Bayers basically tells us to have faith. The Web isn't exempt from that basic rule of media. Bayer doesn't really rebut Stahlman's claims, but he could. But many Web sites, both sales-related and publications, make an essential use of these capabilities. More critical for advertisers, they are all arrows in the marketer's quiver.
Sex is the single most popular type of content on the Net.
If the visual quality of Web graphics is adequate to get millions of people sexually aroused, it should be capable of manipulating their subconscious fears. Nor should we ignore the erotic and manipulative capabilities of language. If you can communicate eros, you can certainly communicate the fear of bad breath and the sensual appeal of satin and leather. No, the problem isn't whether the Web can be effectively used to advertise, it's how. It's also more complex than television or print because it has so many components, each of which must be used in concert and to their unique best advantage.