# The goddamn Buzzcocks in an AARP commercial?! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 23, 2007, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-goddamn-buzzcocks-in-an-aarp-commercial/389029 "2007-01-23T01:46:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2007, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-goddamn-buzzcocks-in-an-aarp-commercial/389029/41 "2007-01-26T08:48:24Z")
Heh. You said “Buzzcocks”. Heh, heh. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2007, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-goddamn-buzzcocks-in-an-aarp-commercial/389029/42 "2007-02-07T00:58:39Z")
Bumping this thread to note that i just heard the Violent Femmes’ “Blister in the Sun” being used in a Wendy’s commercial. Rather depressing. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2007, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-goddamn-buzzcocks-in-an-aarp-commercial/389029/43 "2007-02-07T01:20:04Z")
And I heard After The Fire’s “Der Kommissar” in a commercial for retirement funds. I guess I’ll make that date with Miss Clairol now because I’m really feeling old. Robin ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2007, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-goddamn-buzzcocks-in-an-aarp-commercial/389029/44 "2007-02-07T02:49:03Z")
[QUOTE=mhendo] Bumping this thread to note that i just heard the Violent Femmes’ “Blister in the Sun” being used in a Wendy’s commercial. Rather depressing. [/QUOTE] I just saw that, and came here to say the exact same thing. Somehow I don’t think “strung out” “high as a kite”, and “I stain my sheets” are something I want to think about when I decide to buy a burger. ---
**Author:** ![rackensack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@rackensack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rackensack)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2007, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-goddamn-buzzcocks-in-an-aarp-commercial/389029/45 "2007-02-08T00:53:46Z")
[QUOTE=Spectre of Pithecanthropus] And why shouldn’t the Buzzcock’s music be in an AARP commercial? The band formed in 1975. College-age music fans of the time who were sick of arena rock and gratefully turned their musical attention to punk and new wave are either already past 50 or pushing it now (like me). [/QUOTE] Actually, that’s sort of the point of the commercial. The theme of the campaign (“the organization for people who have birthdays”) is that AARP is working for everyone’s future, even if you’re not quite at the age for AARP membership yet – you will someday if you keep having birthdays. The generation most likely to sit up and notice the Buzzcocks in a TV ad is exactly the one that’s about to be of the appropriate age to join. It seems pretty carefully calculated to try to change the usual idea of AARP (“that’s for old people”) by associating it with something from the younger and hipper days of people in or approaching middle age. Of course, the reaction is seems to be provoking in reality is most frequently “WTF?”, as the OP asked. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2007, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-goddamn-buzzcocks-in-an-aarp-commercial/389029/46 "2007-02-08T17:04:28Z")
I can understand feeling wistful about seeing songs from our youths in commercials, but not feeling angry, or betrayed, or even dissappointed. Sure eveyone realizes that stuff like Nine Inch Nails will be regarded by youth of 2057 years much like Pat Boone is by today’s youth? ---
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2007, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-goddamn-buzzcocks-in-an-aarp-commercial/389029/47 "2007-02-08T18:57:00Z")
[QUOTE=rackensack] Actually, that’s sort of the point of the commercial. The theme of the campaign (“the organization for people who have birthdays”) is that AARP is working for everyone’s future, even if you’re not quite at the age for AARP membership yet – you will someday if you keep having birthdays. The generation most likely to sit up and notice the Buzzcocks in a TV ad is exactly the one that’s about to be of the appropriate age to join. It seems pretty carefully calculated to try to change the usual idea of AARP (“that’s for old people”) by associating it with something from the younger and hipper days of people in or approaching middle age. Of course, the reaction is seems to be provoking in reality is most frequently “WTF?”, as the OP asked. [/QUOTE] I saw an interview with whatshisname (too lazy to look and too old to remember really fast) the guitarist, and this is exactly what he said about the AARP commercials - that hey look, now it’s time for Buzzcocks fans to be joining AARP, so why not? ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2007, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-goddamn-buzzcocks-in-an-aarp-commercial/389029/48 "2007-02-08T21:39:23Z")
Target. The Beatles’ “Hello Goodbye” And they have re-arranged the words in the song. 'Nuff said. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-goddamn-buzzcocks-in-an-aarp-commercial/389029.md?page=2)