A treehouse grows in Manhattan: NBC's goofy publicity stunt

To promote its upcoming series "Crusoe," NBC has installed a treehouse in Manhattan, in the middle of the Theater District. Perhaps they'll install a few trees there, as well.

"This treehouse is our effort to bring a piece of the remote outdoors adventure to the U.S.," said some NBC guy paid to speak in press-release-ese. "We couldn't think of a better place to draw attention to the Crusoe story than smack in the middle of New York City." Maybe they should've thought harder?

So that the rest of us can behold this spectacle, NBC's live-streaming it online. (Ironically, the site's name is the one fans'll want when NBC cancels the show: savecrusoe.com.) I visited the site this afternoon, and was treated to thrilling images of a guy in old-timey garb sitting and reading a book, then getting bored and wandering off, outside the webcam's purview.

Since he's, you know, roughing it and all, maybe he stepped out of frame to grab a drink at the Sheraton Manhattan Hotel, which is on the same corner as his little publicity stunt. Or maybe he went to get tickets for "Wicked," playing at the nearby Gershwin Theatre. Whatever he's up to, I hope he stays safe - Manhattan's a jungle.

Upon the conclusion of this stunt on Friday, when the show premieres, CNBC plans to take over the treehouse and use it as a diorama of what kind of living conditions citizens can expect once the economy finally craters.