Book Review: Ad Nauseam

Ad Nauseam is a entertaining collection of classic articles and new material from Carrie McLaren and Jason Torchinsky, the main voices behind the brilliantly caustic Stay Free Magazine. I actually met Carrie in the mid-90's after falling in love with the magazine (emphasis on the "zine"), which turned a critical eye to consumer culture, and more specifically the corporations and advertising that promoted it. It turned out we were both in NYC at the time, so I was delighted to help out with some photography and design (including a map of the advertising saturation of Manhattan that was handed out in Times Square and is still available online).* Since this was before the internet was the source for all information, it was a rare treat to find someone else who shared an interest in presenting a critical response to advertising and the corporatization of culture, plus it was actually funny to read. The book is a terrific reminder of what made the magazine such a treat: it deals with serious topics in clever and often hilarious ways (including multiple choice tests at the end of each section!). Where Adbusters moved away from their parody ads and Buy Nothing Day activism, Stay Free retained a gritty, street cred (and sense of humor) that sometimes involved playing pranks on unsuspecting NYC residents in Carrie's neighborhood. Having read a lot of the material in its original form it's sad to realize how much of it is still completely relevant to our current world 10 or so years later. For anyone who missed Stay Free Magazine's heyday (the magazine is no longer in print, though the blog version lives on) or needs a primer on what is so messed up about the world of advertising (and why you actually are affected by it, despite what you think) Ad Nauseam is a must read. Ask for it at your local independent bookstore.

Ad Nauseam
Carrie McLaren & Jason Torchinsky
$18.00
Faber & Faber, Inc.

*Fun fact: One of the first images in the book (a parody Gap ad) is actually a photo I took for the back of the magazine (if I remember correctly we did that shoot on the roof of Matador Records!).