Madison Avenue?

Posted Apr 2, 2004 6:09 UTC (Fri) by Duncan (guest, #6647) [Link]

> [Europe ahead of the US because "Madison Avenue"
> is an American phenom.]
>
> [M]y being a European [maybe] the reason
> I don't understand this cultural reference.

Probably so. "Madison Avenue" refers to all the big advertising firms, apparently
because at least at one point in US history, most of them had addresses ON "Madison
Avenue", I believe in New York City. I'm enough out of the advertising loop that I don't
know if that's the case any more, or even for sure that the referred to Madison Avenue IS
in NYC, but yes, that's an "Americanism" for big corporate advertising and all the politics
and money put INTO politics BY that system.

Actually, I'd expect that the "economic elite" the world over would probably recognize the
reference, altho it's possible that's inadvertent US-centrism showing. Anyway, that you
didn't recognize it is to me an encouraging sign, that "Madison Avenue" isn't as strong
elsewhere as it unfortunately DOES seem to be here in the US.

From what I read, "the unions" in Europe hold roughly the power "Madison Avenue" does
here, while the unions here don't have nearly the power they once did, and perhaps hold
about the same influence as "corporate advertising" may hold there.

Duncan

(I'm USian by birth and current residence, but grew up as a missionary kid in Africa, and
saw at least a /small/ bit of Europe and the rest of the world as a result of the travels
back and forth. My folks, BTW, now work at an orphanage in El Salvador, with my sister
a doctor at the mission clinic next door. What am I still doing in the US? <g> Anyway, I
like to /think/ at least, that I have a bit better view of the world than most USians. <g>)