THIRTY SECONDS by Michael J. Arlen; Farrar, Straus & Giroux; $9.95
Thirty Seconds is Michael Arlen's close-up pan and dissolve of the people who package desire and fulfillment into half-minute television commercials. As the book suggests, these subplots of our viewing lives are frequently more skillfully made and better remembered than the programs they sponsor. Moreover, the relationships between commercials and fairy tales are too strong to ignore. Princes and Princesses Charming, sturdy folk and innocent children are besieged by malicious forces. Tooth imps and underarm pixies generate embarrassing vapors; gremlins leave grimy...
To continue reading:
or
Log-In
