Fox’s sex-obsessed Temptation Island 2 series kicked off a second season with only half a slate of advertisers, chief among them movie production companies and Valtrex, a new drug to treat herpes. “That’s a natural sponsor for a program that promotes illicit sex,” observed Dr. Don Wildmon, president of American Family Association. “It clarifies who they’re pandering to. They know their audience is at risk for sexually transmitted diseases.”
In each of three episodes, two on November 7 and one on November 8, Fox sold only nine or ten spots, whereas the normal ad-count for a one-hour program is 18-20. Fox padded the ad time with promos for their own movies and several public service announcements. Nearly all of the paid ads were from video movies, video games, and new theater movies, including ads from MGM, Columbia, Disney/Touchstone, Universal, and Warner Brothers.
The first hour was a revisit to the “committed” sexually active singles from last year’s series. One of the couples finally married on this episode. Host Mark Walberg introduced Rev. Mike Lennon, minister for the occasion, and asked his reaction to performing the wedding.
“My first reaction was, ‘Show me, prove it to me, that you’ve survived the deal,’ ” said Lennon. “[Temptation Island had] an unfriendly structure, an unfriendly premise to the show.”
“It certainly doesn’t nurture a relationship, does it?” grinned Walberg.
Prior to the first run of the series last year, producers bragged that they were simply testing “committed” relationships, giving them a chance to grow. Now, they’re more content to wallow in the truth that their goal is no more than titillation and temptation.
Fox followed the marriage special with the first hour of this season’s buff and buxom duos who won the competition to spend three weeks in the arms of temptation. A second episode of the new season aired November 8. The first two hours introduce the four chosen couples and their 26 tempters, most often in skimpy attire. Of course, the show promises much more explicit content in later episodes.
“It says a little bit for advertisers,” said Wildmon, “that almost no legitimate ads appeared on the shows. It is really no surprise to me that AT&T, Mitsubishi, and Slim-Fast did choose to advertise. None of those companies has ever showed much responsibility when it comes to sponsoring sleaze on TV.”
(This article courtesy of Agape Press.)
