This isn't about my preferences. This is about the format of the average modern commercial, which is tantamount to clickbait.
>appealing to them is good business and, frankly, not quite the end of the world.
The industry is a fundamental conflict of interest, designed to convince people in most cases to buy things that they may not need, with the deceptive insinuation that the ad is operating in the interest of the customer, while frequently relying on totally unrelated emotional cues to influence decisions.
>For someone considering themselves hyper-rational
I'm not trying to make this about myself. However, a person who makes rational decisions can still experience and express emotions. The underhandedness of the advertisement business relies on the fact that the goal of many ads is to influence seemingly rational decisions by indirectly influencing emotions. It is an exercise in deceptiveness and manipulation, to bias people without their awareness.
Does this apply to all ads? Certainly not. But enough of the bunch is spoiled such that the whole game puts a bad taste in my mouth. And on top of all this, they're EVERYWHERE. Even if I don't consume media, simply by existing in society I'm bombarded by billboards, window TVs, and cable that I'm already paying for comes loaded with almost as much ad time as the programs themselves!
It's a race to the bottom through and through.