You mean that a game show where you have to guess the price of several brand name products, which gives away prizes provided by their sponsors that are featured prominently during the entire show is really just a big long commercial?
So many people want to boil everything down to a soundbite or a singularity. The reality is that the creation of the show was probably multifaceted, with product sponsorship being one part of it and entertainment being another, which is why the show does what you mentioned. It is both fun and an up-front ad for products.
,..and there's absolutely nothing wrong with either or both. It is okay to sell shit and it's okay to have fun.
At least there are some people out there like yourself who get that. Sometimes I lose faith because there seem to be so few who do.
I’d much rather have something up front versus a random show scene where someone buys their kid a car, and the dialog totally shifts to what sounds just like a car commercial.
I don't disagree but that's less of a problem with good writing where the ad isn't forced or obvious...in fact, it can be much more effective if done that way versus taking you out of the moment and shoving the product in your face like "BUY THIS" during the middle of a touching scene. But at least with The Price is Right, it's just a gameshow and not some sort of drama or whatever.
Shower Thought: Some people go through their whole lives and never reflect on the true nature of broadcast television - to sell motherfucking commercials.