Sam Adams “Your Cousin From Boston” Vaccine Commercial – Actor, Location, and More!

Samuel Adams beer created an ad promoting their product (of course!) but also encouraging folks to get the COVID vaccine. Take a look…

This ad will make you laugh, which is a win for Samuel Adams. But just as mask-wearing and the vaccine have become political, the commercial includes a line that some viewers took issue with. After cousin gets the vaccine shot, the nurse says, “Continue to wear a mask.” Say whaaaa?

Just check the YouTube comments on this commercial and you’ll quickly see that many are asking why the mask is still necessary if you get the shot, some even vowing to give up Sam Adams altogether. Because of this slight misstep in their script and presentation, I’d say the ad misses the bullseye… but not by much.

Controversy aside, the cousin is played by actor Gregory Hoyt. He does a great Boston accent and looks similar to Mark Wahlberg, never a bad thing as an actor!

Location. The ad was shot at Boston’s Fenway Park, as seen on Google Maps– Van Ness Street. Bar scenes are from Bleacher Bar, also part of Fenway Park.

Side Notes. Everybody wearing a hat in this ad is wearing it backwards. Must all be dude bro’s! Each of the staff administering the vaccine and helping with the line of people are wearing a face shield and a mask. Also, the cousin and his friends have all been vaccinated, as indicated by their pins. It’s safe to say they all posted on Instagram about it, too, because that’s what we’re supposed to do once we get the shot.

The nurse is wearing a KN95 mask, which the CDC points out are commonly made in China.

Final Thoughts. Overall, this ad is great. It uses humor to promote its product while also spreading a message of safety. Gregory Hoyt was a great choice for this commercial, perfectly playing the role of a crazy, and also stereotypical, Boston resident.

The only part that seems to be getting pushback is the line about wearing a mask even after getting the shot. I guess it’s a CYA thing for Samuel Adams.

The Socials. Be sure to follow Sam Adams on Twitter. Also show Gregory Hoyt some love by following him on Twitter, as well– @hoytamania

Thanks for stopping by!

-Out of the Wilderness

Photo of a pond reflection turned into this…

I really LOVE how this project looks. What started out as an attempt to photograph coy in a pond transformed into an abstract, colorful, mashup of shapes and designs. Before revealing the final products, though, here is the original.

The vertical lines filling the bottom right area are railings of a staircase. This pond is in the middle of a townhome/apartment complex.

I’ll admit it’s kind of boring to look at but I really like the way the reflection is in focus and has nice curved lines and lots of potential. Then I sat down at my computer…

It was a rainy day in Nashville so I granted myself time to just sit at the computer and play around with effects, colors, and brush types. This is what came from that.

First round of editing
Final edit: original image in black & white, with colorful additions spread around the piece

Liking this post, or commenting below, is a treat in itself! But if you feel compelled you can check out both of these on FineArtAmerica to see how they would look on a variety of products like canvas, framed art, pillows, and more.

I have loved diving into this creative side, editing photos with no expectations or limits. It’s been so fun!

Thanks for stopping by…

-Out of the Wilderness

The music from Big Sky episode 14 (air date 5/4/21)

*Check out music from Episode 15 here*

Episode 14 was the coming out party for Margaret Kleinsasser but no spoilers here. Great episode and a great tease for episode 15. Meanwhile, the only song in the episode not created specifically for the show came about 57 minutes in. It happens to be one of my favorites. Check it out…

“Crimson & Clover” – Tommy James and The Shondells

What do you think about Big Sky? Are you digging the music choices as much as I am? Chime in below and as always, thanks for stopping by!

-Out of the Wilderness

Dash cam video of the good, and bad in Nashville, Tennessee

I caught a couple of instances on my dash cam I thought were worth sharing. First up is a limousine from a brand I hadn’t seen before. It’s a real showstopper. In fact, when I saw it, I literally stopped my car. Well, I was at a red light, so there was that, too. But anyway, take a look at this Chevrolet Camaro limousine from Nashville Chauffeur.

The next dash cam clip isn’t quite as cool. In fact, it’s downright annoying! It’s one thing for a car to roll through a stop sign but take a look at this driver who clearly must’ve been on the way to the hospital with a life-threatening situation.

If you don’t have a dash cam yet, I urge you to get one! I’ve caught so many clips that have been almost invaluable, from crazy lightning to hail to drivers running stop signs and red lights, to cars fleeing scenes of car accidents they created. I got my Rexing dash cam on Amazon here and it’s been great.

Do you already have a dash cam? What are some things you’ve caught on video? Share below and as always, thanks for stopping by!

-Out of the Wilderness

Elvis Presley’s “Something Blue,” A Top 5 Favorite?

If you ask 100 people to list their top 5 favorite Elvis Presley songs, it’s very possible that no list will be the same. This is because Elvis has such a wide range of songs, from gospel and rock to ballads and movie soundtracks. Quickly rising up my list of favorites is one I heard for the first time in 2021. It’s called “Something Blue.” Take a listen…

This song is a play off of the well-known phrase associated with brides on their wedding day…

“Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue…”

I won’t get into the meaning of this centuries-old rhyme, but there’s a Brides.com article that does, so click here for more on that. I want to talk about the lyrics of the song (written by Paul Evans and Al Byron). Hearing this song for the first time just recently, and having the chance to listen intently to the lyrics, I was floored with the way Elvis ties the “borrowed, blue, old, new” rhyme in with his heart-breaking role in a wedding. Is he in love? Yes. Is he the groom?

It begins as a list of things he misses about an ex. But the biggest twist comes in these lyrics, “Something old, the dreams we planned. Something new, his wedding band,” and that’s when it’s quite clearly revealed who is (and isn’t) getting married this day. It’s kind of like (and by “kind of like,” I mean EXACTLY LIKE!) another song Elvis sings, except sort of in reverse but sort of not in reverse at all.

Elvis, as the narrator, in fact is in love with the bride (a woman he has had a relationship with), but she’s marrying another man. Why is he at the wedding then? It’s like rubbing salt in the wound because HE’S THE BEST MAN. Ouch. Not quite the romantic story, huh? I’m thinking of “Love Letters,” another amazing song by Elvis full of romance.

In “Something Blue,” Elvis walks down the aisle as the groom’s best man, thinking (as the lyrics reveal), “I’m really not the best man in the room.” This wouldn’t be such a bad thing, right? Except the fact we already mentioned, the groom is marrying a woman Elvis dated, loved, but who broke his heart, “Something borrowed was the heart I gave you, you returned it torn in two.”

How the song is written so cleverly in rhymes and telling the story without spelling it out directly, with the unmatched voice of Elvis, is why it might already be in my top 10 all-time Elvis favorites. I love that it’s almost halfway through the song that one realizes what’s actually happening. It’s not just a list of things he misses about an ex, it’s things he misses about an ex who is in a wedding dress walking down the aisle to marry a man who isn’t him, and he’s got to stand there and watch it. Can you even imagine?

Where does this song land on your list of Elvis favorites? While you’re thinking about it, comment below with your top 5 Elvis songs and let’s see if it matches mine.

Thank ya, thank ya very much for stopping by!

-Out of the Wilderness