The Sopranos: Artistic Integrity Gets 'Whacked'
For years, Americans have subscribed to the premium channel HBO because of its quality programming and the fact that it's commercial free. However, The Sopranos this season is putting both reasons to the test.
The long-running crime drama has been bogged down this year with trivial subplots, uninteresting supporting characters and fantasy sequences that even David Lynch would have left on the cutting room floor. However, the real annoyance has been creator David Chase's insistence on turning the show into a mini-Shopping Channel. In each episode, Chase and his creative team sprinkle the name brands and images of multiple products, from Porsche to Gateway.
During last Sunday's episode, the practice hit an all-time low. Fourteen different products were prominently featured in the show, including Cingular, Oris Watches, Puma, Chanel, Fossil and Mont Blanc. The products seemed to get more face time than some of the main characters as the camera often lingered over them for several seconds before breaking away to the actors. The only thing left out was an 800 number to call to order. (In Sunday's final scene, which takes place on an airplane, the camera lovingly looks down at a Mont Blanc pen to close the show; Chase himself is sitting in the aisle across from the actors. Hmmm, interesting.)
With the rise of ad-skipping Digital Video Recorders, product placement has become a billion dollar business. Many networks now routinely insert advertising products in scenes to ensure the viewers gets the message.
However, in a column last month by the Chicago Tribune's Phil Rosenthal, a HBO spokeswoman is quoted as saying the network does not accept payment for placing products in its programs. "Everything is story-driven or character-driven. . . . We feel that since we are advertiser free, from a philosophical point, product placement is another form of advertising and we do not do it," she said.
However, a cynic might ask: If HBO isn't getting paid, is anyone else? The Sopranos' excessive display of advertising images seems unusual and far beyond an effort to simply "drive" the story. Advertisers who openly pay for product placement are not treated as well.
As the practice of product placement continues, HBO viewers might want to know exactly what they are paying for.
To learn more, click Here
The long-running crime drama has been bogged down this year with trivial subplots, uninteresting supporting characters and fantasy sequences that even David Lynch would have left on the cutting room floor. However, the real annoyance has been creator David Chase's insistence on turning the show into a mini-Shopping Channel. In each episode, Chase and his creative team sprinkle the name brands and images of multiple products, from Porsche to Gateway.
During last Sunday's episode, the practice hit an all-time low. Fourteen different products were prominently featured in the show, including Cingular, Oris Watches, Puma, Chanel, Fossil and Mont Blanc. The products seemed to get more face time than some of the main characters as the camera often lingered over them for several seconds before breaking away to the actors. The only thing left out was an 800 number to call to order. (In Sunday's final scene, which takes place on an airplane, the camera lovingly looks down at a Mont Blanc pen to close the show; Chase himself is sitting in the aisle across from the actors. Hmmm, interesting.)
With the rise of ad-skipping Digital Video Recorders, product placement has become a billion dollar business. Many networks now routinely insert advertising products in scenes to ensure the viewers gets the message.
However, in a column last month by the Chicago Tribune's Phil Rosenthal, a HBO spokeswoman is quoted as saying the network does not accept payment for placing products in its programs. "Everything is story-driven or character-driven. . . . We feel that since we are advertiser free, from a philosophical point, product placement is another form of advertising and we do not do it," she said.
However, a cynic might ask: If HBO isn't getting paid, is anyone else? The Sopranos' excessive display of advertising images seems unusual and far beyond an effort to simply "drive" the story. Advertisers who openly pay for product placement are not treated as well.
As the practice of product placement continues, HBO viewers might want to know exactly what they are paying for.
To learn more, click Here
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