Over-Empowerment

It's Caucus time and thus I've been watching TV again. I have this one question that I hope won't offend anybody, but why are American Advertisements so weird? Maybe it's just me, but does anybody else think it's odd that you're supposed to watch an advertisement about a drug or medicine (that, by the way, you can't even just go to the store and buy!) and love it so much that you go and pester your doctor into prescribing it for you? Media, and especially the internet, puts information in the hands of the masses - information that was previously only in the hands of the experts. This, of course, can be extremely valuable because it empowers the ordinary people. No longer do we just have to accept what we hear on the news, or rely on expensive estate agents to sell our homes. But I think it's gone a little far when we can tell our doctors the right medicines to prescribe for us (especially when our information is based on what the people who will make money off the product tell you), and at that point we might as well not have doctors at all. And besides, when the majority of the advertisement is made up of someone speaking really fast about all the horrible things that might happen to you if you use the product.... I'm just not sold in any case.