That's what I was thinking. You could probably replace radio with cheap books as well if you wanted to go back further.
And when it comes to marketing to kids, the 50's and 60's are without compare. Those two decades made everything before and after look tame.
If you ever thought TV was real or something to aim for, it's you who has the problem, not a faceless, definitionless "they" you've invented to justify your angsty, pathetic adolescent outrage.