Tag Actors

Truth in Advertising

Michael Leave a comment

Have you seen the ad on television for a laxative that across the bottom of the screen says “this is an advertisement?”  Really now, is this truth in advertising gone too far?  Is it necessary that every time somebody says something on a television ad that they must be identified as professional or everyday Joe?

Pay attention to the next ads for vitamins, pain relievers, or laxatives as they march across your TV screen.  There in a neatly pressed white consultation jacket is the spokesperson to tell you that the laxative will work gently overnight.  Just so you aren’t too taken away by the efficiency of those who invented said laxative, fine print across the bottom of the screen reminds you that the person in the neatly pressed white jacket is a “doctor dramatization.”  An actor even!  Now you know that he didn’t extoll the laxative’s overnight virtues from years of research but just read the ad copy.

Next, somebody is hawking the latest in floor cleaner.  It could be that she is just a regular Joe (or Josephine).  To be sure the little letters across the bottom of the screen now let you know that the person saying those nice things about the latest mop is being compensated for his or her time to tell you what the ad writers have written.

Labor Day recently gone by traditionally ushers in school starts, fall with its turning leaves, cooler temperatures, and the November general election.  Here, television ads for governor have been running on air throughout the summer.  Now they will only increase in frequency and annoyance.  The two candidates have a handful of different ads to air so that, we suppose, nobody gets too tired seeing the same one over and again.  But the one candidate’s, although with different backdrops, all say the same thing and start the same way.  “Did you see my opponent’s ad with this actress talking about me?”  Gee, we didn’t realize they used actors and actresses in political ads.  Is that important?  If they used real constituents to read the script nobody could keep a straight face for those 30 seconds.

It used to be so much easier when whomever regulates advertising said that a company couldn’t say their car got 100 miles per gallon when it barely got ten, when the hamburger bought at a drive through looked at least a little like the one on television, when the laundry soap got at least some of the stains out.

Now that they’ve taken care of those pesky issues we have to be careful that we don’t confuse an ad with a news report.  Remember the next time you see a person drooling over a frozen dinner on television to check the bottom of the screen and see if it doesn’t say “hungry person dramatization.”  You wouldn’t want to be misled that frozen food is tasty in its own right.

Now that’s what we think. Really. How ‘bout you.

Nobody in the Middle

Michael Leave a comment

Not so many days ago, He and She were watching television by telephone.  That’s when we’re each watching the same program, in this case movie, at our own houses while discussing the proceedings by phone for the duration.  It’s a perfectly acceptable alternative to side by side viewing when either of us is quite comfy staying right where she or he (or She or He) might by, and/or neither of us wants to go out in the cold and snow.  There are added benefits.  Either of us could also read the paper, play a computer game, or watch the deer outside the window and not distract the other.  On particularly hungry days it’s also possible to eat a full meal without the other being wise to the extra caloric consumption going on so long as the meal doesn’t consist of crunchy tacos.  Surely we’re not the only ones who do something like that.

But we digress.  We were watching an old movie starring among others, Patricia Neal.  A very young Patricia Neal.  A 1950’s vintage Patricia Neal.  Whenever we watch old movies we seem to end up playing that game “I wonder what ever happened to her.” Or him.  Although we could recall other movies featuring a young Patricia Neal, neither of us could recall anything in which she was featured after the late 50’s other than an occasional coffee ad on television.  She had entered the dreaded Middle Age Zone, one from which there is no available film character regardless of the talent of the star.  Not until card carrying members of the Screen Actors’ Guild pass through the donut hole and become older, character actors do we ever see them again.

We know that most movie goers are young adults and most young adults want to see other young adults on the big screen.  But there are some older (over 35) people still with disposable income who go to the movies.  Must they also be content watching children cavort in digital splendor?  Surely there is room somewhere for a middle age character other than mom or pop for 10 or 15 minutes throughout the movie.  (That’s twice we used the word “surely” so you know we really mean it.)

It is still acceptable for “older” actors to be featured in movies.  A great example is “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” which starred nobody but older actors.  These are people everybody relates to.  The older movie goer remembers them as young actors when the movie goers themselves were young.  The young movie goers saw the older actors hosting Saturday Night Live a month before the release of the movie.  And even the middle age movie goers sort of remember their parents speaking of these people as fine actors or their children recounting how cool they were on SNL last week.

There are exceptions.  “It’s Complicated” featured Meryl Streep, Steve Martin, and Alec Baldwin well past young actorhood but not yet in their golden years.  You might say they were smack in the middle of the Middle Age Zone.  These sorts of movies are rare but when they come along they are usually quite entertaining and end up making somebody quite a bit of money.  Never a bad thing in business.

So why doesn’t somebody exploit these people while they are traversing the donut hole from youngster to eccentric?  That could be the question of the decade.  Or at least for a few more years until a few more of our favorite former young actors join the eccentric crowd and we can now answer, “I wonder what ever happened to her.” Or him.

Now, that’s what we think. Really. How ‘bout you?