4

Selling Glamour Masterpiece paintings are all about commerce, whereas advertising, the subject of the final episode, is all about desire. More specifically, it s about the desire to be a certain kind of person who lives a certain kind of life. Berger contends that the semi-democratization of society, which has given individuals the hope of upward mobility, is what fuels the urge for a glamorous life. Ironically, the fact that most people can t really attain this is what creates envy, which is part of the advertising equation. In short, people hope to buy themselves a brighter, shinier life.