Comments on: Boycott FX

By: Nathan Bowers

Nathan Bowers — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 06:38:59 +0000

Product placement is fine as long as it doesn't break suspension of disbelief. Hamfisted placements take you out of the story and make you aware of all the corporate machinations involved in making movies.

Oddly, *not enough* product placement is just as bad. Every time I see a laptop on TV without a recognizable logo I remember that I'm watching TV. Brands are part of the fabric of life. If you show me a MacBookPro I expect to see the Apple logo and not some stupid globe sticker.

By: Jason

Jason — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 18:29:28 +0000

There aren't many channels left for you to watch I'm afraid. FX is far from the only channel doing this, they all do. You're boycott might as well be to cancel your cable entirely and wait for HBO to release it's shows on DVD.

They can be distracting, I'll give you that. The one you're pointing out is actually very subtle compared to channels with dancing animated characters and moving text, etc.

I'm also surprised you're so upset by this. It doesn't seem to fit with what I associate as a typical McCracken opinion. I'm not sure I can articulate why at the moment either.

By: IshMEL

IshMEL — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 19:35:00 +0000

I agree that it's obnoxious, but how is it larceny? Any more than interrupting a movie with commercials? Or editing a movie's content for broadcast? Any time you watch a movie on "free" TV, you're going to get a sub-standard experience. Rent the movie if you don't like it.

By: John Frost

John Frost — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 19:06:26 +0000

Would it count as a boycott if I promised to only watch the shows via DVR and skip all the commercials? I think "The Riches" is some of the best stuff on TV right now.

By: Christian Newton

Christian Newton — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 17:35:22 +0000

Funny, I had made a similar observation recently.

I've noticed that the rising tide of awful "channel ID" bugs (rendered distractingly sharp on an HD set) has resulted in a perverse (and free) brand equity for those few channels that do not carry bugs. I know I'm watching HBO (or HDNET) not because they have a bug but precisely because they don't.

This continually reinforces a real quality differentiator, which will presumably become important when a la carte lays waste to current cable lineups.

By: Rick Liebling

Rick Liebling — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 17:01:35 +0000

Like many things, product placement/product integration isn't inherently bad (at least in my opinion). The problem comes with poor application, jamming every brand under the sun into a summer blockbuster movies, or when applied in the wrong context as Grant described. I wonder what directors like Stone think when they see this happen to their work? I doubt it's worth the trouble to fight over, but could a director write something in his contract stating that any cable distribution rights were contingent on the film NOT being saddled with promos?

Ultimately the boycott, if strictly adhered to, is a great answer. If enough consumers reject this strategy it could lead to a change of policy.

I'm also intrigued by the decision by Fx to promote Dirt, a show I would guess is targeted towards females, during a movie that has the testoterone levels cranked up to 11. What's the strategy there exactly?

By: communicatrix

communicatrix — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 16:40:00 +0000

You know, I've always vaguely thought this, but for some reason, the way you've articulated it here makes it crystal-clear. There's just too much desperate shilling on TV, esp. cable, which I'm already subsidizing with my dollars.

Only I'm not anymore, of course. Gave it up a year ago last October. One of the best, most satisfying decisions I've ever made. Talk about your boycotts!