--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In fact quite generally, commercial…" description: "\"“In fact quite generally, commercial advertising is fundamentally an effort to undermine markets. We should recognize that. If you’ve taken an economic..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/829/noam-chomsky-42_advertising_in-fact-quite-generally-commercial-adver_950715.jpg" --- # In fact quite generally, commercial advertising is… ![“In fact quite generally, commercial advertising is fundamentally an effort to undermine markets. We should recognize that. If you’ve taken an economics course, you know that markets are supposed to be based on informed consumers making rational choices. You take a look at the first ad you see on…” quote by Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/829/noam-chomsky-42_advertising_in-fact-quite-generally-commercial-adver_950715.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/829/noam-chomsky-42_advertising_in-fact-quite-generally-commercial-adver_950715.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/829/noam-chomsky-42_advertising_in-fact-quite-generally-commercial-adver_950715.jpg) > ““In fact quite generally, commercial advertising is fundamentally an effort to undermine markets. We should recognize that. If you’ve taken an economics course, you know that markets are supposed to be based on informed consumers making rational choices. You take a look at the first ad you see on television and ask yourself … is that it’s purpose? No it’s not. It’s to create uninformed consumers making irrational choices. And these same institutions run political campaigns. It’s pretty much the same: you have to undermine democracy by trying to get uninformed people to make irrational choices.”” [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advertising manipulates consumers, turning them from rational decision‑makers into uninformed, irrational participants, thereby weakening market integrity and democratic processes. **In simple terms:** Ads corrupt consumer choice and democracy. Key Takeaway Question media motives and seek independent information. Themes media politics consumerism democracy ethics Mood skeptical critical concerned Type analytical political When to use this quote - voting - shopping - media consumption - policy making Key Concepts propaganda information asymmetry irrationality Questions to Reflect On - How does advertising shape your choices? - Can you identify a time you bought something irrationally? A Different Perspective Ads may also raise awareness, not just deceive. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advertising](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advertising/) [Behavioral economics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behavioral-economics/) [Irrationality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/irrationality/) [Marketing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marketing/) [Markets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/markets/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Propaganda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/propaganda/) [Rationality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rationality/) ## Related quotes > [“The advertising industry's prime task is to ensure that uninformed consumers make irrational choices, thus undermining market theories that are based on just the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-advertising-industry-s-prime-task-is-to-ensure-that-uninformed/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The main purpose of advertising is to undermine markets. 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