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I thought there was nothing that the awful movie "Couples Retreat" could do to be more offensive. I was wrong.

According to the Huffington Post, the blockbuster comedy has eliminated one of its four couples in its non-US posters. It is the black couple, played by Faizon Love and Kali Hawk.

The studio has "retreated" from this position and issued a statement saying that they made the decision only to emphasize the stars most recognizable in the international markets. Of course, you don't get recognizable by being left off the poster. Now, if I had been in this movie, I would ask to have my name, face, and performance excised from the film. But this decision, insensitive at best, overtly racist at worst, is terribly unfair to the performers and insulting to the audience.

Forrest J. Ackerman is credited with coining the term "sci-fi" at UCLA in 1954. It is the perfect way to describe the wide range of astonishing, imaginative, mind-expanding works of fiction that are grounded in some element of science, often taking what we know and projecting ideas about future consequences or technologies.

The Sci-Fi Channel, owned by NBC Universal, includes straight-on sci-fi like "Battlestar Galactica" and "Stargate Universe" and some non sci-fi programming that appeals to their audience as well. And now they are renaming and rebranding the channel as "Syfy," infuriating the geeks and bloggers who are their core fan base.

The Chicago Tribune reported:

But the news hit the blogosphere with such fervor that it was as highly searched Monday afternoon on Twitter as the AIG bonus controversy. Reaction on Twitter fell along the lines of: "My instinct is to pronounce it Siphee which sounds like a certain disease. Fail." Groups have already sprouted on Facebook, including: "Hey 'SyFy,' Geeks ARE your audience. Change it back to SCI FI!"

The network says they did this to have a name that could be trademarked. "Sci-Fi" is a generic term in wide use and cannot be owned by anyone. But that does not mean that this is the best they could do. It looks like it should be pronounced "siffy."

Thanks to my beloved James Robenolt for inspiring this post!

From the Parents Television Council:

The Parents Television Council condemned Burger King, Carl's Jr., and Hardee's for a rash of new advertisements that are taking sexual innuendo to the next level. PTC slammed the companies for their gross irresponsibility and for insulting their own customers by using sex to sell fast food.

Hardee's has enlisted the help of their patrons to name their new "biscuit holes" and is using the inappropriate names -- such as "A-holes" and "bis-ticles" referring to a part of the male anatomy -- to market them. Hardee's and Carl's Jr., after using half-naked women to market their hamburgers on TV, are now calling all "hot chicks eating burgers" to submit sexy videos for the opportunity to win cash, a trip to Vegas and a role in a new marketing campaign.

Last but not least, Burger King shredded the envelope with a print ad that is running in Singapore and is available on the Internet for a "Super Seven Incher" sandwich that'll "blow your mind." The image shows a woman with hot red lipstick opening her mouth wide for the "Seven Incher." According to the PTC, corporate responsibility shouldn't have varying standards based on geography.

My friend Liz Perle has a wonderful piece at Common Sense Media about the latest efforts to market PG-13 movies to young children.

The first Transformers movie, which was rated PG-13 but lent its brand to Happy Meal toys aimed at kids 4-9. Too bad the adult meal didn't come with a person to explain why the movie was a non-starter for kids that age.

Age-inappropriate targeting -- arguably begun in 1992 when McDonald's got scolded for pushing toys to kids for "Batman Returns" (rated PG-13 for violence) -- has become a time-honored practice. This summer, the new PG-13 "Terminator Salvation" (whose predecessors were all rated R) ties in with Pizza Hut. Subway is shilling "Land of the Lost," and Burger King backs "Star Trek," "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," and "G.I. Joe."

Children understandably expect that if there is a toy or game associated with a film, it is suitable for them to see. Parents need to be very clear that just because a movie is marketed to them is no reason to expect that they will be seeing it.

What kind of lunatic would try to improve on Jessica Alba? Apparently the folks at Campari felt that the beautifully curvy star was just a little too curvy and they retouched her photo to make her look slimmer.

It is just this kind of nonsense that sends a message of impossible standards to young girls and women. Anyone who thinks the retouched picture is more attractive than the original has a distorted idea of beauty and of reality -- two concepts that did not used to be considered mutually exclusive.

A teacher whose budget would no longer cover the expense of printing out his math tests has resorted to selling ad space on calculus quizzes and exams. Rancho Bernardo teacher Tom Farber says that his budget for print-outs is $300...

NPR has a great series about political firsts, including the first woman candidate for President (Victoria Woodhull, who ran in 1872, 48 years before women got the vote) and the impact of television on political campaigns in 1952, when Adlai...