TBS Execs Are in Touch With America, Don't Think They're Overdoing the FrankTV Ads

I am 100% behind the notion that a controversial advertisement (see: Volkswagen, Draper, for a modern day, somewhat fictional example) is a good advertisement. After all, we tend to remember things that annoy us.

However, Frank TV needs to go away. And fast. Because as annoying as Frank Caliendo is -- and he is, in fact, annoying and not really humorous whatsoever -- he's not memorable in that Tyler Perry "I want to watch your show because it's obviously really the number one network sitcom of all time" kind of way.

Or, to put it less loquaciously, we are all in a metaphorical house of pain every time Frank tries to make with the funny.

But TBS executives apparently don't feel that way.

"... We made it a point that if we're going to run a heavy rotation of FrankTV ads, we're going to make sure at least that there's a very good variety so that there will be no wear-out of the various jokes that Frank is entertaining us with."

[...]"This is just a hypothesis on my side: You think there are a lot of (FrankTV) spots, but there's actually not as many as you think," [Jeff] Gregor [chief marketing officer for TBS] said. "They're just so good at entertaining and engaging that when they come on you feel like you just saw one not too long ago."

Now, pardon me for being forward, Jeff, but either you're hitting the pipe or I'm not hitting it enough, because if Frank Caliendo is entertaining, then I just retired from my last blogging paycheck.

That excerpt is taken from a nice tongue in cheek (I hope) interview with Yahoo's Nick Friedell and Gregor. And while "CYA" is the simple answer here -- Gregor's got to at least make his product sound not horrible -- it really points to a much larger problem. Namely, America, the people in charge of our television just don't get what we like.

Ironically, the only network that does get it is FOX (see: Widespread Panic and White Stripes playing as background music), but they still employ Tim McCarver and Joe Buck, and I'm not entirely confident that's less of a crime than bringing back the Bill Engvall Show for another season.