Examines a study of how human models affect the impression conveyed by an advertisement, particularly the effect of a Black model's physical characteristics on product evaluations among Black and White females.Results show that the physical appearance of the model influenced impressions of product quality and suitability for personal use. (JMF)

Finds that the secondary-school textbook vision of society is homogenized and sanitized to reduce the risk of controversy. Reveals three domains of control that influence textbook visual content: industrial (how the image world of a textbook is created); commercial (marketing pressures); and social (interest groups that influence the visual…

Suggests that an emphasis on erotic images in women's magazines and on images of adventure, risk, and recreation in youth magazines tailored cigarette ads to the implicit and explicit desires of consumers, allaying their fears about the health effects of smoking. (MM)

Criticizes Erving Goffman's theory that human gestures express cultural assumptions which, in turn, legitimize social structure. Contends that Goffman blurs the distinction between his own observations as a social scientist and the interpretations of behavior by people within social situations. (JMF)