Man TV

This past Sunday, I accompanied my boyfriend, an avid Steelers fan, to watch a football game at a Steeler's bar. I usually do not keep up with sports, so I am not as familiar with the graphics, advertisements, and overall set-up of sports entertainment. Of course, we have all seen the Super Bowl and its ads but the structure of NFL entertainment is different during the rest of the season.
I noticed that almost every aspect of the program is sponsored by one of three major industries; telecommunications, food and beverages, and automobiles (particularly trucks).

The ads are not only targeted to men but they are all pushing the image of masculinity. You're a real man so you need tough tortilla chips that can handle salsa. I also love the Ford trucks ads that only air during sporting events because they are targeted so specifically to the American male football lover. Power, authority, and toughness are attributes that these advertisers use to sell products. It's interesting to see how different the angle is for almost every other network program. Take a look at the Tostitos commercial that I saw during primetime network programming: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-sWa517Yh4
While this addresses the health benefits of Tostitos chips, this ad has a different focus http://www.spike.com/video/lazy-co-workers/2695146
The men are relaxing and enjoying their food while the woman is sitting, completing the group's work. During many of the Football ads, children and women are rarely portrayed and there is a much more fraternal tone taken.

While my observations are pretty easy for anyone to notice, I still get a kick out of seeing how targeted these commercials can get depending on the market. It often takes not being a part of that market to see just how demographically designed it is.

What is the difference between Network programming and the Home Shopping Network?

It has become impossible to view programs like The Today Show, Ellen, The Tonight Show, or The Late Night Show without seeing a plug for a product or service during the program. Of course we are used to seeing the interviews where the celebrity or musician comes onto the show to promote their movie, television program, album, etc., but I have noticed another kind of sales tactic. I am not sure whether this is a newer habit or if it has been going on all this time and I only recently noticed it. I would have to assume that this has been happening for a while.

Between the monologue and the guest interviews, (not The Today Show) the host will do some random bit like having a Ford Hybrid race or a Pringles chip-eating contest. How about the sketch on Jimmy Fallon named iphone applications? The writers make up silly applications that are "available on the iphone." They even have the balls to further their sketches by mentioning the website of the company they are promoting.

Now, at least we can say that talk show programs are still trying to make people laugh, but I consider The Today Show to be almost exactly like the Home Shopping Network. They have bits on fashion, home decorating, and a variety of other domestic topics. Whenever I watch these segments, I see the television host accompanied by some industry professional (or Public Relations person). They go down a line of beautifully displayed products addressing each one, why we should get one, and how much it retails for. Even the layout of information on the television screen takes the same format as the televised sales programs. The host and guest also mention the website for the product they are plugging just to make it that much easier for you to find and buy it. To put it simply, turn the channel to QVC or HSN and you will see no difference. Many disrespect the QVC, HSN, and other televised sales networks and praise the quality and entertainment value of these network programs, but if we look more closely, who is really the deceptive one?