We're being invaded!

While reading a new book the other day I realized something that just kind of hit me. The author, James Patterson, is very descriptive when he writes so it took a little for me to realize it, but I think he's inserting advertising, or more appropriately - product placements - in his books. Instead of saying something like...

Mr. X fired three times. The first bullet hit its mark dead center -- the last two were for show. As the sickly smell of gunpowder slowly drifted through the air, he grabbed a glass of tea from the counter and gulped the icy liquid before turning toward the door and limping out of the room.

...I was reading:

Mr. X fired his GLOCK 30 .45 AUTO pistol three times. The first bullet hit it's mark dead center -- the last two were for show. As the sickly smell of gunpowder slowly drifted through the air, pushed around the room by a Frigidaire barely hanging on in the window, he grabbed a bottle of Diet Lipton Green Tea with Citrus from the stainless steel Kenmore refrigerator and and gulped the icy liquid before turning toward the Andersen wooden door and limping out of the room.

OK, so I exaggerated a little...but not much. He's such a good writer, and so visual, it almost seemed natural for him to mention the objects in the room by brand name. Until this week.

I find myself a little conflicted about skipping commercials while watching TV now that we finally have a DVR and can skip the commercials. I feel like I'm missing out on something -- some new show that I need to program to record, some new movie that I should be adding to Netflix, some new local event I can take the kids to... I could do without another SHAM-WOW! commercial, and my life would be no worse if I didn't have to see another Snuggie commercial. There will be other unfortunate souls that might have to endure Billy Mays, but surely I don't have to be one of them.

I suppose it's inevitable that the advertisers will continue to find ways to bombard us with their information - that's their business. And what a business it is!

I suppose that Patterson is only reflecting reality then as he places those images in my mind while I read his words. It's what's makes his novels so real, his ability to place you in the story --almost as if you're hovering over the scene, reading the minds of his characters.

Still, I wonder if he's getting placement fees...