By now, I've become pretty much inured to the shameless product placements in TV shows paid for by advertisers desperate to get the attention of consumers armed with DVRs and fast-forward buttons. But Nationwide hit a new low recently in its sponsorship of the TBS sitcom “My Boys,” and I hope others don't follow their lead.

Normally, companies just pay to position their products prominently within a show–such as those huge cups of Coca-Cola perched on the judges' desk on “American Idol,” or the Cisco logo staring you in the face as the harried agents on “24″ hook up a video-conference call with the President of the United States.

But in the penultimate episode of this season's “My Boys” (a show about a female sports columnist and her male buddies), one of the dudes develops an annoying habit–singing commercial jingles for no apparent reason.

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