Friday, October 01, 2004

Normally, I try to ignore the BlogAds graphics, because they're essentially random, and that's what a good postmodern American, wise in the ways of advertising, ought to do: Ignore Everything. But they inserted a new ad for some sort of political debate site, with a black-and-white image of a young Mohammed Ali caught in the moment of bellowing something at someone. He looks like The Negro That Ate Cleveland, and it's off-putting and disturbing for reasons that I don't quite understand. I have nothing against Ali; I don't really hold a brief for or against boxing, except that it seems to have been a better sport in Ali's day than it is now, what with the ear-biting and Don King and all. I suppose it's just that the image is so amazingly unflattering that it has the raw feel of propaganda; it has the subliminal feel of hatred on sale. I’m not even sure what the bias of the political site is that is being advertised; I’m just fairly sure that I want nothing to do with it, whatever it is.

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