Two really bad ideas

Bad Idea #1: Sci Fi Channel changes its name to SyFy.

--Need I explain why this is a bad idea? Brooks' Law: It's never a good idea to rebrand yourself with a spelling that, at first glance, just looks, well, stoopid.

I've read several justifications for this move, but when I first saw the headline announcing the rebranding, I thought, "Some idiot thinks this is gonna make them all KEWL or something."

Sure enough, check out this quote from the article I link to:

“When we tested this new name, the thing that we got back from our 18-to-34 techno-savvy crowd, which is quite a lot of our audience, is actually this is how you’d text it,” Mr. Howe said. “It made us feel much cooler, much more cutting-edge, much more hip, which was kind of bang-on what we wanted to achieve communication-wise.”

Brooks' Law: When you have to tell people you're gonna be cool and hip...you're not cool and hip.

Bad Idea #2: Sony repackages a bunch of season 1 DVD sets gathering dust in the warehouse and adds exclusive bonus content in a megaexpensive "Norman Lear Collection."

--Of course this screws everyone who bought the sets already and will presumably have to rebuy them to get the bonus content. In addition, I saw it suggested at the Home Theater Forum that the "Maude" extras were already made and just left off the Season 1 set--which, ohbytheway is the only one Sony bothered to release so far.

Besides that, this isn't even a good price. MSRP of 160 bucks for this? Outrageous. And don't bother telling me, "Nobody sells it for the MSRP; most places will sell it for a lot less." I hate that rationalization for overpriced merchandise. If the MSRP were lower, those places would sell it for even less.

Of course, the point is moot in this case because this is a lame way to clear out inventory. There is no reason for Sony, which has abandoned more series than I can count without taking off my shoes, to mess around with this unless Norman Lear marched into corporate HQ and demanded it. Now, a best-of set--that might make sense. But all first seasons? Lazy. And a really bad idea.