Ubalblog

[  Mood: Very Sad ]
[  Currently: Reading Dragonsinger ]
So I was catching up on some TV recently and was watching the CSI:NY. Suddently Detective Danny loads his falshlight with batteries. Now this is not a casual action. The camera focuses on the Duracells and the whole plot stops as he puts the batteries in the flashlight. No talking, no shot of Detective Danny’s face, just the batteries and a disembodied hand putting them in the flashlight.

I thought to myself – wow – we have come far.

When I was a kid, comercial products never made it on TV. They were either made in the props department or had stickers covering up the brand names.

Then came the brave new world of product placement. Character A would offer Caracter B a soda and would toss them a Coke.

Then we moved to Character A offering Character B a Coke.

Then we moved to the partner thing that we saw in American Idol, Survivor and Amazing Race. This is where the host would get the joy of pimping products by talking about the Coke Lounge or the T-Mobile phone, etc. Sometimes they would be integrated into the challenges – like the time when they had to search for the Travelocity Gnome in the field on the Amazing Race. Oh Phil, how could you!

But that was Reality TV. CSI:NY is a drama. A step forward, or backward, depending on your point of view.

Clearly Duracell paid for this placement and paid well.

So I found myself asking what’s next? Are we going to cover characters’ clothes with labels like a NASCAR driver? Or will it be like the purebreed dog and horse world where corporate sponsors insert their names into the characters’ name. Sleezer’s Fertility Center‘s Mr. Spock anyone?

I am worried.