The Simpsons Movie

The show that Time Magazine selected as the Best TV Show of the 20th Century finally hits the big screen. With a weekend opening of $74 million, The Simpsons will probably set new records for animated TV show adaptations. Much of the success is based on innovative Fox marketing strategies that had 7-11 stores converted into Kwik-E-Marts, Springfields all over America competing to roll out the yellow carpet for the movie's premiere (Vermont won), and a huge sprinkled donut painted at the bottom of the CN Tower, which created a buzz that dominated pop culture for weeks. After 18 years, do you think it's too late for a movie about The Simpsons? Do you think the show is still a relevant commentary on modern life? Why do you think The Simpsons is still popular after all these years?

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Thousands of people all over the world waited patiently at midnight on Friday for the final Harry Potter installment. J.K. Rowling and her publishers know the secret of marketing hype by hinting that Harry will die. Media coverage of the crowded bookstores, Harry look-alikes, and hyperactive muggles will fill the airwaves for days before and after. Do you think that the hype was worthy of the book's release? How much of the media coverage do you think is staged, or at least constructed, by the publishers? Did you get excited about the book's release? Do you usually try to be the first one to read the latest Harry Potter book or see the latest Harry Potter movie? Is there anything you would wait in line overnight to be the first one to get it?