TV ads for the summer comedy You, Me, and Dupree have been airing for what feels like months. For those who don’t know, YM&D stars Owen Wilson, Kate Hudson, and Matt Dillion, and is essentially a What About Bob? for the Butterscotch Stallion set, with Dillon and Hudson as happy newlyweds, and Owen Wilson as the groom’s hard-living college buddy who moves in, wreaks havoc, and, perhaps, teaches us all a little something about life and love.

The ads for the film have been cheesy from the start, trading in the type of cheap shocks best described as Focker-esque: Kate Hudson walks in on Owen Wilson in thong underwear and GOES CRAZY! Then, Kate Hudson walks in on Owen Wilson having sex on the couch and GOES CRAZY! Plus, toilets!

The film finally opens this Friday—less than 48 hours from now—and watching TV last night (Rock Star: Supernova! Go Storm!), I saw a pair of commercials for YM&D that drove home just how desperate the battle for opening-weekend box office can be, especially when the film in question has the whiff of a stinker.

Universal’s two-pronged solution:

1. Frame the film as a spiritual sequel to Owen Wilson’s mega-blockbuster Wedding Crashers: “Last summer, he crashed weddings!” honks the voiceove in one of the new ads. “This summer, he’s living with the newlyweds!” (Beside the casting of Owen Wilson, YM&D has nothing to do with Wedding Crashers, but I imagine it’s good to remind people that they liked this guy in that other movie, so why give up on him now?)

2. When all else fails, bring out the rack. Building on the knowledge that a hot Kate Hudson is a bigger draw than a tight-assed CRAZY! Kate Hudson, the new ads feature extended footage of Kate Hudson’s hot bod—in a bikini, in her underwear. The weirdest twist was a spot I caught on Entertainment Tonight, where the talking head wrapped up his report on You, Me, and Dupree by listing the opportunities to see Hudson in various states of undress in the film. “You get to see her in a tank top, men’s briefs, and a bikini!” gushed the (male) ET anchor.

I understand being galled by Hollywood is like being mad at gravity, but still…