DETROIT — General Motors is proving that times are tough in Detroit by canning its high-profile GM Style fashion show/party that has happened on the eve of the Detroit auto show each January for the past two years. GM is also cutting out its ad sponsorship of the Emmy and Academy Awards TV broadcasts. The GM Style event had been an extravaganza in the grand tradition of GM's former Motorama blitzes, showing off the automaker's latest products along with famous musical acts — this past January, they included Maroon 5, Kid Rock and Mary J. Blige — and a runway fashion show. The automaker billed it as 'an evening celebrating the artistic convergence of vehicle design, fashion and music.' The 2009 Corvette ZR1 and the Saturn Astra tuner concept both headlined the runway show alongside the human models last year.GM had previously announced it would cut its Academy Awards sponsorship. In the years between 1998 and 2007, ads on the broadcast had reportedly cost it nearly $100 million, enough to make it the top spender. In 2008, GM bought a total of three minutes of commercial time and spent $13.5 million, The Wall Street Journal reported. The publication also said GM is also out of the Emmy broadcast, which takes place next month.What this means to you: A sobering message out of General Motors, but perhaps a smart move toward a different approach to marketing the products. — Laura Sky Brown, Correspondent