Squarely in the WTF? category comes this bit: Woman’s Day magazine has hired the character Melanie Moretti, from the TV show Hot in Cleveland, played by Valerie Bertinelli, to author a column in the magazine.
Did you get that? The column is written by a fictional character. From television. And then printed in a magazine.
WORLDS COLLIDING!
The column, which looks like a blog to me, appears on the Woman’s Day website.
Photo credit: TV Land
The stunt (which, come ON! It totally is!) has been referred to as a “partnership” and a “crossover promotion,” as the column is the character’s actual job on the show, and is referred to during episodes.
Got that?
I personally think this practice of fictional characters writing columns, features or blogs is hokey as all get out. I don’t like it — at all.
Is it fiction?
Is it a column?
What the heck is it?
And who really writes it? Bertinelli? Her writers? I’m so confused.
What do you think?
In September’s issue of Woman’s Day magazine (2011) you’re going to see a familiar face. In the feature,