Heh. You said “Buzzcocks”. Heh, heh.
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.
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
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.
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.
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?
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?
Target.
The Beatles’ “Hello Goodbye” And they have re-arranged the words in the song.
'Nuff said.