Monday, October 24, 2011

Is The Big Bang Theory Unethical? What's Unethical?



Today in my public relations class we talked more about ethics in PR, like we have been for the last week or so.  It’s an interesting topic, because a lot of it is open to interpretation, and as far as I’ve seen, it’s not black and white.
What is ethical?
Good question eh?  I’ll get back to that.
So, after being let out early from my last class of the dayJ, which is always nice, I hopped down the RRC stairwell, across Princess street to the parkade, feeling like I was in a game of Frogger, and theatrically jumped in my bitchin Ferrari.  OK it’s a Sunfire, whatever…. They’re not that bad.
Anyways, I sped home, parked my car, skipped to my lou, entered my house…. This sure is a lot of detail… and sat my ass on the couch. 
Ah… relaxation.  TV.
As I was flipping through the channels, I noticed that The Big Bang Theory was listed as an hour in length. 
“How could this be,” I thought.  Big Bang is only half an hour.
So I info’d that shizit, and found it was, in fact, 31 minutes long.
“Hmmmm… this must be some mistake,” I said aloud, in my otherwise empty house.
But wait.  TV doesn’t screw up.  This is no mistake of the guide of the television.
This is trickery.  It is almost Halloween after all.  But wait… I’ve seen this shiznit before…
It makes logical sense that the reason Big Bang was listed at 31 minutes, instead of the standard 30 minute time slot, was to: EAT UP SPACE ON THE GUIDE, so you’re more likely to see TBBT on the guide and watch that program.
Big Bang is a popular TV show; I don’t see why this would be necessary for them to do, but point blankly, shootin straight from the hip n’ keepin it real: it’s GOOD ADVERTISING. 
Wait.  So that means it’s paid for?  By who?
And why would a satellite TV service provider do such a thing?  Surely they must’ve been provided some compensation for the 31 minute time slot. 
Can other shows do that?
Is this fair to the other shows or networks that are also competing for viewers? 
Is this ethical? 
What do you think? 



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