Compared with the US, Paris is relatively free from the garish signage that permeates modern urban life. Even on television, the commercials are grouped into bunches every 15 minutes or half-hour and you can easily avoid them. These segments are called La pub, short for la publicité. They seem to be wittier in France and a great way to learn French, so ironically I watch more commercials. Advertisers want you to remember their products, so they speak clearly, give lots of visual clues and are easy to understand.
The metro stations have large ads, somewhat smaller than US billboards, and they don’t seem quite as offensive. Some are downright intriguing, like this ad for a show.
Others echo an art exhibit like this one of Magritte works.
But a few ads are downright creepy. Some of the sci-fi movies playing in Paris right now show people without eyes or mouths and I have to literally turn my ahead and avoid the images if I see I’m walking towards one of them. Others make me wince like the ones below.
Cynthia Tuttelman (aka "Tut") is a writer, family doctor and quilter who lives in Northern California and part-time each year in Paris, France. Follow along and explore the wonders of Paris.