tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post2671421729799924342..comments2024-03-25T19:18:14.047-04:00Comments on What's Alan Watching?: Modern Family, "Game Changer": The book of JobsAlan Sepinwallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03388147774725646742noreply@blogger.comBlogger106125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-10261122204489725182010-04-06T01:18:41.157-04:002010-04-06T01:18:41.157-04:00This episode was pretty bad. I didn't mind the...This episode was pretty bad. I didn't mind the iPad business so much as I did watching Phil become an emo kid. I think it's funny that a lot of the audience probably has no idea what an iPad does except come up with a digital cake. Maybe I missed the part where Phil gobs about the iPad when he's about to go wait in line at the Apple store. I despise Manny and the ADD kid. Hate the fkn baby too. I don't hate the gay couple, but they have some really annoying moments too. There are just too many different characters and storylines for a first season, which would be great if they were executed well like Arrested Development, but they haven't after the mid-season and everyone in the show is getting stale and predictable.Thongnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-38892134726196515372010-04-04T22:38:09.304-04:002010-04-04T22:38:09.304-04:00I've never cared about product placement in an...I've never cared about product placement in an entertainment program. Whatever keeps my shows on the air is fine by me. <br /><br />As product placements go, this one was practically seamless, especially as people in real life really are going to extremes to get their hands on an iPad. I believed that Phil would want an one more than anything in the world because that's his character. And iPads do look cool. After the episode was over, my mother (who could hardly be considered an early adopter of technology) said that if she had the money, she would go out and buy an iPad. I told her that she didn't even know what the iPad did, but that didn't matter. So, the product placement did kind of work.Lorriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16799438375116101818noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-87436979084033531852010-04-03T16:23:11.854-04:002010-04-03T16:23:11.854-04:00I find this whole situation fascinating. It really...I find this whole situation fascinating. It really highlights the issue of the presence of commercialization in our day-to-day lives. What is a show supposed to do when they want to do an episode about a character obsessing over a gadget? Make up some fake gadget? Similarly, are shows supposed to make up fake restaurants and other fake products if they ever want to have a storyline relating to something like that?<br /><br />I think people are letting their personal opinions about the iPad affect their view of the episode, and that is fascinating in it's own right. I think having some contrived debate about the iPad would have been very unrealistic and would've seemed pandering. Most people would not care what gadget a grown man wants.rhyshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11106822956424737053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-21723920476332071192010-04-03T04:41:32.060-04:002010-04-03T04:41:32.060-04:00Pretty much nothing worked in the episode. iPad in...Pretty much nothing worked in the episode. iPad included. That's the nature of comedy though. You can't kill it all the time.themightypuckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03288837159628526731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-11985885649614049512010-04-02T21:25:28.080-04:002010-04-02T21:25:28.080-04:00Felt like an Apple adFelt like an Apple adAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-85095772014969353182010-04-02T18:35:03.339-04:002010-04-02T18:35:03.339-04:00Count me in on the "Didn't bother me"...Count me in on the "Didn't bother me" end of things. The iPad is a cool gadget that has developed something of a small cult, independent of this episode's existence. Writing an episode about that fact, to me, is intelligently integrating the product with the show. As you say, Alan, product placement is a reality we must come to live with, and when writers treat something that's actually very cool as though it were very cool...I'm okay with it. So I guess what I'm saying is, if it's selling me a product that I actually enjoy, I'll buy a little product placement.<br /><br />I remember seeing the straight-to-DVD movie "Another Cinderella Story" with Selena Gomez (a friend wrote the screenplay, don't laugh), and the "glass slipper" had become a Zune with a really kick-ass playlist. Suddenly all the characters wanted this really cool Zune. Now, when characters call something like a Zune "cool," I start to get skeptical.Matthew Chesterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04077661644731921331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-73300570548313830312010-04-02T17:00:58.033-04:002010-04-02T17:00:58.033-04:00I was really surprised that iPad's role wasn&#...I was really surprised that iPad's role wasn't a "classic" product placement, because from marketing point of view this placement was well done - product was integrated in the story (actually iPad was the story), it was visible, they talked about it, Phil even said 'I love you' to it. <br /><br />The latest info about product non-placement is in my opinon a bit unbelievable. Even though a lot of people is really really excited about iPad, too many coincidences occured at once - Jobs, Disney, ABC, release date, ...<br /><br />Anyway I think that this case of product placement will be one of the most important placements in 2010.<br /><br />ErikErikhttp://www.brandsandfilms.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-17558396805035283162010-04-02T15:49:12.455-04:002010-04-02T15:49:12.455-04:00JOHN PATRONE said...
Anonymous said...
What, no co...<i>JOHN PATRONE said...<br />Anonymous said...<br />What, no comment on Phil's, "Ellie Mae" line to Claire? Brilliant. Pop culture at its finest.<br /><br />"Doohickey, Ellie Mae?"</i><br /><br />WONDERFUL reminder, people...<br /><br />I LOLed all over again.Allienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-45101451338476722072010-04-02T10:17:24.232-04:002010-04-02T10:17:24.232-04:00Really hated this episode. The Apple Cult of Cool ...Really hated this episode. The Apple Cult of Cool is beginning to become pretty disturbing to me.Larry Horsenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-19407187967773922992010-04-02T10:15:49.394-04:002010-04-02T10:15:49.394-04:00I am a rabid Apple hater. I honestly wish the comp...I am a rabid Apple hater. I honestly wish the company would go out of business.<br /><br />That said, I thought the episode was hilarious and don't mind product placement, as long as it's done well.Robert S. Porterhttp://twitter.com/rsporternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-7544027986196568062010-04-02T09:22:18.671-04:002010-04-02T09:22:18.671-04:00@Alf
Phil ALWAYS looks at the camera. It's n...@Alf <br /><br />Phil ALWAYS looks at the camera. It's now become part of his character to look at the camera whenever he feels selfconsious about doing something embarrassing or whenever he thinks he's being clever. Just off the top of my head, these moments includes:<br /><br />-right after shooting his son in the pilot ("I am your friend").<br />-just before stealing random kid's bike.<br />-right after tripping on the steps on his way to give Claire her anniversary gifs.<br />-when he saw he's smashed remote.<br />-when Denise gave his her hotal room card<br />-that after he tip-toed over that infamous step in last weeks episode.<br /><br />and several more.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13141377347057221463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-40497804808789097342010-04-02T07:31:33.898-04:002010-04-02T07:31:33.898-04:00One thing that took me out of the moment was Phil ...One thing that took me out of the moment was Phil catching the camera on him at the end as he was caressing the iPad. I didn't notice any other documentary-style things, so that stuck out.Alfnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-14931479241950765162010-04-02T06:27:29.264-04:002010-04-02T06:27:29.264-04:00There is a nice review of Apple's product plac...There is a nice review of Apple's product placement in this episode on Brands And Films as well - http://skrci.me/ipadTShttp://funkykaraoke.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-12768020025818706872010-04-02T01:45:55.352-04:002010-04-02T01:45:55.352-04:00If only ABC had just done the honorable thing and ...If only ABC had just done the honorable thing and stuck and iPad in the corner of the screen with a countdown to Saturday's launch ...Wade Kwonhttp://wadekwon.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-73579841893633900952010-04-01T23:14:54.189-04:002010-04-01T23:14:54.189-04:00Anonymous said...
What, no comment on Phil's, ...<i>Anonymous said...<br />What, no comment on Phil's, "Ellie Mae" line to Claire? Brilliant. Pop culture at its finest.</i><br /><br />"Doohickey, Ellie Mae?"<br /><br />I just raced through nearly 90 comments hoping no one had yet pointed out this three word gem. Alas, it was not to be, but while you're all debating product placement, this is what I remember.JOHN PATRONEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03884194132254499142noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-82975562560200159742010-04-01T22:58:26.308-04:002010-04-01T22:58:26.308-04:00@Dj - yes, just rewatched and caught Phil mentioni...@Dj - yes, just rewatched and caught Phil mentioning Apple store in response to a question from Luke about where his mother was. That's all the A-bombs I saw on the re-watch, despite ample opportunities throughout. And it definitely did seem like they were outside an Apple store - the Apple symbol is difficult to detect but it is there, high up the front wall. The cutboard cutouts of Apple Store personnel are also visible through the window. Interestingly, there are extras holding balloons to block out unpaid-for advertising from neighboring stores! <br /><br />My question is this: if the returns to Apple of product placement would be higher on TBBT than MF, then why would Steve Jobs' interests in Disney have any relevance? First, IF there was a product placement decision made here (and I agree that there wasn't), I can't imagine that Jobs is the guy who would actually make such a decision (isn't that why Apple pays the big bucks to the marketing experts?). But even if he would give ultimate approval and assuming the product-placement returns to Apple were higher on TBBT than on MF, then I think it's a big leap to suggest that Steve Jobs would sacrifice the financial interests of Apple because of much smaller personal interests in Disney. Surely Jobs would have more personal wealth and human capital risk tied up in Apple than in Disney.mjnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-72704203687031131332010-04-01T22:07:37.795-04:002010-04-01T22:07:37.795-04:00Is it really product placement if the product bein...Is it really product placement if the product being shown wasn't paid for, to be on the show?Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03260782257943760080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-71716338063276992362010-04-01T21:30:20.444-04:002010-04-01T21:30:20.444-04:00I liked this episode too.
But I'm pretty sure...I liked this episode too.<br /><br />But I'm pretty sure that wanting a highly visible and popular product doesn't make you an early adopter!Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18296753908886533233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-65025988172722757822010-04-01T20:26:21.899-04:002010-04-01T20:26:21.899-04:00Personally I loved the iPad storyline. It totally ...Personally I loved the iPad storyline. It totally hit home for me--my birthday is next week and I've been dropping hints for two months once I realized it would be coming out right on time. Claire's reactions were totally in character, and as someone who's been dragged by my daughter to early Black Friday sales I totally related to her falling asleep. Admittedly the final scene was a little over the top (I would have totally preferred a scene where he ended up feeling let down by the actual thing after all the hype and buildup) but I guess there's no way that would fly--maybe in a director's cut or something!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-36623880592948470972010-04-01T20:20:52.671-04:002010-04-01T20:20:52.671-04:00And there was no mention of Apple the company in t...<i>And there was no mention of Apple the company in the show, not even a real Apple Store was used in the Claire/Mitchell scene, nor did Claire mention going all over town to Apple Stores to find an iPad. I thought there were too many clues dropped that it WASN'T product placement (almost to the point of distraction!).</i><br /><br />I heard the A-bomb once or twice, and I'm fairly certain that that actually was the Apple Store at The Grove.<br /><br />As for the fact that Apple didn't pay for the product placement - again, doesn't make much difference since it's CEO has a large stake in ABC/Disney. That's why you wouldn't see something like this on Big Bang Theory. Payment or not, it is what it is - it's just done very well.<br /><br />Another thought on the ending, especially Phil's 'care so much' and 'first day of the rest of your life' comments - this is from the guy who has very specific desires for a robot dog, night vision goggles, GPS watch etc. How are his reactions in any way unexpected or jarring? <br /><br />I'd feel icky if someone referred to the iPad as a 'magical and revolutionary product', just like I did when Liz monologues about Verizon's network - and then she turns to the camera and asks 'Can we have our money now?' That's shoving something down your throat and detracting from the actual meat of the show, while MF's iPad references made it a part of a believable story within the show, which is far more interesting.Djnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-10847331428235456112010-04-01T19:25:30.466-04:002010-04-01T19:25:30.466-04:00What, no comment on Phil's, "Ellie Mae&qu...What, no comment on Phil's, "Ellie Mae" line to Claire? Brilliant. Pop culture at its finest.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-25498220153475957422010-04-01T19:19:32.035-04:002010-04-01T19:19:32.035-04:00Have Apple even been advertising the iPad recently...Have Apple even been advertising the iPad recently in regular tv ads? There's an order backlog already so if you haven't pre-ordered you won't get it for at least 10 days. And Apple would have known this for some time. Which is why it seems they aren't currently advertising the iPads on tv. Which is also why, I thought, they wouldn't pay for product placement. <br /><br />And there was no mention of Apple the company in the show, not even a real Apple Store was used in the Claire/Mitchell scene, nor did Claire mention going all over town to Apple Stores to find an iPad. I thought there were too many clues dropped that it WASN'T product placement (almost to the point of distraction!). <br /><br />Even if Apple were going to do a product placement, surely The Big Bang Theory would have been a better outlet, not only because of the likely demographics but because TBBT reaches a significantly greater audience. <br /><br />So, assuming it was not product placement, I agree with commenters who saw the episode as an inspired way of connecting the show with the real world. It made me emotionally connect with the outcome much more than if the product had been called the iSlate or something as meaningless. Very cleverly done, MF writers.mjnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-48408112852690022742010-04-01T19:12:49.215-04:002010-04-01T19:12:49.215-04:00I thought this episode was hilarious! Maybe its cu...I thought this episode was hilarious! Maybe its cuz i work in media, but i didn't find the placement annoying at all. Phil's spiraling depression was hilarious and certainly played right into the character.SoCalnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-24095922377030964032010-04-01T18:59:47.571-04:002010-04-01T18:59:47.571-04:00The product placement was way more cringeworthy on...The product placement was way more cringeworthy on last night's episode of Bones, where two characters awkwardly managed to work in the Toyota Sienna's (mentioned by name) ample roominess and revolutionary backup camera technology. I was almost surprised when they didn't continue on to discuss how hard the company was working to gain back America's trust.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-91221695712320214162010-04-01T18:53:43.113-04:002010-04-01T18:53:43.113-04:00Cool. I'm not shocked in the least that there...Cool. I'm not shocked in the least that there was no product placement. It always felt authentically Phil-like. He's a giant kid, he loves toys, shiny things, gadgets, and he's got the focus of a child, as the hilarious episode of last week showed.<br /><br />I am happier to know I was right. Nice.Allienoreply@blogger.com