Mrs VG's Heat magazine has got the Gap advert on the back in its full black and white glory. Naturally I read it from cover to cover just in case there was any EC news...
...there wasn't but I learnt some fascinating stuff about Sienna in one of those stories that apparently the whole country is talking about
If you buy a pair of jeans from Gap you receive the limited edition CD.
verbal gymnastics wrote:
If you buy a pair of jeans from Gap you receive the limited edition CD.
And we will all be running out and doing so, given that the CD includes classics like Jason Mraz covering Bob Marley, and, as a 'bonus track' (bonus track? wtf?) Michelle Branch's version of Bowie's Life On Mars. Oh, to say nothing of the 'Director's Cut' of the TV commercial-- presumably with all the violence and nudity they decided couldn't be included in the 30-sec spots... OY VEH.
Hey Mugs, no need to get uptight with my quote "The Business of the World is Selling". In point of fact, it is far from meaningless. It is not my quote, but one used as a pivot point for most revered and respected business schools around the world. I am sure that they will be surprised to hear that a cornerstone of their core curriculum is rated "meaningless" by you. Maybe it is deemed meaningless because it was embedded within a Mr. Average post. I hope you can one day get over your fierce animosity and anger for everything "mr. average". The quote wasn't meaningless or stupid...it was in context.
The follow-up post from Otis was thought-provoking as he made an excellent point that has me thinking. He differentiated shameless promotion of the art from using the art to promote another product that has really nothing whatsoever to do with the art. Excellent point. When Imade the post, I envisioned the many times that I have waited hours to sit in the tiny Preservation Hall in the Quarter to see the Preservation Hall Jazz Band perform (or todays version of it, anyway). At the end of every song, they historical implore the audience to "give it up" for THEM, standing and pitching (selling) the crowd to show their appreciation for thier hard work. I love this, and it was the way the early musicians, bluesmen initially, and then the evolution of jazz as it grew and migrated up from the Mississippi Delta toward Chicago. In order to cajole the audience to pony up a donation, they would work extra hard to 'sell' their efforts to get a few extra coin to drop into the hat to sustain them.
I guess the unknown variable is whether Elvis has approved the use, or, if he has sold rights to his catalogue, whether he maintained a provision to restrict the use of his songs for commercial purposes. If he has taken money in exchange for transfrring the control the destiny of his lyrics and music (aka Lennon and McCartney), then he really doesn't have a leg to stand on. On the other hand, and in this litigious world, I really doubt that this is the case, if someone has "lifted" without permission Elvis tunage for commercial purposes, I hope he nails 'em. That is his business, and he has every right to sell us on why he feels this way. I support the artists intentions, whether I like GAP jeans or not. If he approved it, more power to him. If he did not, then I hope he "nails their Ass!"
Next time you are working to cajole the little one to understand your position on bedtime, homework, good eating habits, mannerly behaviours etc, note how aggressively you are constructing sales arguments to 'sell' him on your position. If you aren't then you are just autocratically directing it. If that is the case, it will also prove the axiom that the business of the world is selling, because if he isn't sold, the outcome will be grim. I work hard to sell my kids with solid, thoughtful justiifications. Sometimes they don't get it, and I need to pull in a bit of the old parental authority, but seldom use the argument "because I said so, and that is that".
The business of the world is selling. Very apparent what the product is in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. the sales arguments are not too tough now, but will get tougher with time. That is when the real selling starts.
"The smarter mysteries are hidden in the light" - Jean Giono (1895-1970)
The notion that life is one big sales pitch and the idea that everything can be reduced to a business school axiom - these are just too depressing for words.
In my experience, business school grads tend to be the most full-of-shit people one could have the misfortune to meet. I remember having to sit through a meeting during the height of the dot com craze with a client who thought he was the most brilliant man alive (he was sort of the company "idea guy"). I've never heard so much nonsense in my life, not to mention the fact that he had a very tenuous grip on reality. He started off the meeting by addressing me and a few other young-ish, struggling PR people with, "You all have brokerage accounts, right?" Dead silence. Needless to say, the company went under in spectacular fashion.
I rescind the 'meaningless' comment; it was a mistake (literally, an oversight) to have responded to that part of the discussion.
I would still however like to hear from someone about whether or not Elvis owns the rights to his music. Surely this was legal use; a big company like The Gap doesn't go using music without paying someone or otherwise covering their ass; I have no doubt that it took a team of fifty people a year to arrange this CD and ad campaign.
The ASCAP site lists BMG (Bertelsman Music Group, part of the large German publisher, though maybe even that has been purchased by someone, I'm not up to date) as the Publishers/Administrators of 'Alison,' but that still does not tell us whether or not Elvis has say over permissions. I would be VERY surprised if he did not, but I'd like to know for sure.
As to business schools, I think they have their place, but I think the level of bullshit they produce per student is probably higher than most graduate schools, and that is saying something. As it happens I spent this entire day meeting with people at/from Harvard Business School, as I do very regularly, and some of them are brilliant but most of them are not. The problem is thinking that "The Market" is a model and metaphor for all human endeavor and circumstance. It's a particularly arrogant and damaging form of blindness that has struck this country more than most, in my opinion.
Yes you are a woman. And Lessthanzero's testacles may be the reason for your "Manly" remarks that made me beleive you were an american man. This explains everything. But it really is shocking that such anger is coming from you. I would like to see you in person so I can verify whether you are a man or a woman.
Preacher was a talkin' there's a sermon he gave,
He said every man's conscience is vile and depraved,
You cannot depend on it to be your guide
When it's you who must keep it satisfied
Extreme Honey wrote:Yes you are a woman.... I would like to see you in person so I can verify whether you are a man or a woman.
Yes, and I'd like to see you in person to see if you can possibly be as stupid as you sound (as above). But then again, no, I wouldn't.
At least a dozen people on this board have met me. Not only am I female (43, and a doting mom) but generally speaking, I think I can go so far as to say that I'm a nice person. I think and hope the bulk of my 1700+ posts bear that out. I just don't suffer all fools equally, and your type gauls** me in particular.
What cracks me up is that you and Verena, that other mental giant, feel that having a modicum of confidence, some strong opinions and a reluctance to be super-sweetie-nice-nice in EVERY post must indicate that a poster is male. I must have missed the part in gender training where women can't have edgy thoughts or be-- gasp!!-- angry at some of the injustices in this world (and the assholes who perpetrate them). Or is it that I use the word 'fuck'? Fuck, fuck, fuck. Yes, lots of nice women say and write 'fuck'. Or do you live in a cardboard box?
I'm moody and can be defensive at times, especially when people call my gender into question because of how I write. So sue me.
____
** I think this typo must have been an unconscious dig at Verena. I really have nothing against the French!
Extreme Honey wrote:But it really is shocking that such anger is coming from you. I would like to see you in person so I can verify whether you are a man or a woman.
So, women can't be angry?
I would say that when faced with bizarre comments which are ill-advised at best even the nicest women (as SMM IS, I can personally attest) can, and do, get angry.
ANYWAY. Carry on, I know I have nothing to do with this discussion in any big or small way and if I get annoyed or angry about it, I may be accused of being "manly".
Going back to the commercial - has anybody actually seen it? Cause I just did for the first time.
And umm... it's not that "Alison" is played in the commercial. We just see different people saying "My favourite song is..." and one of them says "My favourite song is 'Alison' by Elvis Costello."
So yeah, that totally changes this debate considering Elvis' permission to mention one of his songs isn't even necessary.
This morning you've got time for a hot, home-cooked breakfast! Delicious and piping hot in only 3 microwave minutes.
Well, I think there are different versions of the ad; I expect there'll be a half dozen or so, that's how these campaigns usually work. The one I saw did feature the actual song, sung by Brandon Boyd of Incubus, presumably (see earlier parts of thread).
BlueChair wrote:Going back to the commercial - has anybody actually seen it? Cause I just did for the first time.
And umm... it's not that "Alison" is played in the commercial. We just see different people saying "My favourite song is..." and one of them says "My favourite song is 'Alison' by Elvis Costello."
So yeah, that totally changes this debate considering Elvis' permission to mention one of his songs isn't even necessary.
Blue~
In the version I saw, one of the people (Brandon Boyd as mentiones above) was actually singing "Alison" in addition to what you mentioned above. Possibly the commercial was edited. There are several different ones that I have seen. Not all of them mention Elvis or sing 'Alison".
Hmmmm~
Talking of Lost and commdercials, my wife has to restrain me every time those two fucking 118 or whatever it is dorks appear, which is about 8 times a show. They simply aren't funny, or clever, or anything. They are just annoying tosspots. The original ads were lame enough (to make me vow to never, ever use that number in my life), but these little sketches defy belief at their feebleness. I am very depressed that Channel 4 allow this type of tosh to be forced upon us. If I give up on Lost, it will be because I want to keep the glass on the TV intact.
There's more to life than books, you know, but not much more
I was under the impression that the commercial featured an actual Elvis Costello recording. Since it's a cover, it probably doesn't operate under the same licensing.
This morning you've got time for a hot, home-cooked breakfast! Delicious and piping hot in only 3 microwave minutes.
I think Blue's right because usually, when they either can't afford or just can't plain get permission to use the original recording, they go with a cover. I remember the Denzel Washington bomb Fallen had a depressingly rote cover of "Paint It Black" on its soundtrack for reasons of that ilk.
While I'm thinking about it, has anywhere else here seen the Chevy commercial where they play a snippet of Steve Earle's "The Revolution Starts.....NOW!" That is the most depressing and aggravating case of sellout-itis to come down the pike in quite awhile. The thing is, I care less and less about whether or not artists license songs out although I will always have more respect for the ones like Tom Waits who stick to their guns so eloquently but, when you work as hard as Earle has to establish this "Damn The Man!" persona and then you cash a corporate check for a song that was supposed to be a warning against complacency and capitalist greed.....well it don't look so good. I've actually debated selling that cd back to one of the local stores even though there are several songs on it that I really, really like. Back in the 80's, Earle turned down a non-ID jingle for Budweiser because he didn't want to sell out to The Man so I wonder why the change of heart. I know that he and Allison Moorer just got married so maybe it went towards the honeymoon or something....
El Vez wrote:While I'm thinking about it, has anywhere else here seen the Chevy commercial where they play a snippet of Steve Earle's "The Revolution Starts.....NOW!" That is the most depressing and aggravating case of sellout-itis to come down the pike in quite awhile.
That's what it was! I was telling my wife that I knew the music but couldn't put my finger on it. Surprising to say the least. And GM cars suck.
