I don't think the marketing of the exit row, primarily due to the fact that it typically has a little more leg room, can be muddled into the safety aspect of it. I'm very chagrined to hear you say that some of the briefings you get there aren't adequate.
When I talk to northern carriers in particular, the interesting thing is that although some of the carriers have applied to take advantage of the 1:50 ratio, most of the time that's done to have the flexibility if there is an issue or a particular problem on a day. As a matter of fact, I would say in almost all circumstances with northern carriers, they actually have excess cabin crew due to service requirements. Most of the northern carriers actually provide service. We provide hot meals, cooking services, and lots of drink services. We actually have more flight attendants than the 1:40 rule requires for service issues. However, that doesn't mean that when something untoward happens, it would not be beneficial to be able to use the 1:50 ratio to get you out of a circumstance.