Not buying it

So I’ve been tuning in the Olympics every once in a while, in the midst of our basement project, just to see how we Canadians are faring (better this week). Since the Atlanta games, I have a real aversion to American coverage – for all I know, it’s significantly better than then, but I’m not taking any chances. So I’m watching CBC’s coverage, and I have some questions.
1. How come Ron McLean is tolerable as a foil to Don Cherry but gratingly irksome as an Olympic anchor? Or is it just me?
2. Who was the machiavellian genius who decided to air half the events on bold, the new CBC digital channel?
3. What the heck is the point of that Bombardier ad in which various people in various languages sing ‘O Canada’?
4. What the heck is with the “er” in all the Bell ads?
5. Is it just me, or does the Air Canada “what the games mean to me” ad campaign drive everyone else nuts, too? They should at least air a response ad in which pilots discuss what they do have in common with the athletes: they both have to get good height, go the distance, and stick the landing.
6. Does the fact that 2/3 of these questions involve ads reflect the fact that there is way too much time devoted to advertising in the CBC coverage? And that most of that time is devoted to the same five or six ads?
Any insight is appreciated!

4 Replies to “Not buying it”

  1. You forgot to mention those gawd-awful MacDonald ads, where kids proclaim what athlete they’re going to be one day, except for the kid that doesn’t know what a boxer is. Oh, and I’m sure they’ll start training the moment they stop gorging on MacDonald’s food.
    I have no idea what the ER stands for. I just wish my satellite would not go out every time it rains somewhere in Quebec.
    Have avoided NBC entirely, but I agree about McLean: he comes off as a real prat.

  2. Equally annoyed by the crytic “er”, I did some research and came up with this.
    “The English campaign also makes liberal use of words ending in “er” — faster, easier, music lover, gamer, worker, talker, texter, multitasker — which was also the basis of the company’s recent advertising teaser campaign.”
    I’m not buying it either.

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