On Earth as It Is in Advertising? Moving from Commercial Hype to Gospel Hope

In a rather simplistic meditation on the negative effects of advertising, Van Eman overstates the obvious in a short book that could have been a pamphlet for incoming college students, the target audience. Van Eman addresses the insidious messages of advertising—which he calls the "SimGospel"—in a media-saturated culture, and contrasts them to the Gospel message. He focuses on three areas in which the SimGospel and the Gospel send conflicting messages: identity (who am I?), need (what are my needs?) and care (who is my neighbor?). Thus, commercials often present selfish oafs who care only about having their needs met (e.g., a man who "needs" a bigger lawn mower than his neighbor), or who feel they are nothing without the product being advertised. In contrast, the Gospel affirms that all people are children of a loving God who desires us to love our neighbors, not denigrate them. Van Eman closes with a list of several projects that he believes counteract the SimGospel, such as to give away an old car or to volunteer in a local soup kitchen. Van Eman's book has no startling features or arguments to distinguish it from the myriad offerings already out there on this topic. (Sept.)