Tom the Dancing Bug by Ruben Bolling for June 04, 2015
May 29, 2015
June 05, 2015
Transcript:
"whats the deal with that cowboy cigarette guy"? Previously in "Tom the dancing bug" It is illegal to advertise cigarettes on television , but tobacco companies have devised a strategy to circumvent this rule. First they establish a recognizable logo... Then they carefully place that logo where television cameras will just happen to pick them up. On "Late show with David Letterman' the logo appears on two different faux billboards on the sets cityscape backdrop with no apparent purpose except to be broadcast. The latest infraction But the story continues on the 11/18/93 "Seinfeld" the same logo is prominently displayed as Elaine holds up a magazine. Like the Letterman biilboard, the magazine appears to be a prop, specifically designed for the broadcast. At any rate, you can be sure that the magazine ad was not chosen haphazardly Just asm in a previous episode m the band of pretzels george was seen eating was carefully selected. The actor who portrays George endorses that brand. The mayo connection But why would a net work want to promote Marlboros, a product that can't even legally buy advertising time? Perhaps there was a direst payment involved.... But, more likely the answer is mayonnaise! Marlboro is owned by Phillip Morris, which also owns Kraft General food and Miller. Phiilip Morris is a Major Tv advertiser, spending over $224 mil. on network time in the first half of '93 Does Phillip Morris advertise its products on "Seinfeld"? Yes! In fact , guess what brand mayonnaise was one of the spongers of "seinfelds" promotional tour? The Networks , desperate for a bigger slice of the philip Morris advertising pie, have every incentive to help the conglomerate get its tobacco-promoting images on TV to what lengths will phillips morris go to continue this practice and to silence those who dare to -
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steverinoCT over 9 years ago
The real question is what is passing under the table to get all these lucrative comics plugs.
tom.amitai over 9 years ago
So, should people with lung cancer and other smoking related illnesses sue Seinfeld and Larry David? What about people who got fat from eating mayonnaise?
nerdhoof over 9 years ago
So, all the gay characters on television are secretly financed by Gaycorp, who isn’t legally allowed to advertise on TV?
kapock over 9 years ago
I just think “Seinfeld” went too far with the native advertising when they let the Nazis buy time.
The “stern soup vendor” would have been just as funny, without helping history’s worst monsters rebuild their brand.
Malcolm Hall over 9 years ago
If a particular content on TV does not attract viewers of the desired demographic profile, it will be cancelled. Gays (or African Americans for that matter) did not get on TV to serve a liberal agenda, but as part of a marketing strategy. If it was really driven entirely by liberalism, you’d see shows where mentally challenged people are prominent. And I’ll bet shows like that are routinely tested and flop. But day when they start doing well with focus groups is the day you’ll start seeing them on the tube.