It's only in the last ten years or so that we in the US began seeing commercials before the movie. The exotic and bizarre cinema-going experience in the UK, which once included not only the opportunity to buy cocktails in the lobby and to smoke (usually in the balcony) during the movie (I know, gross, whatever, I am just saying-it was a lot worse on the plane, believe me), has featured commercials for about forever. I had a special fondness for the hallucinogenic Babycham ones ("Nothing sparkles like a Babycham!").

Seth Colter Walls: Do you have your stream-capture program of choice fired up and set to tap into Firefox for the new Erykah Badu track release? Update: Finally up! Choire Sicha: Hello, Wire Tap Studio. Seth: Pfft. Choire: That shit WORKS, dog. Seth: Audio Hijack all the way. Choire: Sigh. Is she tardy? Is it 3:33p.m. yet? Or is she in another time zone? Seth, I have a question. Is there a Straight White Man Time? Is it like… the real time? Seth: Huh?