'Poltergeist' DirecTV Ad: Spookily Tasteless

Posted at 2:30 PM Oct 06, 2008

By Kenny Herzog

I'm no moral arbiter, and I'm certainly not one for censorship, but am I the only who finds that new DirecTV ad spoofing Poltergeist (viewable above) in the slightest bit of bad taste? I mean, I've enjoyed the company's similar parodies featuring the likes of Sigourney Weaver and Pam Anderson sending up their most famous roles. And it's not as offensively unwatchable as the Dish Network's Frank Caliendo-spearheaded campaign.

But something about using actual preserved footage of the late Heather O'Rourke to complement Craig T. Nelson's reviving of his Poltergeist patriarch is creepier than the actual film. Yes, it's been two decades since the movie's young starlet died amidst the shooting of Poltergeist III. And for all I know, O'Rourke's family gave consent to use the footage. Although I suspect it's more likely MGM felt comfortable licensing it out, which would be a rather conspicuous reversal of exploitation-resistant protocol from the measures they took after III's release.

Eh, I'm sure Nelson made a quick buck and doesn't have to justify the degree to which he was impacted by and has since reconciled O'Rourke's death. And it's ultimately all in good fun. But every time I see that spot, I get left with a resounding feeling of, "Bad enough the girl's only known for being haunted and sucked into TV screens. Can't we just leave her ghost alone?"