By Bill O'Reilly
A bunch of us at The Factor went down to New Orleans over the weekend. Didn't stay for the game for a variety of reasons mostly time constraints but I did have a good look around.
New Orleans has come back big time from Katrina. It's once again a great American destination. We also went out to the bayou and talked to the folks. I will tell you about that at the end of the broadcast.
But what was mostly on display in Louisiana was Super Bowl commercialism. It was huge. Companies like ESPN and DIRECT TV spent millions of dollars on social events and marketing. And then there were the Super Bowl commercials, $3.8 million for 30 second spot, $3.8 million. And those commercials tell us a lot about America.
"Talking Points" would like to analyze two good ones and two bad ones. My favorite was a Paul Harvey voiceover that celebrated traditional America.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL HARVEY: God looked down on his planned paradise and said, "I need a caretaker." So God made a farmer. God said, "I need somebody strong enough to clear trees and heave bails, yet gentle enough to tame lambs and wean pigs and tend the pink-combed pullets, who will stop his mower for an hour to splint the broken leg of a meadow lark." So God made a farmer.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'REILLY: Now that was an ad for Dodge Ram trucks. I also liked the Wizard of Oz spot.
No social redeeming quality for that ad but it did get people's attention. The movie should be a big hit. On the downside, there were plenty of candidates but this was the worst.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GODADDY.COM SUPER BOWL AD: There are two sides to GoDaddy, there is the sexy side represented by Bar Rafaeli and the smart side that creates a killer Web site for your small business represented by Walter. Together, they're perfect.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'REILLY: That ad is for GoDaddy.com. It was hard to watch, no message, purely voyeurism. Good looking girl and Walter. Dumb, unnecessary and offensive to many.
Also foolish, the Taco Bell ad that mocked senior citizens.
Now some people thought that ad was hilarious, brilliant, just terrific. Here is why they are wrong. It sends a message that elderly people are clowns, that they are desperate, they are frivolous.
We've got a lot of problems with senior citizens in this country. We're not Japan where older people are respected and revered. Here in the USA, many think elderly folks are a nuisance. If you ever visit a publicly run nursing home, it will break your heart.
Taco Bell's ad turned my stomach. We need to care for our elderly not demean them. And that's "The Memo."
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