3 chapters across the catalog
Author Danielle Steel faced criticism for allegedly incorporating product placement into her novels. A reader noted a specific instance where a main character expressed excessive gratitude for an Oral-B electric toothbrush, which felt like a paid advertisement embedded in the narrative. This practice is distinguished from traditional native advertising but is viewed by some as selling out the audience for commercial interests.
Native Advertising and the Stealth Bomber Sales Pitch
The hosts analyze the rise of "native advertising" in mainstream media, where promotional content is disguised as news. They cite a CNN segment about a new U.S. stealth bomber as a "sales job" for Boeing and Lockheed Martin, noting the use of marketing terms like "platform" and "system." The discussion also touches on allegations that novelist Danielle Steel includes native advertising within her books and criticizes the New York Times for using "wishy-washy" endings in tech reviews to avoid offending advertisers.
Tom Perkins, Kristallnacht Comparison Controversy
Venture capitalist Tom Perkins sparked outrage by sending a letter to the Wall Street Journal comparing the "demonization" of the wealthy 1% to the persecution of Jews in Nazi Germany. Perkins defended his ex-wife, author Danielle Steel, against public criticism in San Francisco. The hosts discuss the historical context of the "stab in the back" myth and the potential dangers of class warfare memes promoted by the administration.
