Tuesday, February 04, 2014

Me and Every Other Dylan Fan, I Suppose

Yesterday I went looking for Sooper Bowl ads to (a) see what I missed and (b) see if there was anything clever or inspiring or otherwise worthwhile.  My answer?  Not a whole helluva lot when it comes to good, an awful lot when it comes to eye-rolls, and then... this:



Oh, noes!  Bobby... not YOU!  I was laboring under the impression Dylan had never done an ad before, but I was wrong.  A look-see on these inter-tubes today revealed David Malitz at the WaPo had much the same thoughts as I did, only he had them a day earlier, like yesterday ("An obsessive Bob Dylan fan deludes himself into justifying that Chrysler ad, in 5 steps").  And he had done his homework, concerning Bobby's commercial endeavors.  I quote:
1. He actually sold out a while ago

Back in 2004 Dylan teamed up with Victoria’s Secret, because nothing sells sexy lingerie like a 60-something dude with a pencil mustache. In terms of selling out, this was an inspired and hilarious choice, but it was still selling out.

Ah, well.  So I was wrong about Bobby's previous activities in this space.  Still and even, I like the ad.  It's well done and appeals to my patriotism jingoistic heart.  But I have issues with the closing lines:
So, let Germany brew your beer...
Let Switzerland make your watch...
Let China assemble your phone...
WE will build your car.
True enough, when it comes to the building bits... the cars are designed and assembled here in America.  By a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fiat S.p.A.

Things have changed, indeed.

2 comments:

  1. But doesn't every recording artist "sell-out" to nasty business and commerce and hated capitalism when they have the unmitigated gall to sell their albums for filthy lucre (as opposed to giving them away to the deserving masses) and, HORRORS of HORRORS, bank the proceeds for their own personal use? LOL

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. OR sell tee shirts at 40 Yankee Dollars a pop, too.

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