Root Vegetables

[tmcg]

Both gadarene and janni linked to The Onion today, so I will too.

Product Placement Mars Otherwise Exciting Super Bowl

It was actually a very good game, and the team I was rooting for won (it was Anyone But the Eagles here in New York Giants land, and we like the Pats, and I like Bruschi, who took a comparative pay cut to stay with a team he believed in). But the commericals blew. Even for diehard football fans, the debut of the cleverest, funniest new commercials is a major appeal of the Super Bowl.

Total letdown this year. If I'm gonna revel in rampant, obnoxious, unadulterated capitalist consumerism, celebrate corporate greed and mindless acquisitiveness, indulge in the most egregious American worship of the boob tube and watch obscenely overpaid athletes do battle mainly on behalf of Budweiser, by God I want to see some creative advertising.

The pig with the furry draft-horse fetlocks was kinda cute. Otherwise, zilch.

I want to know who Paul McCartney's band members were. They sang awesome backup vocals.

Comments

[ogre-san.livejournal.com]

Everyone's too scared of the FCC these days to take risks, creative or otherwise. The good side is that nothing dampens rampant, mindless consumerism more than dull commercials.

[larryhammer]

One can hope.

---L.

[thirdstreet.livejournal.com]

It's sad to think that the country is becoming increasingly small-minded and that the FCC is actively campaigning for "family-friendly" entertainment. The notion that a civil body can legislate what constitutes "family" and "family-friendly" entertainment scares me.

On the other hand, what has the response to the FCC been? Howard Stern declaring himself a victim of censorship and a champion of the first amendment? Where are the intelligent voices? Where is the debate. As writers, we are more aware of such issues, but where is the well-spoken, reasoned champion of artistic freedom who can address the masses and clearly present the true stakes to them?

[remaines.livejournal.com]

The commercials were fabulously lame. I kind of liked the FedEx itemized list of what goes into a great Superbowl commercial. And thanks to the dullness of all the other ads, they achieved their goal of having the best Superbowl ad. All one is left with to talk about after it, though, is whether Burt Reynolds should sue his plastic surgeon.

[terrymcgarry.livejournal.com]

I forgot about the meta FedEx commercial! Yes, that was the best of them. Although, as with many commercials, I couldn't have told you what product or company it advertised. Remember the cat cowboys? I loved that commercial, but I have no idea what it was for.