CNN Shirts: The News Is Now For Sale

So I opened CNN.com tonight to check out the primary returns and get the latest from Myanmar, and next to several of the headlines I saw a new icon. I’m used to seeing the little white camera button that drives readers to video coverage… but this time, there was also something that looked like a little t-shirt. And, of course, I clicked it.

What I was presented with was fairly disgusting to me. I was taken to the product page for a custom t-shirt with the headline in question in large letters on the front (in this case, “Obama: We’re close to the nomination”) accompanied by, in smaller letters, “I just saw it on CNN.com” and the date and time the story was published. It can be yours, for just $15.00!

Does anyone else think this is kinda sad? I mean, first of all, who’s going to buy this? Even if there is an earth-shattering or mildly amusing headline (another available slogan/headline is “Suspect leads cops on golf cart chase”)… should it really be CNN selling or promoting these? It reminds me a little too much of The Onion Store — and that’s fake news, people.

Is it a bad thing that news networks are turning their stories into commodotized sound bites that get slapped on t-shirts, mugs, etc.? Doesn’t this promote sensationalism and deemphasize good content? Even if it’s OK for CNN to do this… should the links be so prominent, on the same level as links to video news?

To me, this is just another sad sign of the media sinking lower and lower. But what do you think? Am I just overreacting?

Images unapologetically screen captured from CNN.