Some see humor in a Bud Light ad depicting young men in ancient Greece pulling the arms off of the Venus de Milo to get beer, while others see a more disturbing message, the New York Times reported Feb. 5.

"It's a humorous spot," said Anheuser-Busch spokesperson Francine Katz. But Eugene Secunda of the department of culture and communication at New York University said the ads appeal to an audience that is "essentially nihilist ... They are cynical, hostile, angry people. There's a lot of mindlessness and destructiveness."

The same kind of debate rages over beer ads during the Super Bowl: Anheuser-Busch was the official beer sponsor of the game and bought five minutes worth of ads at $2.5 million per 30-second spot. "The NFL, because it is such a social sport, is very attractive to the demographics that purchase and consume beer," said Phil Guarascio, the league's senior vice president for marketing, sales and advertising. "According to our data, in 2004, the latest we have, the total spending by beer companies in NFL programming was about $500 million to $600 million."

George Hacker of the Center for Science in the Public Interest said ads like those for Coors Light showing a "love train" speeding through a football stadium tell viewers that beer is "the raison d'être for being involved in the sport."

Critics also complain that Miller Light ads showing people running to get beer during halftime show disturbing signs of addiction. "I don't think I've ever seen anything which implies addictive behavior," said Guarascio.