I (was) Loving it

I kind of feel bad for McDonald's.  They face what appears to be a constant stream of scrutiny of their products.  In an attempt to diffuse the negative press they have introduced healthy alternatives on their menu.  However, their critics will not be silenced.  Peep the lastest ad from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine called Consequences: 

 As a self-proclaimed cheeseburger addict the ad scared the quarterpounders out of me!!!  The creative team did an excellent job: choosing a corpse that looks like someone you could encounter on the street.  Seeing his wife's distress over her husbands death is appropriate for the scenario.  Then you see the kicker: a half-eaten cheeseburger clutched in his hand.  That  is when the message hits home.  We all know burgers are not the best food for us, but we still eat them.  We know that eating McDonald's is horrible, but the fast food industry makes millions of dollars each year.   We are a culture that consistently chooses our temporary personal desires over long-term effects.  This ad puts the consequences (ha! Great name for the ad!) of those actions into perspective.   Overall, I think the ad has the potential to have a great impact on consumers.  I know that I am grateful for it, and I will reconsider eating fast food the next time I have the urge.

I want my MTV?

 

This Sunday is MTV's annual Video Music Awards or VMAs as they're known. Growing up this was THE show to watch. This year is supposed to be big with acts such as Drake, Kanye West and (wait for it) Justin Bieber. Odd lineup, but we'll get to that later. Hosting the show is author and E! Television star Chelsea Handler?? MTV has been running ads featuring Drake for the last month or so to get its viewers hype about the show. The only problem, I suspect, is that the world kinda doesn't care.

Why would I make a statement such as that? For starters, the lineup is just odd.  It appears as if they're trying to truly capture a demographic that is just too diverse: 12-40, all races, ethnic backgrounds, urban and suburban. I mean, Chelsea Handler??!  Don't get me wrong I like her.  I find her funny, and while I haven't read her books, I want to.  But I'm a 28 year-old woman who can legally DRINK VODKA!!  She also hasn't struck me as the type who relates to girls under eighteen.  Maybe she can just as Carrie Broadshaw related to "women" everywhere (aka girls who were having sex). Let's not forget the other half of the audience is male.  Young males are so into asserting their masculinity that I am not sold on her captivating their attention. 

As far as JB is concerned I understand it's important that MTV supports and acknowledges its large moneymakers.   There is something about a tween sharing the billing with Kanye that just does not sit well with me.  It could be that I am a huge hip hop fan, and while I like pop Justin Timberlake would seem to be a better fit.  Or maybe it's that I just view Bieber as a child, and I don't take him seriously as an artist.  Who knows.  Let's be real: outside a money-making perspective it makes zero sense; bottom line this odd host/guest lineup screams desperation for MTV to me. 

This morning they revealed their final ploy to reel viewers in: a bonus episode of Jersey Shore RIGHT before the VMAs.  Wow.  To me that means the VMA's are no longer capable of pulling the viewership they once had.  I remember back in the day EVERYONE watched the red carpet pre-show, the awards show, and the after show.  Now, you have to entice us with an extra dose of our favorite hard-partying guidos to try to get us to tune into your show?? I'm not sure if this is because MTV is in a strange position as the first generation grows up and shifts its focus on more stimulating material and no longer views the VMAs as necessary to view.  Personally,  I'll be recording Jersey Shore. Like many of my friends I will be tuned into HBO for the True Blood, Hung, and Entourage finales. 

I'm sorry MTV as much as I love MVP, Snooki, JWoww, Angelina, and the never-ending Sammi/Ronnie Drama there is NOTHING you can do to tear me away from my Sunday HBO.  Nothing.  And I think you know MANY others feel the same way which is why you used Jersey Shore as bait.  Not going to work.  Frankly as people who grew up watching MTV we know that you will re-run the show 50 times next week.  Perhaps I'll catch an encore.  Although, I may not.  After the premiere I will have a good idea of what occurred through Twitter, Facebook and the blogosphere to know if it's worth my time. Or, like many others, I may just youtube the performances worth seeing and scrap the rest. 

The Obligatory Tiger Woods Post

The entire world knows (perhaps too much) what occurred between Tiger and Elin during their marriage.  Their union ended this week, and both can focus on moving forward with their lives.  One aspect of the dissolution of their marriage that intrigues me is Tiger and his role as a future spokesperson.  Now that he is divorced and no longer committing adultery I am curious to see if he can resume his job of brand ambassador.

Tiger has had a rough year personally and professionally.  His family endured a  struggle that most would hate to go through in their private lives, while in the midst of the public eye.  To top it off, after losing key endorsements he has performed rather poorly (for him) at his career.  His less than stellar performances on the golf course are not surprising.  Some might proclaim this is karma and/or his head isn't in the right place causing him to suffer in all aspects of his life.   While those explanations are possible I think there could be something else going on behind the scenes. 

Is it wrong to consider that maybe Tiger is playing us? He can take out all his frustrations in the arena where he excels.  His plan could be to keep a small presence in the PGA while he gets his life together.  What if while he is resolving his issues through golf he becomes better than ever??

I predict that next year Tiger will return to the beast we know and expect on the course.  I believe he will be better than he was before.   And when this occurs the endorsements WILL FOLLOW.

But Mad Media Maven who would want to endorse an adulterous divorced ex-sex maniac??

Excellent question-I'm glad you're paying attention!!  The answer is simple:  AMERICA!! 

The United States loves a good underdog story.  Even though Tiger was wrong, he apologized (with tears) and has  corrected his mistakes: completion of rehab, a private divorce, and most importantly-keeping a low profile.  Now, after losing things that he valued (beautiful wife, family unit, longtime coach) he could be perceived as an underdog.   Our society is built on tales of hard-earned triumpiant victories.  Tiger overcoming his strife and succeeding on the course will shut up critics and bring viewers back to golf.  

In a nutshell: if it worked for Kobe Bryant it can work for Tiger Woods.