Really??

I understand that movies and t.v. are slowly merging into one venue. Soon, in the not so distant future, all will be able to enjoy movies on enormous screens that are borderless and all encompassing, right in the middle of the living room without the annoying theatergoers and sticky floors. The classic memory of theaters will become the romanticized cult style nostalgia for my grandchildren or great grandchildren and the darlings will collect and scavenge items from garage sales and antique malls searching out items of old as a hobby rather than a way to watch movies (similar to collection of the 8 track players). Even now, I fondly recall theaters that were not stadium style, like the one I worked in when I was a young lass, the chairs seemed smaller and the arms didn't lift up so couples could cuddle... and don't even get me started on the lack of cup holder.

So, I was watching Bones (I have major crush on David Boreanaz)the other week... and for some reason tonight the observation just came to me... I realized I had been incredibly bored with the show. Sure, Bones and Booth were not on screen as much as usual, but there was more. There was this entire sub-plot going on with Hodgins, Sweets, and that creepy Shaggy (you know, Scooby-Doo) look-a-like assistant, and then I asked myself... WHY did this sub plot irritate me so? Because it revolved around the trailer for the movie Avatar. Is James Cameron really this worried about the hype of Avatar? I have seen the trailers... and it looks fantastic! I thought the concept was pretty cool and the special effects appear spectacular. Granted one never knows until the entire film is watched, but the teasers, in my humble opinion were doing the job.

Now, I get that people are not watching commercials much anymore, since DVR's were so wonderfully invented, but MUST we watch entire promotions IN the shows that interest us? I do give props to the writers of Bones to keep the subplot interesting enough to distract me for a good long while from the fact that, yes indeedy, there was a half hour long commercial hidden inside. None-the-less one must ask herself, is this the wave of television and Hollywood? Are we going to be subjected to this type of advertising going forward... nevermind all the other branding going on, now will we have commercials directly linked (with no attempt to hide it) throughout our shows? What else are we going to be exposed to in this fashion... are our favorite characters going to begin popping medication complete with warnings and side effects to better help the drug companies push their pills?

Perhaps I am making too much of it... perhaps.