Even a Lowly Intern Knows This is Moronic

I mentioned in my last post that I've started working at McCarter Theatre. What I didn't mention was that my internship was in the marketing department. I'm mentioning this now because it's a perfectly good segue into quit possibly the most retarded advertising ideas in the history of television. Ever.

So imagine you're watching Family Guy (I know, I know. Just pretend.) on TBS (I know, I know. Just pretend.) and you're having a perfectly good time. Then this happens:



That is absolutely insane.
Now we all know that television advertising is in a huge bind as of recently. Tivo, DVR, and illegal downloads have irreparably hurt the entire market. The whole game has changed. This has led to desperate networks having to come up with crazy new ways to do something that hasn't really differed since Farnsworth invented the damn television. There have been good ideas (streaming entire seasons of shows online with one or two commercials stuck in instead of full blocks) and bad ideas (obnoxious pop-up ads that block half the screen). But this is something else.

Do they really think that there's anyone alive who is going to see Bill Engvall, blue collar comic, appear on screen and PAUSE THEIR FUCKING SHOW IN THE MIDDLE OF IT to shill his crap and then think, "Gee, that's pretty wacky. Maybe I'll check out that fun looking family sitcom". NO! NO NO NO! Even if there's anyone on this planet who actually cators the idea of watching The Bill Engvall Show, this is going to instantly make them hate him, it, and the entire network at large.
What were they thinking?

Anywho, this video was taped by a dude named Jason Kottke who wrote about the experience on his blog here.