If you've read the FTC's new 81-page Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising , you might think the FTC is a really nice bunch of guys trying to do the right thing by consumers " which, for the most part, is true. And yet, I just don't think they give most consumers enough credit. Maybe fifty-odd years ago, when many people believed everything they read or saw on TV, a bit of paternalistic condescension might have been advisable.