13 Major Brands That Advertise On Media Takeout, The Web's Trashiest Gossip Site

Media TakeOut is a gossip site that makes TMZ look like The Wall Street Journal.

Its headlines are written in a knowing parody of ghetto slang. A typical story has the title, "OH NOOOOOO!!! Kim Kardashian's Thighs Have Been RUBBING TOGETHER Since The Weight Gain . . . And Now They Look All BURNT UP!!!"

It's safe for work ... mostly. Just be careful what you click on.

And dozens of blue-chip brands are advertising on it, including Visa, The Wounded Warrior Project, and AT&T.

One problem with online advertising, particularly when it's bought via automated bidding, is that often huge companies with wholesome images end up unintentionally buying ad space on a strange assortment of websites. As long as the ads get shown to the target audience for the right price, the rest is just details.

We've collected images of 13 brands that might not know what they're advertising next to.

Sometimes the ads on Media Takeout are what you'd expect on a site covering news like the hottest trends in Florida strip clubs.

But many of the online ads are from big companies with relatively conservative marketing plans.

A State Farm ad, for example, popped up next to a story about about singer Ashanti's weave ... and her butt.

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10 Huge Brands That Committed Suicide

From drug trafficking scandals to poisonous air purifiers, big companies have stumbled into all sorts of suicidal mishaps that have killed top brands.

Chrysler and Sharper Image are among the companies that failed to save some of their own huge brands.

Here are 10 examples of corporate missteps that could have been avoided.

Atari, Inc.

In 1972, Atari released Pong, thereby pioneering the video game. By the end of the decade, it was the fastest-growing company in the US, its Atari 2600 gaming console shaping up to be the world's best-selling console.

Then the 80s happened.

In 1982, Atari majorly hyped up two video games that flopped on release. One of the games was E.T., which is today considered to be the worst video game ever made. Atari buried millions of unsold E.T. game cartridges in the desert, and in 1984, Warner Communications sold the problem-riddled home gaming division of Atari Inc. to Tramel Technology.

Circuit City

Circuit City flopped for many reasons — failure to manage its inventory and website are two major causes of the electronics retailer's decline.

What makes the Circuit City case unique, however, is the lesson in the value of one's best employees.

In March of 2007, Circuit City set itself on a slippery slope when it fired 3,400 of its highest paid workers. The company said that replacing these employees with those willing to work for less was part of an effort to improve the bottom line.

Analysts were quick to note an almost immediate decline in Circuit City's business. About 60 percent of the employees fired held in-store positions: "...this is clearly why April sales were worse," said Tim Allen, an analyst with Jefferies & Co. "They were replaced with less knowledgeable associates."

The Washington Post reported that the job cuts were "backfiring." By early 2009, all of Circuit City's stores were closed.

The XFL

The XFL was a highly televised sports league that combined football and professional wrestling. Organized in 1999, it was a joint venture between NBC and the World Wrestling Federation. Setting records for the lowest primetime ratings in television history, the league was discontinued after just one season.

Dubbed the biggest sports bust of all time by ESPN, the XFL brought NBC and the WWF to a combined $70 million loss. Nevertheless, NBC Sports chairman Dick Ebersol reflected on the league as "one of the most fun experiences of my life." Very, very expensive fun.

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