Brian Damage
09-28-2011, 07:04 PM
It really isn't Ashton Kutcher's day.
Amid rumors that there is trouble on the homefront comes word that the actor's new bosses are rather annoyed with him, too.
On the second episode of Two and a Half Men, the Kutcher years, his billionaire-Internet-entrepreneur character is lounging on the couch with his laptop, which happens to be plastered with stickers for social-networking and media websites like Foursquare, Flipboard and GroupMe.
Sounds like a realistic set-up for a Web nerd like Walden Schmidt, right? Well, it might be a little too realistic for CBS.
The Foursquare connection was noted by a disclaimer in the show's credits, per FCC regulations.
"Very cool - @aplusk shows off @thehipmunk @chegg @foursquare @groupme stickers on Two and a Half Men PIC from @dens," tweeted Foursquare CEO Dennis Crowley.
But while Men cocreator Chuck Lorre, the gate-keeper of all that occurs on his show, was apparently cool with it, CBS received no compensation for providing what amounted to a prime-time advertising slot for the Kutcher-affiliated websites.
And in this business of nickle and dimes, we would imagine that's unacceptable.
"This was not part of any advertising transaction with CBS," a network rep confirmed to E! News. "Our policy is to disclose such financial interests in a credit at the end of the broadcast."
There was no further comment on any dustup with its new star, but CBS is reportedly planning to blur out the stickers for all repeat viewings of the episode.
Read more: http://www.eonline.com/news/cbs_ticked_ashton_kutchers_men_act/266542#ixzz1ZI5wtH00
Amid rumors that there is trouble on the homefront comes word that the actor's new bosses are rather annoyed with him, too.
On the second episode of Two and a Half Men, the Kutcher years, his billionaire-Internet-entrepreneur character is lounging on the couch with his laptop, which happens to be plastered with stickers for social-networking and media websites like Foursquare, Flipboard and GroupMe.
Sounds like a realistic set-up for a Web nerd like Walden Schmidt, right? Well, it might be a little too realistic for CBS.
The Foursquare connection was noted by a disclaimer in the show's credits, per FCC regulations.
"Very cool - @aplusk shows off @thehipmunk @chegg @foursquare @groupme stickers on Two and a Half Men PIC from @dens," tweeted Foursquare CEO Dennis Crowley.
But while Men cocreator Chuck Lorre, the gate-keeper of all that occurs on his show, was apparently cool with it, CBS received no compensation for providing what amounted to a prime-time advertising slot for the Kutcher-affiliated websites.
And in this business of nickle and dimes, we would imagine that's unacceptable.
"This was not part of any advertising transaction with CBS," a network rep confirmed to E! News. "Our policy is to disclose such financial interests in a credit at the end of the broadcast."
There was no further comment on any dustup with its new star, but CBS is reportedly planning to blur out the stickers for all repeat viewings of the episode.
Read more: http://www.eonline.com/news/cbs_ticked_ashton_kutchers_men_act/266542#ixzz1ZI5wtH00