I know, there are so many promos I could choose from with a headline about the most offensive cable TV PR moment of the day, what with the new fall schedule in rotation. In recent days we've seen on repetitive loop:
-- "hot chicks are dumb as rocks" promos for the WB's Beauty and the Geek
-- clips hyping the umpteenth season of ABC's interchangable Barbies wallowing in The Bachelor's harem, and
-- kid-sploitation commercials in which sobbing toddlers wail that they're too young to cope with temporary residence inside CBS's Kid Nation.
But as crass, misogynist and exploitative as those reality shows and their promo plug are, there's something predictable and trite about these always-disgusting reality shows and the ads networks use to promote them.
Not nearly as predictable is this civil-liberties-violations-are-so-funny tag line USA Network is using to drum up viewers for their upcoming Law & Order: Special Victims Unit marathon:
"If you like coffee and donuts, late nights and a little flexibility with constitutional rights," [narrated over a scene of cops drowning, kicking and beating the hell out of suspects] "then USA has a marathon for you!"
USA's motto is "characters welcome." Too bad their network's advertising department is so low on ethical and legal character.
Have you seen other particularly problematic network ads for fall TV shows? If so, please share them with Women In Media & News -- to post your feedback, leave comments here or email info[at]wimnonline[dot]org.
I welcome your tips for action alerts, blog posts and articles that are media criticism related -- let me and WIMN know when you see examples of bias in entertainment media and inaccuracy in news media.
This post originally appeared at WIMN's Voices: A Group Blog on Women and the Media , a project of Women In Media & News, the national women's media analysis, education and advocacy group. To bring Jennifer L. Pozner to speak to your campus or community group, or to send WIMN blog tips, email info [at] wimnonline [dot] org. To subscribe to WIMN's free media alert list, see the Action Center at http://www.wimnonline.org/action/.