Maya Lassiter

Okay, sorry, I know this wave of conversation has kind of passed--I'm
always so behind in my distest. But I LOVED that movie, Cast away.
I've seen it a half dozen times. I had to speak regarding this product
placement nonsense (my opinion)!

Yes, there were actual brand names mentioned repeatedly (notably FedEx
and Wilson, as discussed), however, looking at the whole story, rather
than pulling out of context the mere fact of these logo's presence,
misses the point of a piece of great storytelling. Tom Hanks starts out
the vision of FedEx-ness, yes, but by the end he has left that life
completely, and for the better. He has Cast Away that entire life, the
life he thought was so important and central--comically so!--and become
something more stripped down and real. Same with Wilson, his buddy. He
has to LET GO of Wilson in order to survive. He has to let go of all of
it, all the attachments to stuff, in order to live and become who he
will become--a person who can freely choose what path he wants at the
crossroads in the end. That is clearly a message antithetical to 'buy
fedex because you saw the brandname logo a couple dozen times.' That
story-truth is MUCH more impacting, I think, than any supposed product
placement could ever be. I think of that scene where he habitually does
the 'sort' with the washed up packages and these items he has described
as being 'the golden egg' are so ridiculously banal, it makes the whole
fed-ex mythos seem silly.

It would be a great loss, I think, to throw out movies and tv that
accomplish story telling of this quality, because of a fear of being
overly influenced by some possible logo placement.

Okay, I just had to get that off my chest. Thanks if you actually read
this far!
MayaA