Product Placement ...is Nothing Sacred?

First let me thank my wife and my sister in law for nudging me off the slacker sofa and back onto the blogger train.

Now on with the show. Product placement.

I will concede that I Do Realize that it is expensive to produce a major film, especially an animated film. But is it necessary to draw in product placement? Apparently so, I guess to get voice work from Drew Barrymore and Will Ferrell requires a little more than faith in the box office receipts. I took my son to a matinee today, two tickets to Curious George, $13.... One Medium popcorn and one medium Diet Soda, there went the credit card. You know the rest... Priceless.

Here we go, we found a nice seat, sat down to share our popcorn and soda... on with the previews. It was nice, no commercials for things that aren't sold at the snack booth like Mac and Cheese, or Mercury Cougars, or Madden 2009. Just simple ordinary coming attractions.

On with show... "look Daddy Curious George! He's silly!, Curious George is pretty cool Daddy! I want to see it again Daddy!"

Well I don't want to give away any plot points here... so

[Spoiler Alert! Do not read any further if you don't want to know what happens until you get a chance to see it yourself.]

On the cargo ship George knocks over several crates of fresh fruit... DOLE fruit.

Later, when the Man in the Yellow Hat rushes to rescue George before he is sent back to the jungle, he speeds off in a Volkswagon (I guess he was obeying His own Speed).

The funny thing is that these two product logos were drawn with a much higher level of detail than the backgrounds and even the characters. That is the thing that kind of irked me... I'll allow the space for marketing, and I know it didn't mean a hill of beans to the kids in the theatre whether it was Dole or Green Giant, Volkswagen or Ford (although my son would probably recognized if it had been an Explorer), but draw your "subliminal" advertising in the same fashion as the rest of the film, thats all I'm saying. Other wise fade to black cue a real commercial and then return to flick.

Eaze on down... Eaze on down the road....

Inspiration vs. Motivation

Ever have one or the other, but not both at the same time? That is the quandry that has kept me from posting the last few weeks. "Aha... Eureka! I have a great idea! but... i don't feel like sitting in front of the computer right now", OR... "when I get home I HAVE to post my thoughts on this..."

and then the other side.... "wow, I haven't posted in a while... I really should post something... hmmmmmm, but what? Oh, maybe this..... nah, too boring..... or that, nah, no one would get it, or I'd have type the whole back story.... ah forget it.... maybe tomorrow...."

But when those two orbiting forces align, look out... its gold Jerry!

Unfortunately.... this is not one of those times... And I think, that is what keeps most of our society, or at least me, from reaching our, my, full potential.

I really should do this... but I don't know where to start... or that'll take too long... any of these sound familiar?

I lost my train of thought.... I love trains, I would love to set up my old train set... if only I had the time, or the space... Oh there it is, circled back into the station.

Motivation vs. Inspiration.

Is there any way to unite these awesome forces? form of ... a giraffe... form of ... an ice bridge.... nah, thats been done

oh, no my peanut butter is on your chocolate..... but isn't your chocolate really in my peanut butter?

Pudding.... or Popsicles? how about both!

Oh well, enough of that...

Random thought... does anyone else think that Ford missed out on something this year by not resurrecting the Torino nameplate? My uncle had one, it was an early 70s model, two doors, as I recall it was a sort of root beer color, with a tan top... I miss that car.

Later.

My friend Killer recently posted his reflection on what is wrong with youth sports... Parents... while I agree, I think there is even more to it than unruly parents, passive parents can be just as bad.

I know I'm getting dangerously close to a rant here, but it is the media's fault too. Just like their own parents and coaches, kids emulate their heros. Remember how we all used to be Eddie Murray on the playground (positive), or put our siblings in a figure four leg lock because we had seen Ric (Wooo) Flair do the same thing Saturday (negative) morning between the Superfriends and the Kung Fu feature. Well, now in addition to the 25 hours a day of DunkCenter, er Sports Center, we have video games where even the tame 'E for everyone' sports games have showboating, and mid game fights... why, because WE can't get enough of it. The media should use some discretion, yes, but if the public wants something, some media outlet will gladly serve it up. Whether it be highlights of an NBA zero, er hero choking his coach or refusing a trade.... or MAN vs. Beast on FOX...etc.

Also, there is our ridiculous need (as a society) for instant gratification (fueled in large part by the media)... we don't want to work or study, we just want to rain 3's, slam dunk, hit 75 out of the park, do our little Homer Simpson endzone dance (without thanking the quarterback, linemen, blockers, coaches, etc.)... whatever to get our endorsement deal, so we can feed our kids like Patrick Ewing, or have 'the basic necessities of life'... pimped out rides on fly dubs, rolling with the booming system, or a crib that would be the envy of the MTV set.

We're all guilty... we're all rubberneckers straining to see the trainwreck... who of us hasn't looked up from the newspaper when there is a hockey fight? Who of us hasn't thrown the TV Guide or the remote across the room when the Caps squandered a 3 games to 1 lead in the playoffs? Or screamed at the players on TV to 'kill' their opponent? I'm ranting.

My point is this... my junior high (you kids call it 'middle' school now) principal had the best philosophy, I'll paraphrase...We all need to first GOVERN OURSELVES ACCORDINGLY.

So lets 'vote with the remote' if you will. Now that I have one child and another on the way, I have been working on controling my temper and my language... I am also trying to filter the content that comes into my home. We watch television as a family, although most of the time it is Disney DVDs, we still watch Bryan's favorite show, (although its not the same without J. Peterman). If a promo for a violent or creepy show or movie comes on and my son is in the room, I change the channel... or distract him if I can't grab the remote.

There I go again, try to give two cents and drop the whole piggy bank.

Peace out.

This is only a test blog, I'm new to this venue. Hopefully I'll be able to type... right down to earth, in language that everyone can easily understand. But if you can't understand what I'm saying, I'll translate: Remember to drink your Ovaltine. or, we're going to need a bigger boat. or, I pity the fool. or, when your hot, your hot... when your not, your not. (now try and get that song out of your brain)... well, as the Frugal Gourmet once said on PBS... "I bid you peace"