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December 4, 2004
Now I'm no prude -- however
I've finally been triggered to talking about indecency on television.
Personally, for me, nothing that could be broadcast over the tele could possibly generate outrage in me. I'm not going to be offended by language, violence, nudity, crassness or even poor taste.
I'm simply going to change the channel, turn off the TV or ignore it while my attention wanders over to something else, like this BLOG.
But I was watching "NewsWatch" on Fox, that's the program where they spend the hour doing the news "about the News." They go back and forth about media events, but it's the end of the show that prompted this rant. During the email segment, someone named Robert had written in and said basically:
at issue isn't the nudity or the activities promoted, but rather the issue is me as a father trying to teach my son to be respectful of women or my daughter to respect herself and her body and to be responsible in their actions, and then to have all of that undermined when we try to sit down and watch a football game
And DAMN, if that just ain't the IT of all this hullabaloo that started with Janet's "Wardrobe Malfunction" and has most recently included the Monday Night Football / Desparate Housewives Promo.
This guy Robert has hit the nail right on the head. It's about choosing your programming and then getting thrown that unexpected curveball. Expecting to sit down with the Family to watch the game and suddenely you're involved in a "Deep Ethical Conversation" with your son or daughter about the events on the screen. If you're any type of good parent you can't just let it slide. You have to address it. If you don't you've given tacit approval to the attitudes of the athelete and actress and there goes all that social programming you're fighting the losing battle on, right out the window. If you do react to it and begin a "family discussion" you've ruined the game and have to on the fly disect and analyze the situation you just saw in an unexpected flash. It's simply unfair for you, the consumer.
Just like with Janets "wardrobe malfunction". I saw that live. I was in a room with many other people, we were all talking about this or that, and no one was really paying attention to the half-time show. But I was angled so that I still had the TV in my field of view and . . . WHAM . . . there it was. I think some liquid may have come out of my nose. No one else in the room saw it. Only me. I knew immediately that it'd be an issue, or was I wrong? Maybe I didn't see it. I'd definately have to check the news later.
AND THAT THE RUB. This is AMBUSH MARKETING, and I don't think we're going to see it go away any time soon. Because it works. Desparate Housewives couldn't have been happier with the free advertising on EVERY network for their Monday Night Football stunt. The NFL, Janet, CBS (it was CBS right?), and even pretty boy accomplice made out pretty well with their half-time stunt too.
That's how AMBUSH MARKETING is going to be from now on.
1. Identify your demographic
2. Insert racy/raunchy/whatever material into unrelated high viewship programming.
3. Wait for the outrage.
4. Feign innocence, misunderstand or just sack the producer with a golden parachute and rehire said producer later.
5. Rake in the viewer and the profits.
I really don't like this tactic with advertising. And I SURE AS HELL didn't like it when Rather used this marketing gimmick in the election with his "false but accurate" reporting. But it seems that the last vestiges of honor and decency are leaving us in group interactions. It's a matter of rudeness, it's a fine example of the lack of respect that media outlets have for their consumers and it's just simply, in the commonest sense, WRONG.
But I don't think we'll see it go away anytime soon.
--Jason
The Internet is a great thing. With a few clicks you get this.
Posted by JasonColeman at December 4, 2004 11:01 PM
