The Height of Tackiness

My adopted state of Georgia uses a television alert system to provide details about children who are missing or kidnapped. That's an excellent idea. But what's not so excellent is that the alert system is not only sponsored by Levi's Jeans -- still okay, as far as I'm concerned; Georgia's a poor state -- the alert itself that appears on television is known as a "Levi's call" for help. Do alerts announcing a child is missing or kidnapped really need to be commercialized? Couldn't Levi's have left it at "this alert system is funded, in part, by Levi's Jeans"?

First US Cellular Field instead of Comiskey Park. Now this. Isn't anything too important to have a commercial sponsor?

Comments

[Tung Yin]

My colleague Randy Bezanson jokes about the day when, in the middle of class, we'll have to say, "And now, for our Microsoft minute. . . ."

My mother used to talk about the commercializing of America and used to attribute the rise in crime at least partially to people (usually young) who had come, thanks to ads, to feel "entitled" to the goodies displayed. As if they should have whatever it was. "You deserve..."

She was born in 1918 and she said her childhood memories included Burma-Shave signs, an occasional ad on the side of a barn, and now and then a poster glued to a fence.

She said that the commercialization of America really started to gather steam during the 50's with the return of the GIs from Europe and Africa and the Pacific, the glorification of the unitary family and the ubiquitousness of TV. (no, of course there isn't such a word. but there should be.)

When she died in 2001...well, you can fill in that part for yourself.

[tom]

A few years ago a minor league baseball team in Maine sold a sponsorship arrangement for the National Anthem to a grocery store chain. It was introduced by the p.a. announcer as "Shaw's Star Spangled Banner," as if the grocery store name was part of the song title, as if Key was watching the British bombard a supermarket. It met with such violent protest that the team scrapped the deal after just one game. Score one for dignity, at least for now.

[David]

"Thank you for calling 911, sponsored by Leavum & Burnham, Attorneys at Law. Our operators are busy..."

[g]

I wonder if Levi isn't doing itself more harm than good by associating itself with kidnapping. As for Comiskey Park being renamed U.S. Cellular Field, since it's not even the original Comiskey Park I really don't see anything wrong about it.