“True Blood”: Only Skin Deep

by Freddy J. Nager, Founder & Fusion Director, Atomic Tango LLC

Not my type.

I finally got around to watching the first season of “True Blood” on DVD — yeah, I know,  I’m a total TV slacker — but I survived only four episodes.

“True Blood” begins with an intriguing level of satire that quickly devolves into soap operatics and — even worse — boring stereotypes. Creator Alan Ball cleverly uses vampires to symbolize the coming out of the gay community, but his vampires are clichéd, smug and brooding. Rather than being high-minded immortals espousing centuries of amassed wisdom, they’re self-indulgent fetishists living solely for debauchery. Yawn. If vampires are supposed to represent the gay community, Ball is doing the latter a great disservice. Indeed, with the exception of the leading romantic interest, most of the vampires are hyper-violent dicks, so I actually found myself siding with the bigots: uh, yeah, it’s probably not the best idea to mingle with superpowered creatures hell bent on eating you.

Going Out with a Really Big Bang: Celebrities Planning Even Grander Finales

by Freddy J. Nager, Founder & Fusion Director, Atomic Tango LLC

The following is a satirical work of fiction. Those easily offended should surf to safer territory now…

"You ain't seen nothin' yet..."

In the wake of Michael Jackson’s massive, media-saturated funeral, several Hollywood celebrities are reportedly looking into how they can make sure their own forthcoming funerals are as sensational.

Like Tears in Rain: How Sci-Fi Series Go All to Hell

by Freddy J. Nager, Founder & Fusion Director, Atomic Tango LLC

"A TV series based on 'Blade Runner.' Really, is that too much to ask? But no, you give us 'Real Housewives of Orange County' instead... Time to die!"

When “Battlestar Galactica” concluded, its fans lamented that the series had to end, but were thrilled that it departed on a good note. Compare that to the fans of “Lost,” who are saying “WTF?!” after its later episodes. Then there are the still-hurting fans of “Firefly,” who saw Joss Whedon’s brilliant series nipped in the bud by a network that seemed intent on destroying it. (The subsequent “Firefly”-based movie, “Serenity,” helped alleviate the pain. A little.) Whedon’s next experience with “Dollhouse” drove him from TV for good. And, of course, there’s “Star Trek,” that short-lived 60s series that’s been born again in movie theaters thanks to the man behind “Lost”…

Who Says No One Watches Commercials Anymore? Ads Move iPhone Apps

A screengrab from a YouTube video of an Apple television commercial about reading a book on your phone now appearing on a blog.

I hear it all the time:

“Advertising is a waste of money.”
“If you have a great product, you don’t need to advertise.”
“Word of mouth is more effective than traditional media.”
“It’s impossible to cut through the clutter.”
“Most consumers tune out or TiVo past commercials.”

While these declarations might be true in some cases, many bullheaded companies still invest millions in advertising — and not just during the Super Bowl when everyone is paying attention to the commercials.

Are these companies just clueless losers who are stuck in the past? I don’t know — would you describe Apple that way?

“Show Me Your V”: It’s about sports. Really. I think.

Why? Why? Why?

Raise your hand if you’ve heard of Versus… Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

Apparently, not too many people know about the small sports network, which I personally appreciate for bringing me football games from the PAC-10 and the Ivy League. Where else would I be able to catch the Harvard-Cornell game in L.A.?

Obviously, Versus wants more than us middle-aged marketing geeks. So in an effort to generate awareness, Versus is asking for more than a show of hands. They’re literally asking people to “Show Me Your V.”

Really.

Exorcise Your Memory: Ghosts of Xmas Past? Cool. Ads of Xmas Past? Not So Much.

As this economy continues to just lie there, unmoving and unappetizing as cold turkey giblets, some businesses are trying to save money by re-airing their old holiday commercials. After all, those ads cost a lot to produce, so why not wring the last morsel of value from them?

It’s About Time: Fox TV Acknowledges That Less Is More

Fox TV has a long history of upsetting the status quo. At its launch, it gave the finger to the mainstream networks and introduced edgier shows such as “The Simpsons,” “In Living Color” and “Married With Children.” Sure, this meant smaller overall audiences than its rivals, but it scored with the ever desirable 18-49 demo, whom advertisers love. Now Fox TV is rocking the ad world again…

Dan Neil: Your Automotive Word Slut

If you lust after cars like I do, then the writer you need to read — yes, NEED — is Dan Neil of the L.A. Times. Even if you don’t care about cars, you’ll love his column, “Rumble Seat.” As a former writer for Toyota, Nissan & Infiniti, I relish every syllable…

So Robotic: The Terminator In Review

by Freddy J. Nager, Founder & Fusion Director, Atomic Tango LLC

The first season of “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” wrapped up last week. (If you missed any of it, Fox offers entire episodes on its rich multimedia promo site.) T-tv did fulfill its mission of entertaining young males and, ahem, some middle-aged ones during Monday Night Football’s cruel hiatus. But it left far too many questions — and I’m not talking about what will happen next season…