COMM 289 Exam 2 (70+ Questions) – Advertising, Childhood Consumerism, Obesity Politics – Sut Jhally

This document offers more than 70 well-answered multiple-choice questions for COMM 289 – Media, Communication, and Society, based on the lectures and work of Sut Jhally, for Exam 2 in the 2025/2026 academic year at the University of Communication Studies. It explores the psychological, political, and economic structures behind modern advertising, the commercialization of childhood, and the corporate shaping of public health narratives—making it a key resource for critical media studies. The content dives deep into: The evolution of advertising strategies: from Rosser Reeves’ "hard sell" to Tony Schwartz’s "deep sell" Resonance theory, partipulation, and semiotics: how audiences are engaged and manipulated The four advertising formats (product info, image, personalized, lifestyle) and the “fifth stage” of creative, emotional, and self-referential advertising The pharmaceutical industry's use of direct-to-consumer (DTC) ads and “me-too” drugs to increase profits, often at the expense of public health The development of child-focused advertising, including deregulation in the 1980s, program-length commercials, and marketing via TV and digital platforms Marketing tactics like neuro-marketing, viral marketing, micro-targeting, and the “cradle-to-grave” branding strategy The links between consumerism and childhood health, particularly obesity, materialism, and the manipulation of food culture Structural causes of obesity, including food deserts, class disparity, food industry practices, and misleading “eat more, exercise later” narratives The broader implications of corporate control over health and media, and how marketing replaces public interest with profit-driven logic This document is ideal for: Media and Communication Studies students Cultural Studies, Sociology, and Public Health students Students analyzing consumer culture, advertising ethics, or the political economy of health Learners preparing for midterms or finals requiring theory-based and applied analysis of media influence Keywords: COMM 289, Sut Jhally, advertising strategies, Tony Schwartz, partipulation, DTC ads, child consumerism, childhood obesity, resonance theory, media manipulation, food politics, semiology, marketing psychology, deregulation, food deserts, me-too drugs, neoliberal health narrative, branding, consumer culture