Moving one step closer to A Corporate Brave New World, the Bush administration is proposing that â€?”corporate donors have more recognition for their financial contributions to national parks – in the form of naming rights, signage, and plaques bearing their logos according to an article entitled â€?”America’s national parks: no longer ad-free zones?â€?”
Imagine, before long you’ll be able to tour Yellowstone National Park and watch Old Faithful, brought to you by Viagra, or visit Coors’ Rocky Mountain National Park and get a Rocky Mountain High.
Of course, nothing quite that dramatic has been proposed yet, but according to a spokesman the park service is considering â€?”nameplates for rooms inside visitors’ centers,â€? despite the fact that 74 percent of Americans â€?”oppose corporate advertising on park brochures and vehicles, a Zogby International poll reported last fall.â€?
If you believe that advertising will end there, you probably don’t believe that schools are now making money by pushing Pepsi or Coca Cola to obese students , right?
I was upset when I learned that stadiums built largely with public funds were named after Banks or Insurance companies for a few shekels. Will there soon be no where left to escape the constant chatter of businesses determined to push us to consume more and more?