:: adgruntie :: Maine tater growers puzzled at Simpsons

+ Sunday's episode of The Simpsons had Homer rip his trademark blue pants. He finds out that the company that made them has discontinued the line, Homer tried head-vertising (that's a tattoo on his head) for Blue Pants. Later on he and Marge are in bed and she discovers that he's covered his body in tattoo ads. Apparently one was for Maine Potatoes. And according to this article it wasn't a paid placement.

The gag, which lasted 4 seconds or so, showed various tattoo advertisements on Homer's ample body, including a message on one arm that read "Eat Maine Potatoes." Homer, who was in bed, told his wife Marge that it was a reminder. He then reached into a bag of "Maine Potatoes" and started munching on one.

When asked by the Portland Press Herald about why "The Simpsons" featured the plug for Maine potatoes, Fox spokeswoman Jill Hudson provided a quote from Executive Producer Al Jean: "All of the Simpsons writers are huge fans of Maine potatoes."

Despite the increasing use of product placements in TV and movies, Maine Potato Board Executive Director Donald Flannery insisted that his promotional group had nothing to do with the animated plug.

"No, no, nope. No _ it's nothing we paid for," Flannery said. "We never had anything to do with that. I guess I'm going to have to get a copy of it."