It is bad enough when a network slaps a “lower third” ad for one of their shows on another one of their programs, and especially redundant when they run an ad for the very show you are watching on top of itself, but this is an ad for an unrelated theatrical movie.

I get it: Universal distributes both Parks and Recreation and Battleship, but this is a slippery slope. Obnoxious and distracting ads will just keep encroaching content until the screen space left over for the narrative content will be smaller than our old standard definition broadcasts.

Lame. I have a feeling Leslie Knope would not approve either.

EDIT: I’m not trying to be “sneaky.” I watched the broadcast, cringed when I saw the poorly timed SpongeBob lower third, and I was glad to see the posts today. Then I saw this on Parks, and thought I’d join the discussion. If I’m going to be sneaky, you won’t even know it. I’m going to be NINJA SNEAKY.