It didn't feel remotely "like the real thing" or as if E! Entertainment's (DStv 124) Brad Goreski puts his mouth on stuff like that, but that didn't stop the Fashion Police panelist to embarrassingly go along on Sunday night to sell Diet Coke in cringe-worthy embedded ads during E!'s Oscar 2016 Live from the Red Carpet coverage.
Censorship zealous E! Entertainment didn't blur or black out the Diet Coke native ads that Brad Goreski - who wasn't the only one to do the shameless live reads - did during E!'s hours of Oscar coverage that wasn't actually that "live" nor "on" the Oscar red carpet for the hour before the awards ceremony.
E! didn't blur the crass in-show commercials for South African viewers although according to its own rules it's actually inappropriate, in the way E! censors other content like media mentions, magazine covers and brand logos that's apparently not "suitable" for South Africans.
The Diet Coke bottles that were pushed in the tasteless in-show commercials on E! are not relevant to South Africa or Africa, and are not sold by Coca-Cola or currently even available to buy in South Africa.
The NBCUniversal International Networks' channel's shameless Diet Coke shilling complete with fake hyperbole felt as fake and as wrong as DStv Media Sales currently trying to sell commercials and sponsorships for Disney's upcoming The Lion Guard on Disney Junior (DStv 309), targeting little pre-school toddlers with commercial messages.
Neither feels appropriate for what the content of the actual TV show is - like its being invaded by crass and unnecessary advertorial selling in a type of underhanded way - both in a sense targeting viewers who don't and won't really know better or be able to distinguish between "show" and "commercial".
Isn't it enough that in terms of E!'s awards show pre-coverage, that designers, cosmetic brands and luxury goods already get mentions within the editorial context as they give products in exchange for free on-air exposure and for mentions that's already stretching the lines of editorial integrity?
It was unintentionally hilarious when Brad Goreski, now a Diet Coke spokesman, talked about the "limited edition" Diet Coke bottles with "literally millions of unique designs".
A disbelieving Giuliana Rancic immediately questioned him live on-air about the seemingly over-hyped Diet Coke language - text that Coca-Cola most likely provided and Brad Goreski of course gladly read.
"Millions, Brad?" asked Giuliana Rancic, pulling a face and looking as if she was shading Diet Coke in their own embedded advert.
"Millions, Giuliana".
In the end the Diet Coke product placement and live reads, E!'s embedded allowance of it that detracted its Oscars coverage, as well as Brad Goreski, all had one thing in common.
All three felt fake and flat.
