Shameless marketing techniques ...

... and the television stations that help promote them.

I was never a fan of Michael Jackson, and I think the hoopla over his death is a bit much. But, at the same time, I can't help but feel that this "news" story capitalizes on the man's death to a silly degree.

SAN ANTONIO -- A San Antonio funeral home owner owns two gold caskets similar to the one in which Michael Jackson was laid to rest.

Dick Tips of Mission Park Funeral Chapels said he owns the only two in the state. He said the caskets, which are handmade, take more than a year to produce and cost $25,000.

“It’s handmade and it seals,” Tips said. “It’s airproof, airtight, waterproof. It would actually float once you seal this casket. You can’t get back into it once it locks down.”

(from KSAT-12)

Straight from the brochure.

Actually, I'm not so surprised at Tips's eagerness to take advantage of the marketing opportunity, but I am a little surprised that the KSAT team would let the man use them for free advertising.

There's no way the TV people could have known Tips had those two gold caskets before Jackson's funeral, and I doubt they were calling around to see who might have one. (If they did, then double the shame on them for their morbid interest!) Tips must have called the station himself, and I bet the news people were more than happy to get such good, shiny footage for the broadcast.

So shame on them. They let themselves be tools of a man looking to hawk his wares.

Bonus strangeness: the name of the funeral home owner itself.

UPDATE: I think Tips tipped off the Express-News, too.