Cinefantastique Online

I always thought that PUSHING DAISIES was overrated and far too pleased with itself; nevertheless, it is still a bit of a surprise to see the show snubbing a presidential candidate in its latest advertisement. As Talking Points Memo points out here, ABC hemmed and hawed too long and wound up missing its chance to air Barack Obama’s half-hour campaign commercial, which will be on all the other networks. Instead, they will air an episode of PUSHING DAISIES tomorrow night. The ad for the episode contains the following narration:

“Wednesday, America, you have a choice. [...] Get political with the other networks, or enjoy the Emmy-winning drama full of surprising revelations: ABC’s Pushing Daisies.”

At the mention of getting “political with the other networks” someone intercedes with an expression of disgust: “Please.”

ABC certainly has a right to try to get viewers to tune in, but I find it symptomatic of the show’s excessively self-congratulatory air that it would urge viewers to ignore a major element of a historically important presidential campaign. The choice offered is that viewers can watch an undiluted half-hour message from a candidate on whom voters must make a decision in one week, or they can can tune out of reality and indulge themselves by watching a show that drips in its own self-applied cuteness.

I guess the message is: “Ignorance is bliss – watch our show and be happy.”