Worst. Movie. Tie-In. Ever.

Movie tie-in ads are now a way of life. They're annoying, but usually trivial. So trivial, that I can't think of an actual one to site. Maybe Bambi once ate at McDonalds, or one of Micheal Myer's annoying Austin Power's characters wanted to eat at Appleby's or something. You get the idea.

But last night I came across a TV commercial for the coming movie Ghost Rider. You have probably never heard of Ghost Rider unless (a) you are a comic book geek who specializes in minor characters, or (b), you had to sit through a promo of this movie when you saw X Men 3. I fall into category (b).

I can't tell you a lot about Ghost Rider. From the trailer, he is Nicholas Cage by day, and at night he turns into a flaming skeleton that rides a motorcycle across they sky. Yes, I am serious.

Or should I say, I couldn't tell you a lot about Ghost Rider (flaming skeleton version) until I saw this commercial last night. According to this commercial (click on the title), he gets his taxes done at Jackson Hewitt. And he needs a Money Now loan.

This opens the door for all sorts of questions. Does he have a Social Security number? Does his Social Security card list his name as "Ghost Rider", as the tax preparer addresses him? What's his salary? (We know he has a job because he hands over his W-2s). Why did he come to the office in flaming skeleton mode instead of coming in the daytime as a normal person? What use does he have for money because he could probably get whatever he wanted by taking it after scaring the shit out of someone by appearing in the flaming skeleton mode (although he didn't scare the tax preparer).

Or a more serious question: What marketing genius sat through the movie and said "This movie is opening in February, I can tie this character into tax season?"