Have you paid attention to the new Celebrity Cruises commercial? It sends a WTF kind of message to those who know the meaning behind its soundtrack song, "Fame", which was written by David Bowie and John Lennon, two artists who had a tough time grappling with the downside of rock and roll celebrity...
Let's face it. Most of the people who are going on cruises these days are the early Boomers, not the polyester set that used to typify the cruise line tourists of the 80s and 90s. In this light, using a rock song makes sense, but Fame? One wonders about the Mad Men and Women who put this spot together. They obviously didn't know the lyrics, so I suspect they're a group of spit-shined corporate 30-something neo-yuppies who didn't look beyond the title of this great song.
Fame makes a man take things over,
Fame lets him loose, hard to swallow,
Fame puts you there where things are hollow,
Fame.
Fame, it's not your brain, it's just the flame,
That burns your change to keep you insane,
Fame.
Fame: what you like is in the limo,
Fame: what you get is no tomorrow,
Fame: what you need you have to borrow,
Fame.
Fame: "Nein! It's mine!" is just his line
To bind your time, it drives you to crime,
Fame.
Could it be the best, could it be?
Really be, really, babe?
Could it be, my babe, could it, babe?
Could it, babe? could it, babe?
Is it any wonder I reject you first?
Fame, fame, fame, fame.
Is it any wonder you are too cool to fool?
Fame.
Fame, bully for you, chilly for me,
Got to get a rain check on pain,
Fame.
Fame, what's your name?
Feeling so gay, feeling gay.
This lack of attention and research ranks up there, in my estimation, with when in the 1980s the Esplanade Mall in Oxnard, California erected their new, hip marquee on the 101 freeway... a giant pink triangle.
These people make HOW MUCH?
I have noticed this trend for some time. Advertising agencies take just tiny clips of songs to use in their ads. Just the bits that seem to gel with whatever they are hawking at the time. I remember a Levis commercial about 5 years ago, with a clip of "Fortnuate Son". The only bit that was played was, "Some folks are born, made to wave the flag. Ooh they're red white and blue..." That's it!! That is all they play. The frist time we saw it Beau and I looked at one another and just went.."Do they know what that song is saying?" The other one was for M&M's "This is the day, your life will surely change" an 80's tune by the group "The the" about someone who is so afraid of change, he/she holes up in ther home, afraid to go out. And when I saw the new ads for the cruise line, I had the exact same reaction. Good to know I am not the only one going "Uhhh...don;t they know?"
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteThey don't know or don't care I guess. They figure we've forgotten the words!
Maybe the giant pink triangle is their target audience. Good catch!
Maybe the giant pink triangle is their target audience. Good catch!
ReplyDeleteAt the Esplanade? Bwahhahhahhah! Seriously, they would have been better off with a red, white and green flag that had an eagle eating a snake in the middle. That was their demographic. The triangle was an error that I completely forgot about and, frankly, cannot remember. I love how it is upside down, as well.
The last election, or maybe it was the one before, the Republicans used "Born in the U.S.A" as the theme song at their convention. And I always get a chuckle, as I think Lennon would, about the area of Central Park that has been named "Strawberry Fields," a song about apathy and the refusal to take a stand on important issues. I think that a lot of people don't listen to the lyrics of songs and only know the words that are repeated over and over again.
ReplyDeleteWe artistic types. Always going on about significance an' stuff...
ReplyDeleteLOL Berg!
ReplyDeleteBut it is true. I am always amazed and to be honest a little bit indignant when I speak to people who don't listen to lyrics when listening to music.
I mean jeez, the words were ripped from someones soul. Someone dleved inside themselves and wrote out a message, the least we can do is hear it.
I mean, "My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard..." She REALLY meant that. It's like she was talking to ME.
*snai*
Remember when they used Janis Joplin singing in a Mercedes commercial? That was a culture shock.
ReplyDeleteChevy wanted to use Springsteen's "Born in the USA". Guess they didn't listen to those lyrics either.
They make too much, to answer your question.
I thought the Born in the USA theme song bit was hilarious. It just showed how out of touch, arrogant, and moronic that particular political group can be.
ReplyDelete