My roommate finally found the correct cord to connect the cable feed to our tiny TV, so we can now enjoy the 11 channels of the Armed Forces Network. It's really not bad, there are two movie channels, sports, news, two 'prime' TV channels, etc. And all the programming is perfectly normal TV, just licensed and cobbled together. So AFN News, for example, will switch between CNN, Fox, MSNBC, and others over the course of the day. I believe this is supposed to be based on the popularity of various shows by timeslot, but I know it gets more political than that. The most interesting part of AFN, however, is not the programming, but the commercials. See, network programming doesn't come with commercials; those are added by the local broadcaster. But AFN, being an agency of the Department of Defense, doesn't need the sponsorship, so the commercial breaks are filled with in-house Public Service Announcements covering just about every aspect of military life. Practice Fire Safety. Call Your Family. Get Tax Help. Respect Local Cultures. Mind Portion Size. Maintain Operational Security. Wear Your Bike Helmet. And my absolute favorite, a PSA about respecting local mores by dressing conservatively which carries the tagline, "because dressing appropriately is always in style".
4 comments:
Oh, I forgot to mention "Never Shake a Baby". It's a bit of a cult classic around here. There are all sorts of easter eggs around our shop computers referencing it that I didn't catch until I saw it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_egg_(media)
Okay, I should have guessed, but these are all available on youtube for your enjoyment. Just search "AFN Commercial" and they all come up.
"Mind Portion size?"
Eh, no kidding the nature of war has changed. Sheesh.
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