Parenthood

I currently don't have tv because I'm too cheap (or really poor actually) to pay for cable. It's been over a year now that I haven't had it, and I even gave my tv away to a friend. I've gotten really used to it and it really doesn't bother me UNLESS....I discover a new show that I really like and really want to follow. I usually catch different shows at my friends' houses but rarely take interest in any of them. However I recently saw the show Parenthood. It's really good. And now that I'm into the plot I have to find excuses to go over my friends' houses to watch their tv. It's sad.
Anyway one of the reasons that I like the show is because it's fairly realistic. It's funny and sometimes predictable but it has great characters that confront interesting issues . One of the couples in the show is a control freak lawyer mom, and her husband is a stay at home dad for their daughter. I love that this this type of couple is being portrayed on tv. I think it does a lot for the progression and normalization of women in the workplace. So far the couple's status hasn't been confronted aloud- however it is made clear that the working mom struggles to balance her time between being a mom and her job. She also has feelings of guilt when she works a lot. But Parenthood shows the dad as a "rockstar dad" who really enjoys going to playgroups, and making all the meals for the family. I can't recall any other show that does this (but then again, I don't have tv so I miss a lot). But either way I think it's a refreshing choice of characters, and can't wait to see where the show goes.

Product Placement

I recently read an article in The Washington Post about product placement. The article talks about the evolution of product placement to a new term- "brand integration". Rather than advertising companies placing their products into shows and movies by editing after filming, advertisers are more recently meeting with story writers for product placement while movies are still in the story board stage. This change to brand integration can be seen in some films when a product is literally written into the plot of a movie or show. Advertisers argue that the characters must get hungry at some point- so why not have them go to a McDonald's, or "insert restaurant or brand here".
When a company pays for its appearance in a film, they will often pay up to hundreds of thousands of dollars. While I know that movies are increasingly expensive to produce, it is highly annoying as a viewer to have to watch essentially a string of ads for already well known products. I might be able to deal with some advertisements, but the trend of brand integration is an example of advertising becoming more direct, and in your face, and confrontational. In addition, I don't see the issue of more and more severe advertising slowing. I think the puplic shouldn't have to deal with so much of their time being occupied with companies vying for their attention and money- especially if we are already paying to see a film in a theatre.
Brand integration is a trend that puts content control in the hands of advertisers, rather than the origonally intended creative producers of a movie. I definitely don't want to watch a film that is driven by advertisements, however this is a tricky issue since so many creative projects might not be able to get off the ground without their funding.