dk.nightchills-第7章
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Turning back to Salsbury； Dawson said； 〃One of our subsidiaries is an ad agency。 Woolring and Messner。 You mean every time they make a television mercial； they build into it a series of subliminally flashed messages with a tachistoscope？〃
〃The advertiser has to request subliminals；〃 Salsbury said。 〃The service costs extra。 But to answer your question…no； the tachistoscope is out of date。
〃The science of subliminal behavior modification developed so rapidly that the tachistoscope was obsolete soon after it was patented。 By the mid…1960s； most subliminals in television mercials were implanted with rheostatic photography。 Everyone has seen a rheostatic control for a lamp or overhead light： by turning it； one can make the light dimmer or brighter。 The same principle can be used in motion picture photography。 First； the mercial is shot and edited to sixty seconds in the conventional manner。 This is the half of the advertisement that registers with the conscious mind。 Another minute of film； containing the subliminal message； is shot with minimal light intensity； with the rheostat turned all the way down。 The resultant image is too dim to register with the conscious mind。 When it is projected on a screen； the screen appears to be blank。 However； the subconscious sees and absorbs it。 These
two films are projected simultaneously and printed on a third length of film。 It is this posite version that is used on television。 While the audience watches the mercial； the subconscious mind watches…and obeys； to one degree or another
…the subliminal directive。
〃And that's only the basic technique；〃 Salsbury said。 〃The refinements are even more clever。〃
Dawson paced。 He wasn't nervous。 He was just…excited。
He's beginning to see the value； Salsbury thought happily。
〃I see how subliminals could be hidden in a piece of film that's full of motion； light and shadow；〃 Dawson said。 〃But magazine ads？ That's a static medium。 One image； no movement。 How could a subliminal be concealed on one page？〃
Pointing to the photographs he had given Dawson earlier； Salsbury said； 〃For that picture I kept my face expressionless。 Two copies were made from the same negative。 Copy A was printed over a vague image of the word 'anger。' And B was printed over the word 'joy。'〃
paring the photos； Dawson said； 〃I don't see either word。〃
〃I'd be displeased if you did。 They aren't meant to be seen。〃
〃What was the purpose？〃
〃One hundred students at Columbia were given photo A and asked to identify the emotion expressed by the face。 Ten students had no opinion。 Eight said 'displeasure' and eighty…two said 'anger。' A different group studied photo B。 Eight expressed no opinion。 Twenty…one said 'happiness' and seventy…one said 'joy。'〃
〃I see；〃 Dawson said thoughtfully。
Salsbury said； 〃But that's as crude as the tachistoscope。 Let me show you some sophisticated subliminal ads。〃 He plucked a sheet of paper from his briefcase。 It was a page from Time magazine。 He put the page on Dawson's blotter。
〃It's an ad for Gilbey's Gin；〃 Dawson said。
At a glance it was a simple liquor advertisement。 A five…word headline stood at the top of the page： BREAK OUT THE FROSTY BOTTLE。 The only other copy was toward the lower right…hand
corner： AND KEEP YOUR TONICS DRY！ The acpanying illustration held three items。 The most prominent of these was a bottle of gin which glistened with water droplets and frost。 The cap of the bottle lay at the bottom of the page。 Beside the bottle was a tall glass filled with ice cubes； a lime slice； a swizzle stick and； presumably； gin。 The background was green； cool； pleasant。
The message intended for the conscious mind was clear：
This gin is refreshing and offers an escape from everyday cares。
'What the page had to say to the subconscious mind was far more interesting。 Salsbury explained that most of the subliminal content was buried beneath the threshold of conscious recognition； but that some of it could be seen and analyzed； although only with an open mind and perseverance。 The subliminal that the conscious could most easily prehend was hidden in the ice cubes。 There were four ice cubes stacked one atop the other。 The second cube from the top and the lime slice formed a vague letter S which the conscious mind could see when prompted。 The third cube held a very evident letter E in the area of light and shadow that prised the cube itself。 The fourth chunk of ice contained the subtle but unmistakable outline of the letter X： S…E…X。
Salsbury had e around behind Dawson's desk and had carefully traced these three letters with his forefinger。 〃Do you see it？〃
Scowling； Dawson said； 〃I saw the E immediately and the other two without much trouble。 But I'm finding it hard to believe they were put there on purpose。 It could be an accident of shading。〃
〃Ice cubes usually don't photograph well；〃 Salsbury said。 〃When you see them in an advertisement； they've nearly always been drawn by an artist。 In fact； this entire ad has been painted over a photograph。 But there's more than the word in the ice。〃
Squinting at the page； Dawson said； 〃What else？〃
〃The bottle and glass are on a reflective surface。〃 Salsbury circled that area of the reflection that dealt with the bottle
and the cap。 〃Without stretching your imagination too far； can you see that the reflection of the bottle is divided in two； forming what might be taken to be a pair of legs？ Do you see； also； that the reflected bottle cap resembles a penis thrusting out from between those legs？〃
Dawson bristled。 〃I can see it；〃 he said coldly。
Too interested in his own lecture to notice Dawson's uneasiness； Salsbury said； 〃Of course； the melting ice on the bottle cap could be semen。 That image was never meant to be entirely subliminal。 The conscious mind might recognize the intent here。 But it would not recognize the reflection in that table unless it was guided to the recognition。〃 He pointed to another spot on the page。 〃Would it be going too far to say these shadows between the reflections of the bottle and the glass form vaginal lips？ And that this drop of water on the table is positioned on the shadows precisely where the clitoris would be on a vagina？〃
When he perceived the subliminal sex organ； its lips parted； Dawson blushed。 〃I see it。 Or I think I do。〃
Salsbury reached in his briefcase。 〃I've got other examples。〃 One of them was a two…page subscription solicitation that had appeared shortly before Christmas several years before； in Playboy。 On the right…hand page； Playmate Liv Lindeland； a busty blonde； knelt on a white carpet。 On the left…hand page stood an enormous walnut wreath。 She was tying a red bow to the top of the wreath。
In one test； Salsbury explained； a hundred subjects spent an hour studying two hundred advertisements； including this one。 When the hour ended they were asked to list the first ten of those items that they could remember。 Eighty…five percent listed the Playboy ad。 In describing it； all but two subjects mentioned the wreath。 Only five of them mentioned the girl。 When questioned further； they had trouble recalling if she was a blonde； brunette； or redhead。 They remembered that her breasts were uncovered； but they couldn't say for sure whether she was wearing a hat or was clothed from the waist down。 （She had no hat and was nude。） None of them had trouble describing the
wreath； for it was there that the subconscious had been riveted。
〃Do you see why？〃 Salsbury asked。 〃There's not a walnut in that 'walnut' wreath。 It's posed of objects that resemble the heads of penises and vaginal slits。〃
Unable to speak； Dawson leafed through the other advertisements without asking Salsbury to explain them。 Finally he said； 〃Camel cigarettes； Seagram's； Sprite； Bacardi Rum Some of the most prominent panies in the country are using subliminals to sell their products。〃
〃Why shouldn't they？ It's legal。 If the petition uses them； what choice does even the most morally uplifted pany really have？ Everyone has to stay petitive。 In short； there are no individual villains。 The whole system is the villain。〃
Dawson returned to his executive chair； his face a book of his thoughts。 One could read there that he disliked any ta
