Product Placement

Tam mentioned that BIG fans of firearms can get over descriptive of boomsticks if they also write fiction. Her recommendation is not to overdo it. I agree.

But it reminded me of one of my favorite MST3K episodes. Mike and the bots were doing a send up of The Mole People. A movie starring John Agar and Hugh Beumont (yes, Ward Cleaver, Wally and the Beav's dad) and Alan Napier is the heavy. Alan Napier? He's the butler at Wayne Manor...

Anyway, the intrepid heroes are repelling (SIC rappelling) deep into the bowels of the earth. And the vilm maker... excuse me, FILM maker... Virgil V. Vogel spends and inordinate amount of time showing the repelling (SIC rappelling) action. Like 5 minutes. We get it. 4 guys are repelling (SIC rappelling) into a cave. Viewed from behind and slightly below. Get to the MOLES already! Crowe T Robot had a great comment after Mike said, "This movie is ALL ropes and asses!" Then Crowe, "HOT repelling (SIC rappelling) action. Did they test this movie in front of a focus group that said 'I wish they showed what knots they used. It sure hurt the movie not knowing...'."

Hit it and get out. Show Ward Cleaver repelling (SIC rappelling), spend 15 seconds on that. Then move the story along to the cave it... uh...

Wow. No gun content at all there, huh?

Lessee...

The closest thing they had to a gun in the Mole People was a flashlight. See, the Mole People were humans that had become very light sensitive, so bright beams were actually an effective weapon against them. Sorta. Effective in the same way pepper spray is. It's not like Alfred the Butler is too tough a dude in the first place.