Rockers and Commercials

Have any of you noticed all these commercials with aging and so-called rockstars? The Rolling Stones and Ameriquest. Sheryl Crow and Dell. Hell, even Elvis Costello was on a lame episode of Two and a Half Men. Shouldn't we recall his status as an "angry young man" now?

You would think that having more money and celebrity than God and the power to have your strangest whim met would actually embolden artists to say a big Sex Pistols-esque FUCK YOU to the bullshit corporate system. And yeah, I know the Sex Pistols were a creation, have you never heard of irony?

Further, since these people have the freedom to speak their minds (yes, I know... many jokes insertable here) and to make greater and more unique artistic statements outside the confines of convention, (Thank you Radiohead, Ani Defranco, The Connells, Mars Volta among a handful of others), but, I guess we are supposed to feel like that's ok. It's mediocrity in comparison that makes true artists shine even brighter in our eyes, um, assuming our eyes are open, that is.

At least the Stones don't outright say to take out an Ameriquest loan. But how far can that be? Really. Mick did come out of business school in the UK remember? But with Sheryl Crow... You must watch the "Making Of" commercial for the, um commercial. Wherein Sheryl says "Dell has just been sort of always at the cutting edge" of getting songs out to fans. Ever hear of APPLE? ITUNES? As I recall you also hyped to death? This is unfettered grab all the money you can before people realize you got nothing to say... American huckster bullshit.

And am I alone in tiring of Ms. Crow's off key alto voice?

OF course, Sheryl Crow is for sale (she could learn a thing or two from Ani DeFranco)and through all her corporate gigs and endorsements it is not a stretch to throw everything at her, the ad agencies know she is open to any deal if the money is right.

I noticed the ad and it struck me how out of touch the whole thing truly was. She came across as some spoiled strange athlete. I mean she's looking at... herself on the big screen. Ugh. It's not her at home relaxing in an ostentatious so-much-cooler-than-your-house Hollywood star crib (which lowers credibility right off the bat), that's so bad, but it's her obvious contentment with just gazing at herself as a form of entertainment. She's not in an editing bay. The video is done and she can't get enough of herself. Paging Dr. Narcissus.

(Go here. (Go to the upper left-hand picture/icon to play the commercial, the one to the right of it is the making of.)