Lex Luthor Is My President

Jerry Seinfeld plays Jimmy Olsen, and Superman plays George Costanza. Or something like that.

Comments

[Franklin Harris]

Um... Lex got impeached.

[Warren]

cute... Ummmm, is this really worth a H&R post? I've already got a dozen people that email me every 'kitty with string' picture they come across. Not that everything here needs to be socially relevant. I'm just saying.

[James Merritt]

It was one thing, to turn Space Ghost into a parody of himself: that ended up being pretty funny (although Brak is MY president!).

Doing the "Space Ghost" makeover on Superman is just wrong. I watched the Today interview of S & S with Matt Lauer, earlier in the week. For me -- someone who has literally sat in Seinfeld's audience (Tahoe) and laughed along with the rest -- there was no entertainment value whatsoever. Even the technology geek's fascination with the melding of live action and animation, which usually redeems crap like this for me, didn't kick in. There was no reason for this except to get the viewer's attention long enough to sell him something. THIS is the product of corporate partnership and synergy? Puh-leeze.

You don't tug on Superman's cape.

The good news for "Seinfeld" fans appears to be that they let Jerry out of jail. Did he serve his time honorably, or did he rat out Elaine, George, and Kramer for parole clemency? My money says those three hapless schnooks are rotting in solitary. Anybody who could dis Superman would have no trouble giving his posse over to the man.

[Mark S.]

"Um... Lex got impeached."

Yeah, and Talia Head (i.e. Ra's Al Ghul's daughter and Batman's occassional girlfriend) whom Lex put in charge of this company looted LexCorp.

[J. Alexander Lowman]

Oh c'mon James. Like Superman is such an important icon that he can't be parodied. Is there any such thing as an icon so important it can't be parodied. I thought it was midly entertaining and a great way to push your product without being too in-your-face about it.

I think maybe you've got a little thing for Superman. 🙂

[Mo]

Superman's gay?!?! That explains the tights at least. 🙂

[Dink]

Geek alert.

[James Merritt]

J. Alex says, "Oh c'mon James. Like Superman is such an important icon that he can't be parodied. ... I think maybe you've got a little thing for Superman. :)"

No. I just have a thing for cherished memories of youth, and I don't like having them stepped on continually. Messing with Superman in a crass and disrespectful way (disrespectful, that is, to the willing suspension of disbelief that millions of comic book readers over the years have engaged in to enjoy the character in the first place), merely to sell product is over my line. It's the same with the overkill overuse of pop songs from the 60s, 70s, and 80s, to provide commercial hooks for boomers in the modern day (another bastardization, at which TimeWarner appears to excel, though they are by no means alone in the racket).

I didn't like what Eddie Murphy did to Dr. Doolittle (originally a pudgy, middle-aged, and faily misanthropic British white guy), either, yet what he did is a hell of a lot more defensible than what Seinfeld did (and what the "elves" do when they use beloved pop music to "take aim at the heart and soul of the spender," as Jackson Browne once wrote).

I love a good Superman parody as much as the next guy, but this wasn't good, and the fact that it is being used to sell product makes it even worse. Thumbs way down from me, as if you couldn't guess.

[J. Alexander Lowman]

No problem, we all have our views.

I get very annoyed at the all-too-obvious targeted advertising, but am pleased that I am intelligent enough to see right through it and so it really doesn't bother me. But then again, not much does really bother me. Some would call me apathetic. 🙂

[James Merritt]

J. Alex says, "I get very annoyed at the all-too-obvious targeted advertising, but am pleased that I am intelligent enough to see right through it and so it really doesn't bother me. "

Who DOESN'T see through the all-too-obvious targeted advertising? The problem with using icons of childhood and youth, such as comic book characters and favorite pop songs, is that, at some level, they approach us below our radar and defenses. You may pat yourself on the back for seeing through a cheap come-on, but that doesn't mean it doesn't affect you on some deeper level. For example, take a pop song. If you like it, and even if you don't but merely find it familiar, the advertising words and slogans ride piggy-back on the "carrier wave," whether you consciously admit them or not. Now, you may have more ability to act according to conscious intention than the next person, to resist whatever knee-jerk reaction the ad is trying to elicit. But at very least, you'll keep those words around in your head for a while, at which point the advertisers win: brain cells in your head are now devoted to recording their message, which they are counting on you to recall at opportune moments for them. Not everyone will recall or react in favorable ways or at opportune times for the advertiser, but enough will to justify the use of the technique to someone who is minding the bottom line.

Frankly, it's like Multi-Level-Marketing, where the vendor counts on the sales force to exploit personal connections and relationships to overcome natural sales resistance. This is one of the reasons why MLM gets such a bad rap, and deservedly so, in my opinion. It's a slimy practice, even a step below using school kids and girl scouts to sell cookies and candy (but at least "for a good cause"). A variation of it inspired the maxim, "patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel."

I have learned to steer away from people and companies that shamelessly exploit people's past associations, whether interpersonal, pop-culture, or what have you. On the other hand, Amex and Jerry do us a service to demonstrate, once again, that you can trust nobody, not even Superman (or the people responsible for him). In the modern age especially, being suspicious and skeptical is a good thing. I'm just sorry that the important lesson must be learned over the ashes of fond childhood memories. Is it the mission of advertisers to kill whatever is left of the children within us? I say screw 'em.

[Douglas Fletcher]

120 words or less, James. Keep repeating...

[Xavier]

This isn't George Costanza as Superman. It's David Puddy (played by Patrick Warburton).

[James Merritt]

Douglas Fletcher says, "120 words or less, James. Keep repeating..."

Are you offering to pay me for the brevity? See, here's the thing: either there is something in my comments that is worth reading, or there isn't. If there isn't, a mouseclick lets you skip. If there is, you can spend a minute to take it in. If you want to be able to take it in any more quickly, you can pay me to make it shorter, or you can learn to read faster. In the time it takes to craft a really good 100-words-or-less piece, these threads dry up and scroll away, anyway, so only the most talented could finish something worth reading before it were obsolete. I don't see much evidence of that kind of stellar talent around here.

If we're only here to be infotained by the tortured, one-line pop-culture references of the terminally hip and jaded, then how crazy is THAT? For anyone who knows how to read, going through my longest posting takes less time than the first paragraph alone would require, in person or on the phone.

Using snide comments to cut down people who have something to say is a very counterproductive tactic. If what you mean is that you disagree with me and just wish I'd leave, go ahead and say so.

[Jimmy Antley]

James,

I read your whole post, and I disagree (except about Multi-level marketing, aka Pyramid Schemes, aka Social Security).

Looky, the first thing you need is a remote with a mute switch. I don't like TV anymore anyway, but I used to not listen to many of the commercials even when I did. Even our old 12" B/W set had a rigged up switch wired to the speaker.

But, here's the thing: I have listened to and watched some commericals over and over and realized later that I had no idea what they were selling, though I remember the commercial. They don't really work at all, and I think the Madison Ave. people are fooling themselves a lot.

You want an example - that business about "if you go there don't bring your american express card, ... it's priceless" and all that. I never did get whether it was Mastercard or Amex that they were knocking or promoting (or vice versa). I remember the commerical vividly (as you can tell ;-}, but dang if I know what I'm supposed to do, bring the card or not, bring cash, what the fuck am I supposed to do, TV announcer man?!? Turns out, I don't give a rat's ass. I'll bring cash as I usually do, plus I don't go to fancy-ass yuppy places anyway.

Exhibit 2: That gekko. He's really cute; I don't think anyone can argue with that. But, I ended up calling Progressive insurance, or whatever, about a year later, and the rates sucked.
So, everybody wins here. I keep my old car insurance, which is basically no insurance, the Madison Ave. people win awards and make money, the TV show stays on the air, though I don't watch it, and all I have to do is think of that gekko and it brightens my day.

Is this post too long for y'all, or am I being too obtuse?

(Oh, I previewed this time, and have no idea why the word insurance has HTML behind it. Only the gekko knows...)

[Douglas Fletcher]

Yeah, Jimbo, why think about it before you go off and post something. Just let your wondrous thoughts flow like a river from your mind. We humbly await, having nothing better to do with our time than sorting out whether or not you actually have something to say.

[Joe Majsterski]

Not to make an obvious point, but it seems like a serious waste of resources to get upset about this. It's a classic case of "if you don't like it, don't look/listen/whatever." I personally had a few laughs and enjoyed it.

[Jimmy Antley]

Yeah, Dougie, I can see you have lots better to do, you geek, you ;-}

I figured the post was clear enough, but I'll go ahead and explain it again:

I was answering Mr. Merritt's post by giving a couple of examples of how advertising does not necessarily work. So, not to worry or be upset about being bombarded by it, as far as I'm concerned, as they are getting nothing from you.

I also suggested the old mute switch, which I'm sure Mr. Merritt is aware of, but it sure makes me feel like TV better, if I ever watch anymore.

Was this clear enough, Dougie? You have to be able to read posts that are long enough to sufficiently explain their theses. If not for H&R readers, at least do it for yourself. In 3-4 years, when your SAT's are coming up, you will need this reading comprehension skill, and will most likely publicly thank me (and James).

[Jimmy Antley]

WAS:
"makes me feel like TV better"

S/B "makes me like TV better"

Also, the last part was about the fact that in the Preview HTML form, some of the words were made into links, for some Reason (TM). However, this problem didn't carry through to the final comment form. Some web folks must be mucking around with the site lately.

[Jesse Walker]

This isn't George Costanza as Superman.

I was referring to Superman's role as Seinfeld's best friend, not to the guy who's playing him.

Seems to me that James is making a big deal out of a goofy little series of ads. But then again, Superman was never a big icon for me -- even as a kid, I thought he was the dullest of the superheroes.

[transgender]

Good job !