The Second Coming of the Infomercial

Remember the good old days when you could flip the channels on television and see Tony Little advertising that "gazelle" running thing, or the Juice Man with the eyebrows telling you that it was now possible to juice a radish whole!?  Well, those days are back!  

Have you noticed the recent surge in commercials selling items like the SlapChop (and Gratey), the diet program sponsored by Jillian Barberie and Marie Osmond, and Snuggie (King of them all)?  Apparently all of this is because corporations don't have any money.

The Slow Death of Good Commercials

Have you noticed lately on your television that there are a stunning number of crappy infomercial-quality ads running during prime time? That is because the fancy advertisers are broke. We live in Snuggie's world now.

The Simpsons last night was replete with ads for 5 Hour Energy that seemed to have been filmed in one take, in a locker room, with a Handicam. Fortunately the NYT today confirms that this isn't my imagination. The collapse of ad sales, and the decline of the auto industry, means that even regular networks—and even, sometimes, in prime time—are increasingly forced to plug empty spots with cheap ass infomercial standbys.

“I like to say that we’re getting beachfront property at trailer park prices,” [Infomercial guy] said. “We’re clearing stuff at prime time, which we almost never do.”

Print, radio and Internet companies also filled space with these ads. For example, a full-page ad for an Amish room heater has been running in USA Today and The Wall Street Journal.

Christ it's true, we've totally seen that! We're in for some dark days in television advertising, particularly. The lead story onAd Age's website right now: Snuggie. It's the hot new thing in marketing. We'll all be couch-bound Druids soon enough.

And there's also a real story on Snuggie:  Marketing's New Red-Hot Seller: Humble Snuggie. The point is that we'll continue to be inundated with commercials for sleeved blankets and decorative plant watering bulbs until corporations get money again.  Damnit.

Jesus H. Blagojevich!

Oh man, this guy makes me miss Kwame.  It's absolutely one of the worst thought out stunts in a long time, but he has decided to boycott his own impeachment trial, electing to take a media tour to proclaim his innocence instead.  I hope that the Illinois Senate gets cable.  

Rather than taking a path to prove his innocence, it seems he recognizes that he's done for and is attempting to martyr himself.  I bet it doesn't work.  He doesn't have much of a cross to carry, I don't think.

ONE of NPR's stories

But Blagojevich has been able to take some solace from his predicament. He told the network that when he was arrested on federal corruption charges last month, he was comforted by thinking of other jailed leaders, such as Nelson Mandela, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mohandas Gandhi.

He also compared himself to the Jimmy Stewart character in the Frank Capra classic, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, saying he's fighting against a "political-industrial complex."

I'm not sure where "industrial" fits into his complaint.  Maybe he was just trying to compare himself to Eisenhower as well.  Honestly, could this man's head get any bigger?  He appears to be an idiot to boot:

The governor told ABC he had considered the possibility of nominating Oprah Winfrey to fill Obama's seat."

She seemed to be someone who would help Barack Obama in a significant way become president," said Blagojevich, who had been discussing a replacement since before the November election. 

"She was obviously someone with a much broader bully pulpit than other senators."Blagojevich, 52, said he worried the appointment of Winfrey might come across as a gimmick and that the talk show host was unlikely to accept. In the end, Blagojevich appointed former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris to the vacant seat.

The guy's trial is probably bogus and a stunt in itself.  And, it looks like he might have a legitimate complaint about the fairness of his trial rules:

Adam's outline also complains that trial rules bar calling anyone as a witness if federal prosecutors object that it would interfere with their criminal case. Blagojevich says that will keep him from calling witnesses who would help his case, such as President Obama's chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, who has said he talked with Blagojevich about Obama's U.S. Senate successor and the governor didn't suggest anything improper.

That being said, I don't think that Larry King has much of a say in the rules.  He probably shouldn't be removed from office even if he did talk about selling a senate seat unless there's proof that this happened. But, he's going to be because he's more concerned with making a scene than arguing his case like a grown up.  Instead of watching a government official justify his actions, we're going to watch a fool try and nail himself to a cross.