*
Bernie Moskovitz looked into the monitor at a thin, pale woman with gray hair in a bun. "Mrs. Barns, why don't you teleconference with 3D holovids instead of two dimensional videos," he said in a friendly tone.
Clarissa Barns scowled. "Sorry, Mr. Moskovitz, but the Advertising Supervisory Staff's budget doesn't permit such luxuries."
"Not even for the chairwoman?" Bernie snickered quietly.
The woman sighed. "Let's get to the point, Bernie. What are you trying to do to us?" She took off her glasses and rubbed the bridge of her nose.
"I'm just trying to make a living for myself and my employer. What would you think I'm trying to do?"
"First that chocolate commercial, and now this Pelham spot. To hear Pelham bragging, positively bragging that his production is a fantasy, nauseates me." She sighed. "That blurb violates every guideline we've promulgated, even down to the ugly gray wig he wears."
Bernie suppressed a chuckle. "As he said, it's a fantasy."
Clarissa drew herself up. "Perhaps ads shouldn't contain references to the Advertising Supervisory Staff itself. Perhaps politicians should be forbidden any contact with ad agencies. Perhaps we need laws to that effect."
Bernie nodded. "Congress, I'm sure, will give your suggestions the greatest consideration."
The chairwoman sagged. "Bernie, please. Before the Advertising Supervisory Staff was formed, companies could describe poisons like alcohol and tobacco as being healthy. There were even cigarettes with names like Slender Misty, which made carcinogens sound like an aid to sexuality. Do you want to return to that?"
Bernie thought Clarissa could use some aid to her sexuality. He shrugged. "You're preaching, Clarissa. Don't ask what I want. Ask the electorate. In 2016, when Hillary Clinton was elected, voters wanted the Advertising Supervisory Staff, and they got it. People's wants are different now."
"The public doesn't know what it wants. Most people don't even know what the Advertising Supervisory Staff is." Clarissa pounded the desk. "52.3 percent can't even describe our mandate, let alone understand the ratings. The fantasy rating is the only restraint we have over political ads. Your tactic will destroy that restraint and confuse the populace even more.
"Advertisers deceive, Bernie. They deceive implicitly and, if they can, explicitly. Before this organization started, anyone with enough money could mislead, bilk, and connive without limit. We are trying to stop that. We don't want to hurt your firm or anyone else. We just want to protect the population from skilled, professionally crafted lies. Don't you understand that? Do you want the Americans again to mistrust all media presentations? Don't you care about truth?"