The Cranky Media Guy

Ads Turning Up in ‘Lonelygirl15′: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance

Yeah, I know the article says that 90% of the 200 viewers who wrote in said that they don’t mind product placement in the Lonelygirl15 web show, but I don’t think the audience in general is going to tolerate it for long, especially when the producers will inevitably start putting more and more of the things into the show.  Once they get a taste of that sweet, sweet product placement cashola, they’ll start sticking plugs all over the thing.  Drama requires that the audience suspend disbelief and commercials stuck into the middle of the plot take the audience out of the narrative.  Sorry, but that’s just how it works. 

They’ll go for the fast and easy buck.  In time, they’ll wonder why their hit count is dropping.  Oh well, it was a cute idea while it lasted.