More commercials than ever?

BTM · September 15, 2011, 11:53:30 PM

Is it just me, or does it seem like there's more and more commercials on Television than ever before? I mean, I'm sure most of you have noticed that rerun eps of various shows (like Simpsons for example) have been trimmed of scenes to make room for more advertising. I've been watching a lot of NCIS reruns on cable and often they'll cut away abruptly (sometimes even MID SCENE) to show ads, but probably the craziest thing I've noticed is that a lot of movies nowadays that air on cable channels that would normally take just two hours they now allot two hours and THIRTY MINUTES in the program block.

Are you trying to tell me that they're actually spacing out the breaks in some films so they can jam in another HALF HOUR of commercials?

Again, am I the only one that's noticed this?

Jack · September 16, 2011, 06:49:47 AM

Oh you're not the only one who's noticed

That's about 50% of the reason I quit watching TV, the other 50% being that there's just nothing on that I want to see. I find it impossible to get interested in something if I'm only watching it a few minutes at a time. And if the commercials aren't enough, they've got banner ad's and animated pop-ups running all the time. And god forbid you actually watch a show to the end, as the last 15 minutes will be about 12 minutes of commercials and 3 minutes of the show.

Between video games, Netflix and DVD's, there's no need to tolerate it any more. No reason at all.

Rev. Powell · September 16, 2011, 09:10:44 AM

Quote from: BTM on September 15, 2011, 11:53:30 PM
Is it just me, or does it seem like there's more and more commercials on Television than every before these days? I mean, I'm sure most of you have noticed that rerun eps of various shows (like Simpsons for example) have been trimmed of scenes to make room for more advertising. I've been watching a lot of NCIS reruns on cable and have noticed sometimes they'll cut away abruptly (sometimes even MID SCENE) to show ads, but probably the craziest thing I've noticed is that a lot of movies nowadays that they show on cable channels that would normally take just two hours to show, they alot two hours and THIRTY MINUTES in the program block.

Are you trying to tell me that they're actually spacing out the breaks in some films so they can jam in another HALF HOUR of commercials?

Again, am I the only one that's noticed this?

Arms race. DVRs and Tivo have made it easier than ever for people to skip commercials. The response, apparently, is to increase the number of commercials hoping more get through.

People hate commercials but they were really a good thing. They kept TV programming free for 50 years.

Flick James · September 16, 2011, 03:23:14 PM

Rev's point is a good one. One thing that annoys me is that IFC, a subcription channel, now has commercials. I don't watch much of what is aired on IFC, but sometimes I do. I think WTF! There's one more reason to get rid of the subcription channels.

The commercials are real sneaky for movies, I've noticed. Let's say you see a movie you like on commercial television and you catch it right at the beginning. Great. You start watching it, and during the first half hour to 45 minutes, they give you nice long segments of movie before commercial breaks. The further you get into the movie, the shorter the segments get. By the time you get to the last 45 minutes of the movie, you're seeing commercial breaks every ten minutes. I've noticed that on multiple occasions. They get the viewer sucked in and committed to the movie and THEN hit you with lots of commercials.

However, I can only complain so much. It is commercial television afterall.

tracy · September 16, 2011, 03:50:20 PM

Not only does it seem like there's more....it seems like they're repeating some of them several times during a program. And,just for the record,I'm sick of Flo...

InformationGeek · September 17, 2011, 01:48:24 PM

I think it sort of varies depending on what channel you go to. I mostly watch TNT and USA Network nowadays and there is the same amount of commmercials as there ever was. Now, I just watched a recent episode of the Simpsons while on vacation and I noticed no less than 4 commerical breaks in, not including the opening credits break and stuff. So I think some channels are increasing the amount of commercials they have while others aren't.

Quote from: Flick James on September 16, 2011, 03:23:14 PM
The commercials are real sneaky for movies, I've noticed. Let's say you see a movie you like on commercial television and you catch it right at the beginning. Great. You start watching it, and during the first half hour to 45 minutes, they give you nice long segments of movie before commercial breaks. The further you get into the movie, the shorter the segments get. By the time you get to the last 45 minutes of the movie, you're seeing commercial breaks every ten minutes. I've noticed that on multiple occasions. They get the viewer sucked in and committed to the movie and THEN hit you with lots of commercials.

I noticed the same thing with movies as well. I was watching Halloween on TV and same thing happened there. It got really annoying and ruined the flow of the movie for me, especially since it was the first time I ever watched it at that point. Really frustrating.

Leah · September 17, 2011, 05:18:12 PM

Commercials on Tv, bad
Commercials on websites, you've gone to f**king far. This is a monstrosity on commercialism trying to get their voice heard by people, but just how many times? TOO MANY F**KING TIMES!!

The Gravekeeper · September 17, 2011, 05:28:42 PM

Quote from: El Toro Loco on September 17, 2011, 05:18:12 PM
Commercials on Tv, bad
Commercials on websites, you've gone to f**king far. This is a monstrosity on commercialism trying to get their voice heard by people, but just how many times? TOO MANY F**KING TIMES!!

Bandwidth ain't free. For a website that provides free content for hundreds of thousands (or even millions) of visitors, that cost really climbs. Throw in the staff usually hired to maintain sites that big, as well as the fact that most people won't donate to keep a site running, well... I just ask that the ads don't interfere with the content and that they don't precede every single short video I watch.

Rev. Powell · September 17, 2011, 09:12:34 PM

Quote from: El Toro Loco on September 17, 2011, 05:18:12 PM
Commercials on Tv, bad
Commercials on websites, you've gone to f**king far. This is a monstrosity on commercialism trying to get their voice heard by people, but just how many times? TOO MANY F**KING TIMES!!

You want Andrew to pay for this site out of his own pocket?

Advertising is annoying, but it isn't all bad. It brings us all lots of entertainment for free.

Jack · September 17, 2011, 09:28:44 PM

I don't mind the normal ad's on sites, but pop-ups that make it impossible to see the site, specifically designed so it's near impossible to find the button to close them, and they follow you around wherever you scroll...how in the world can they think those things do anything other than annoy the freakin' hell out of people? Or sticking a 30 second commercial before a 1 minute video, and making it impossible to even mute it? Please tell me that I'm not the only one who instantly hits the "back" button when they run into something like that.

EDIT: I'm not talking about this site obviously

The Burgomaster · September 18, 2011, 10:45:48 AM

Commercials are everywhere. Remember when you could go to the movies and see nothing but trailers and a movie? Now they sneak in commercials before the movie. I remember how shocking it was back in the 1980s when movies on videotape started having a commercial or two before the movie. It was sort of surreal popping a tape into my machine and seeing a commercial. Now, we pay for cable TV AND have to watch commercials, too. And what about going to sporting events or concerts and seeing electronic signs flashing advertisements all over the place? It's capitalism at its finest, baby!

bob · September 18, 2011, 02:42:12 PM

Quote from: tracy1963 on September 16, 2011, 03:50:20 PM
Not only does it seem like there's more....it seems like they're repeating some of them several times during a program. And,just for the record,I'm sick of Flo...

kind of off topic but Progressive charges WAY too much for car insurance, I just switched from them

as for the main topic yes, in fact that's what led to the backlash against Bucky Larson

Hammock Rider · September 21, 2011, 09:41:38 AM

I don't mind commercials during tv shows just because I'm used to them. And honestly, there are few network shows that are so engrossing that they will be ruined by a short break away for a Word from Our Sponser.

Movies on the other hand are a different story. I really dislike getting caught up in the flow of a film only to have that disrupted by An Important Message from Sally Field. Usually I don't watch movies on regular broadcast tv unless I jsut put it on as something in the background.

Flo on the other hand, is a honey. I'd have her babies in a second.

The Burgomaster · September 22, 2011, 04:37:54 PM

Quote from: Hammock Rider on September 21, 2011, 09:41:38 AM

Flo on the other hand, is a honey. I'd have her babies in a second.

Flo reminds me of Woody Woodpecker. But I'd "do" Flo. In fact, I'd do Woody Woodpecker.

Jim H · September 23, 2011, 05:24:17 PM

Quote from: The Burgomaster on September 18, 2011, 10:45:48 AM
Commercials are everywhere. Remember when you could go to the movies and see nothing but trailers and a movie? Now they sneak in commercials before the movie. I remember how shocking it was back in the 1980s when movies on videotape started having a commercial or two before the movie. It was sort of surreal popping a tape into my machine and seeing a commercial. Now, we pay for cable TV AND have to watch commercials, too. And what about going to sporting events or concerts and seeing electronic signs flashing advertisements all over the place? It's capitalism at its finest, baby!

The problem is it has become a vicious cycle. Consumers have been dulled to advertising effects, so they have to pump them into more places to have the desired effect... Only then, we become more desensitized. And so forth, forever, apparently. It's one of the reasons I think media literacy and understanding media messages should be a required class in elementary school - kids at that age are bombarded with so much they should be given mental tools for dealing with it.