Random Commuter Observation

I heard what had to be the saddest commercial I can ever remember on the radio this morning. It was one of those ersatz "interviews" between the deejay and a "guest celebrity" that, after a few seconds puffing the celeb's exciting career, segues into product placement.

The celeb involved here was one Tanya Roberts. Her chief claim to fame is her role as one of the less least memorable Bond girls in A View To A Kill

Lately, it seems she's been a regular on That 70's Show, although since I never watched it, I couldn't comment.

So what was so saddening about the commercial? Well first, despite the requisite chirping about how wonderfully happy and busy her life is, the fact of the matter is that this woman sounded terrible, delivering extremely stilted and painfully unconvincing lines in a three-packs-a-day Brawnx croak.

Second, the product she was flogging was some new "boutique resort" in Orlando. "Boutique," "resort," and "Orlando," are three of the more awful words in the English language to begin with. Together, their air of cheesiness is downright overpowering.

The combination of washed up actress and dubious sales pitch was, well, horrid, although I don't really lay the blame at Ms. Roberts' feet: Even if the company behind the project had got Alistair Cooke as their pitch man, nothing could be done to rid it of the stench.

At the same time, I couldn't help wondering what set of circumstances brought the two together. Yes, I know it's the money, but it strikes me that somebody has to fall pretty far and pretty hard to wind up doing something like this. By the end of the commercial, I felt genuine sorrow for the poor woman.

(Not the effect the advertisers had in mind, I'm sure. But then again, I doubt if I'm the likely target audience either.)