Shafted Again

Did anybody catch that made for TV movie, "The Andromeda Strain" on the Biography Channel over the Memorial Day week-end? They're still airing it, in case you didn't see it. I didn't watch the whole thing. But I was watching the commercials.

On May 1st, at the Superior Town Council meeting, the businessman who owns the bar/restaurant that is never open appeared before the council and asked permission for a commercial for Ford be filmed in town. It would take part of Friday afternoon and most of the day on Saturday and involve closing portions of Main Street for filming. In his words, this Ford commercial would be aired during the release of the remake of "The Andromeda Strain" and would look something like this: A couple would be traveling on a long journey and come through our town, taking a careful look at Main Street and be so intrigued with it, then go about their business and wind up at a big casino (presumably Vegas) but remember our town longingly with the end result being Superior's Main Street superimposed with the Manhattan skyline in the background. The gist of the commercial would be that the journey is more fun than the destination. (Sounds like Harley Davidson's advertising, huh?)

So the Mayor and the Town Council gave their approval and the Ford people gave the council a measly $750. for the recreation fund. (Let me tell you, Superior, the Going Rate for commercials up here in Marin County is WAY more than $750! You could have held out for more!)

Anyway, I wanted to watch the movie to see how they portrayed our town. Goodness knows, Superior has been having some Hard Times lately getting the ball rolling economically and maybe this would add some impetus to it. HARDLY! The ad I saw showed an attractive young couple drive into Main Street and park and get out. The montage quickly showed shot after shot of our decaying downtown buildings, notably the ones owned by the professor in Tempe who buys up all the Main Street business buildings and then waits and lets them rot away... (the why? hasn't been made clear to me yet). The girl looks to the guy, pulling her jacket closer around her (obviously the commercial made it look like it was real cold that day, instead of the ninety five degrees it really was when they filmed) and she whines, "This is spooky! Let's get outa here!" And they jump in the pretty Ford Focus and speed out of town and arrive breathlessly seconds later at a rockin' rollin' casino with lots of neon and scantily dressed young people falling out of it.

I was astounded and upset over it! Once again, Big Business had set about to show our pretty little town in a bad light. Will they never stop? What is about the purity and simplicity of Superior that we all love that makes business and society yank it down and mess it up? I think next time a commercial is made in Superior, the Council and the Mayor better be asking some more detailed questions and ask to see a storyboard before agreeing to what one man's version of the commercial will be. ... And ask for more than $750, why don't you? If the movie people are that hot to use our town, the least we could do is ask for $1,500!