Be Careful What You Ask For

I've been watching a lot of Cardinals baseball this week. What can I say? I'm into torture. Nothing too painful, mind you, but still, I enjoy watching beat downs. However, one thing makes me cringe more than the bad baseball itself -- those Ford commercials with the dude who won American Idol.

Judging from that commercial, either the "talent" on the show this round was pretty damned miserable or he claimed the pity vote from America -- his scratchy voice and herky-jerky spasms across the stage must have triggered a wave of compassion unseen in this nation in many years . . . compassionate conservatism indeed.

In any case, does having him attempt to sing really sell Ford trucks? I seriously doubt vast numbers of teenage girls are watching Cardinals baseball games - or any baseball games for that matter, and I pretty sure that if you're in the truck-buying demographic: older than 20, needs a truck for some reason or another, then some prematurely gray-haired "singer" really isn't going to move too many trucks off the lot.

I think we're seeing one of the inherent problems of cross-promotion here: sure it helps getting your name out, and ultimately, no publicity is bad publicity. However, I can't help but think that this ad is going to cause nothing but backlash. Most guys I know of turn it off in annoyance -- if they're paying attention to commercials at all, and those who do let it sneak through their filters (either TiVO or personal) probably aren't going to run out and purchase a Ford. (Personally, it makes me want to run them off the road, which I did this morning - three times). And I can't imagine it's helping skippy's "career" (aka - three years of producing banal, soporific pop while basking in the glow of a nation's utter indifference).

In the end, I don't really have all the answers . . . or really, too many at all. Maybe this will sell more trucks and albums. Maybe Ford will continue it's decline. Maybe this dude will sing the greatest song ever and bring love and harmony to all God's children. Somehow I doubt it. I do know one thing, however, and that's when the screen fades to black and the commericals come up, I'm doing my part to help him - and Ford slide into irrelavence: I'm changing the channel.