TV, The TDF, kids, and commercials

[Dekonick]

OK - just a rant.

WHY do (I know... revenue...) they insist on showing horror movie commercials during the earling morning hours when my little kids are with me watching the tour on VS?


Sheesh -

:crap:

I am all about free speech etc... but at least give me a warning what you are show - like you do for the programming itself. I would assume cycling on TV would be rated G - or PG at worst... so why the R rated commercials?

:crap:

[jhcakilmer]

+1000.....I have to scramble to change the channel, spill my coffee, and hope my kids will sleep okay tonight. Both of my sons enjoy watching the races, which is great, but disappointing that VS can't use some discretion in their producing. Why not leave those "appropriate for all audiences my a$$" ads for primetime, or later?

Plus another question I have, who in the world goes to see movies like that??? They are so pointless (are they really entertaining? seriously? maybe an adrenaline rush?), lack any semblance of a coherent plot, sub-par acting at best, etc. Seems like we have fewer and fewer quality movies, each year. So many are so monotonously formulaic, or so deeply dependent on graphic/special effects, that they are just down right ridiculous.

Cyclist need to start soliciting at movie theaters....Adrenaline Junkies Wanted!

[BumbleBeeDave]

+1000.....I have to scramble to change the channel, spill my coffee, and hope my kids will sleep okay tonight. Both of my sons enjoy watching the races, which is great, but disappointing that VS can't use some discretion in their producing. Why not leave those "appropriate for all audiences my a$$" ads for primetime, or later?

Plus another question I have, who in the world goes to see movies like that??? They are so pointless (are they really entertaining? seriously? maybe an adrenaline rush?), lack any semblance of a coherent plot, sub-par acting at best, etc. Seems like we have fewer and fewer quality movies, each year. So many are so monotonously formulaic, or so deeply dependent on graphic/special effects, that they are just down right ridiculous.

Cyclist need to start soliciting at movie theaters....Adrenaline Junkies Wanted!

. . . "horror" movies you've seen 'em all. There must be a lot of bored people in the world if they need to go see stuff like this to get a thrill. I have enough stress and drama in my real-life life . . . :eek:

BBD

[roguedog]

+ 1

I always joke " If I really wanted to be scared, I'd just watch the news..."

. . . "horror" movies you've seen 'em all. There must be a lot of bored people in the world if they need to go see stuff like this to get a thrill. I have enough stress and drama in my real-life life . . . :eek:

BBD

[xjoex]

The horror movie ad is just too creepy, we change the channel every time.

-Joe

[rwsaunders]

Ever watch a pro football game with your kids lately? Between male enhancement ads and Flonase, it takes a lot of explaining. Like Joe, I just flip the channel.

[konstantkarma]

One word: DVR :) ! Seriously, I finally bought a DVR BECAUSE of the stupid, inappropriate commercials shown during football games. My kids are 3 and 5 and they like to watch football with Daddy. After being subjected to promos for network "crime scene" shows, I realized I had to take control away from the network dimwits. Now we proudly fast-forward through most commercials, and anything else we find annoying.......including the in-car shots of team directors talking on radios during Le Tour:crap: .

[erector]

so i really do enjoy a good horror movie, although I haven't seen a GOOD one in a long time. Exorcist, Shining, the Ring was pretty good, etc. But the reason I enjoy them is usually because of a good story, a bit of adrenaline, just an overall good scare.

That being said... I really think the people who schedule commercials for VS. do need to consider their audience in the AM hours. I mean true, they've got extendze commercials almost every commercial break, but I guess they figure more men watch the tour than women.

[gman]

My five year old daughter asked me the other day why the man was smiling so much. She said he must be really happy. Enzyte commercial....stupid.

[sc53]

I'm watching the Tour with my two dogs and that horror movie ad scares ME. There's another one, though, that I've actually used my Tivo to replay a couple times--the one with the mutt who's worried about keeping his bone safe, with a Ray LaMontaigne song "Trouble" playing in the background, an evil cat eyeing the bone, a bad squirrel worrying him about the safety of the bone buried in the yard--it's a Traveler's insurance commercial and of Super Bowl quality! You can let your kids watch that one...

[Volant]

I totally agree on this one. If the content of the program is 'G', the commercials should not be 'R'. What are these folks thinking?!

[GuyGadois]

+1

I could also do without the UFC fighting ads. My two young boys already beat on each other enough. The last thing I want is for them to learn a couple of take-down moves.

-GG-

[vqdriver]

OP is right on point with this one. but i don't find it confined to vs., it seems that even the networks have become much more lax about what they deem as appropriate for prime time.

i think the distinction becomes what is overtly graphic, such as war and sex, vs what is disturbing, like creepy-undead-eyes-staring-at-you-for-too-long-thru-the-tv type stuff. they know they can get away with the latter, especially since a lot of the horror impact seems to be in the sound and not the image, which is more difficult to screen from children's ears.

frankly, when i'm watching with my kids i'd rather see a sex scene pop up suddenly then a horror flick commercial. the opposite if i'm watching with my in-laws.

now, the real world. how many movie studios are trying to market their new torture-porn movies to people who'll sit for hours watching the tdf? not many. advertising is normally targeted to get the best bang for the buck. but in the absence of appropriate sponsors, stations will air what they do have over and over again, regardless of what show is actually on. if versus had commercials from a credit card company or maybe even nike or gatorade, they'd be getting some serious exposure.

[Dekonick]

I doubt any child will have nightmares from any sex or 'enhancement' advert. It might require some explaining... I am ok with that.

What I am not ok with is disturbing images and sounds being broadcast when little ones are up and potentially being exposed. There is research showing that little minds are developing - and don't handle this sensory information the way an adult does. They are unable to distinguish between real and pretend...ATMO this is potentially harmful for the kids exposed to this crap - just like second hand smoke.
Again - I understand economics, but there still should be some warning before showing material like this so you can tune it out and protect your children.

It is hard enough limiting exposure to 'screen time' - now you have to police G rated TV because of the adverts...

There used to be a DVR made by Replay - the ReplayTV. They were sued and forced to change how their DVR worked - it used to automatically skip commercials - now DVR's don't skip commercials, you still have to manually fast forward or jump 30 second gaps. No matter how careful you are, there will be times some content will be seen/heard before you FF...

I pay enough for cable TV and the DVR as it is - :crap:

At least it has proven to be an interesting race up to this point.... :D

[cmg]

the constant Cadillac advertisement scares me........... Going to save the company with that one, yea.....sports utility wagon, stationwagon no matter what call it, vista crusier, turbo charged sofa.

[dd74]

Bobke scares me.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8w9muC7l7eU/SZdFLydJi9I/AAAAAAAAAAg/XSq3C-8ybg8/S220/burns.jpg
More so now...

[Climb01742]

it's sorta a good news, bad news thing...very true that some of the spots are in questionable taste but...the more advertisers who want to run on cycling, the more cycling will run. a poor taste chicken could lay a tasty cycling egg. not a perfect situation but whoever pays for all of the versus coverage is to be applauded...at least with one hand. :beer:

[1centaur]

I was kind of non-plussed by a half hour commercial free brought to you by Chrysler. Wait, isn't that me, paying to advertise to me, with ads at the beginning and end that I skip on my DVR? How could I be so irresponsible?

[jcmuellner]

I'm surprised advertisers waste their money on the horror film, fighting and Snuggie commercials during the TdF and companies like Garmin don't use them for electronics and similar sponsor products. There's already interstitials for Trek, Specialized and Cannondale and I can see that as proper placement...maybe some travel promos for the Basque region? Illes Balears used to do that when they sponsored a team.

Someone is not paying attention or the ad system is not sophisticated enough to discern between bull riding and cycling....

[dd74]

I don't know. It's not much worse than IRL on ABC. Almost every commercial features Danica Patrick. Yeah, she's cute - but then again, seeing her in a Boost Mobile commercial then a Go-Daddy.com spot, ad nausea is like revisiting the buffet table one too many times.

At least F1 on FOX has a Mercedes Benz crashing through a plate glass window.