Product placement sinks even lower

I may seem to have a schizophrenic approach toward advertising; sometimes I applaud the insightful or innovative approaches (see the "clever" column in the sidebar). More often I bemoan the plethora of ads that besmirch the landscape and intrude on daily living. On the left is an example of the latter.

The FOX television station in Las Vegas opted to use the product placement device that is so ubiquitous in movies. On the desk in front of the news anchors are what appear to be iced coffees from McDonalds. But they're not even real products, and the anchors don't drink from them; they're fake. The station claims that the presence of the products will not impair their ability to report truthfully if e.coli is found at McDonalds. And if you believe that... take a sip of the "coffee." (via J-Walk)