In many sections of the creative community, to say that the arts can wield significant power in contemporary society might evoke little more than astonishment or bitter laughter.  For many serious and talented artists, the struggle just for survival can be a difficult and even overwhelming one.

But if we also include the "lower," or applied and commercial arts, the picture looks far different.

The Marlboro Man, for example, and his kindred marketing symbols are cultural icons of the most compelling power.   Meanwhile, pop music not only generates billions in revenue, but to a large extent defines the psyche of a generation.  At the same time, well-crafted mini-dramas in the form of television commercials provide a frame of reference for all manner of endeavor, including social policy.  ("Where's the beef?" a major political candidate once asked of his opponent's position, and a nation of advertising-attuned Americans instantly got the point.)