Seth MacFarlane Will Now Take Over The Internet
Seth MacFarlane, the creator of Family Guy, still remembers when his show got pulled from Fox. Then it came back, and now it's one of the network's biggest hits. But even though the FCC lets him make edgy jokes now, it will never allow him to make edgy enough jokes. So MacFarlane is teaming up with Google to distribute a new, top secret internet show that will change everything and make him the most fabulously wealthy poop joke maven the world has ever seen.
MacFarlane's new show is called Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy. The twist: it will consist solely of two-minute clips distributed online via Google AdSense, making it completely unavoidable if you are in the young, dumb male demographic. And the ads come free!:
Google will syndicate the program using its AdSense advertising system to thousands of Web sites that are predetermined to be gathering spots for Mr. MacFarlane's target audience, typically young men. Instead of placing a static ad on a Web page, Google will place a "Cavalcade" video clip.
Advertising will be incorporated into the clips in varying ways. In some cases, there will be "preroll" ads, which ask viewers to sit through a TV-style commercial before getting to the video. Some advertisers may opt for a banner to be placed at the bottom of the video clip or a simple "brought to you by" note at the beginning.
Mr. MacFarlane, who will receive a percentage of the ad revenue, has created a stable of new characters to star in the series, which will be served up in 50 two-minute episodes.
Notice that now you are forced to watch an ad for every two minutes of showtime. Fifty new episodes. A cut of revenue. Targeted distribution. Low production costs. A popular product.
Seth MacFarlane is about to get (more) staggeringly rich.
[UPDATE: Gawd Google is so slow getting this story out, sez Valleywag.]