I was in a bit of a pickle (NOTE: I had to use this word in order to qualify for the JSH&A blog “Word of the Week” challenge. See last week’s post.) when selecting a topic for this week’s blog.

But, my choice soon became clear when I saw the first Super Bowl commercial unveiled on “Good Morning America” today.  I laughed out loud.  Not at the commercial, but rather at the news anchors’ response to it.  As Diane Sawyer and Robin Roberts sat in silence, Sam Champion and Chris Cuomo rolled on the floor in laughter after watching the new Pepsi Max commercial.  The commercial’s main message - that men are tough enough for anything, except diet soda – was right on target.  It had the men laughing up a storm.

According to various reports, NBC still has advertising spots to fill and is slashing rates by roughly $1 million to move the final units. The fact that NBC is still working to sell ad space underscores the dismal state of the media economy.  Some advertisers including FedEx and General Motors have pulled out of the game.  Others, have refined their message to reflect the sensitivity to the recession.  For example, Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes is asking viewers to nominate a child whose playing field should be rebuilt by the company for free.

But, not everyone is shying away.  At least three companies – Pedigree, Denny’s and Teleflora – are running their very first Super Bowl ad and Anheuser Bush will be back again.

So as you watch the commercials (and the game) this weekend, track your favorites and let me know what you think. And, if you want to see what commercial NBC deemed too sexy for TV, stating it “depicts a level of sexuality exceeding our standards” click here.

Perhaps it isn’t best for family audiences, but I’ll let you decide.