Jan 232009
I take it that most of you watch tv now and then and have seen this ad. Beyond obligatory “Who Sell Out!” beefs, what are your thoughts on it? For as many things that bug me about the ad, there are probably just as many things I find impressive. Here’s our chance to share our mixed feelings.
The use of “My Generation” in this ad reminds me of the version that mutates into “The Land of Hope and Glory”, which is a bonus track on the CD version of the Who’s second album, A Quick One/Happy Jack
I do think the commercial was cleverly filmed and edited. “My Generation” is a Who song that I already had trouble enjoying anymore. It’s played out and it seems a bit like a relic. So I don’t really mind it being used in this context. Another music blog I read was railing about this commercial proving that baby-boomer hegemony shows no sign of abating. I sometimes feel sorry for people who continually see pop culture (and life) through that prism.
To me the idea of 20th century pop culture, which after all is all the culture we’ve got anymore, being reduced to a series of two-second cliches is more offensive than the use of the Who song. And megacorps like Pepsico insinuating themselves into our perception of history is more insidious than it looks.
And of course it’s cleverly edited and produced — Pepsico can afford to spend whatever it takes to take over our minds. What do you think that minute cost them, a few million? A mere pittance.
And really I’m getting tired of hearing Who songs in commercials, even if I never especially liked this one. Come one, Pete, do you really need more money? After a while it really does tarnish the legacy by making the songs nothing more than jingles.
It’s hard not to agree with anyone who thinks The Who has milked enough money out of their music for commercial means, but the first thing that came to mind when I saw this commercial was, “OK, that stupid Beatles Love production had a useful byproduct after all.” I’d rather sit through a 1-minute digitally rejiggered advertising production of the entire Beatles back catalog than be subjected to anymore nonsense like Love or Let It Be Naked. Let the digital rejiggering experts apply their craft to ads rather than all the other nonsense that is possible to do in the name of “art.”
What I find most telling about this mash-up thingie is how real musical progress seems to have stopped with hip-hop. Really, listen carefully. When the hippies show up, we hear the original in all its glory — then we hear a bit of disco-fying, then a second or two of breakbeats, then — we’re back to the original again, right about at the fall of the Berlin wall. That happened in, what, 1989? So we can all be proud of being rock luddites for the last 20 years!
Incidentally, for extra credit: we all know Roger Waters performed “The Wall” at the site. But which rocker famously performed a song entitled “Looking for Freedom” while standing *atop it*?
HVB
Hrrundi, that’s an EXCELLENT observation! I think I just pulled a muscle trying to pat my own back.
I’ve tried to dislike this commercial. It certainly reeks of cynical MegaCorp marketing manipulation.
But I can’t. I love the song. I love the embrace of “rebellious youth” over the last century.
I have long since given up on the “sell out” beef. I’ve been turned onto new music thru commercials and my kids have been turned on to classics thru commercials. I don’t give a damn if someone sells their tune for an ad.
And as for Pepsi embracing “rebel youth” to sell me a soda…Right On! Even if corporate greed is behind it, the illusion, potentially embraced by masses, is one I can get behind. Much better this as an illusion than those Kid Rock prescreen National Guard ads comparing war service to NASCAR racing.
I can’t muster the energy to get pissed off about the possibility of someone getting turned onto The Who, reveling in rebellion and buying a Pepsi.
I even love that Pepsi has appropriated the Obama logo. Which only goes to support my theory that Pepsi is the democrat and Coke the republican as Adidas is the democrat and Nike the republican.
They kinda hopscotched punk though didn’t they?
I will say that I am opposed to Pepsi. I’m a Coke man. Coke, addidas, Fender guitars, thick-handled Adirondak baseball bats with the blue stripe…
Mod: Why are you a Coke man? Your entire grade rests on your answer to this question.
1. Coke tastes better – it’s got more syruppy substance to it that the watery, fizzy, super-sweet Pepsi.
2. The classic Coca Cola script and the use of a serif font for Diet Coke show superior graphic design sensitivities.
Do I need to go on?
Your answer #1 is correct and provides you a passing grade. “Taste” was what I was looking for. Anything else puts you into a “victim of marketing” category.
As for your answer #2. I think you need to take a long hard look in the mirror regarding your sans-serif bigotry.
You need to judge fonts on an individual basis not some sort of prejudiced profiling.
Incidentally, for extra credit: we all know Roger Waters performed “The Wall” at the site. But which rocker famously performed a song entitled “Looking for Freedom” while standing *atop it*?
WELL?
I would hardly call David Hasselhoff a “rocker.”
I don’t care if people “sell out” their songs. I don’t like the mashup/remixing stuff, though. My kids find out about most classic rock from Guitar Hero and TV commercials, but they still seem to like albums instead of just songs so I feel like I did something right.
Oats, your “hegemony” comment is dead on. The boomers have been the most selfish generation ever (as a whole conglomerate, individually I happen to like a lot of them). Are Led Zeppelin’s fans really Cadillac’s target audience?
Funny enough, my sister asked if The Who really needed the money. I had to inform her it wasn’t about The Who, it was about Pete Townshend. I said he was the one making all that dough from Pepsico. She was shocked and then felt bad for the other Whos as she didn’t realize that the one who holds the publishing and songwriting get all the cash while the rest of his mates just get to hear themselves singing about soft drinks.
Based on what I’ve read and heard, I don’t think Pete really cares. He’s pretty much said as much. I don’t care either. It’s fine with me.
And I like Coke, too. I just think it tastes better.
TB