'American Idol' and 'Clash of the Titans' cross-promo gets seriously pitchy, dawg

Not since Jim Carrey made an incredibly awkward appearance in an elephant trunk and floppy ears to hype Horton Hears a Who has an integration on Fox's American Idol caused such a fuss. This week's in-your-face promotion for the Warner Bros. 3-D action flick Clash of the Titans had scenes of Idol contestants interspersed with Clash footage in a montage that looked like it was put together by a grade schooler. Or Edward Scissorhands. And worse, it tries to equate Idol contestants with sword-wielding Sam Worthington. Blasphemy! Bloggers have been swift to call out the blatant commercial, with some critics saying it's another intrusive step toward ad-stuffed TV shows. An Associated Content writer called the stunt "perhaps the most shameless bit of cross-marketing I've ever seen involving a major television show and a major movie." Truth is, most Idol fans are so up to their ears in Coca-Cola, Ford, AT&T and any project that the guest judges are hawking that they probably didn't much notice. There was one highlight, though, and everyone seems to be able to agree on this. Simon Cowell and the Kraken, side by side? Genius.

—Posted by T.L. Stanley