Posting daily at 1pm central about all kinds of things. One day it's dating, the next it's TV commercials. I hope you're entertained. Professional photos on SmugMug – https://benwilder.smugmug.com
There’s a new rapper disrupting the United States. His name is Tom MacDonald and he has a million tattoos. Here are a few, with links to the sources below each picture. Also, if you like this post, consider making a small donation to my site so I can continue posting daily… thank you in advance!!
Emily and Floralee. Above his left eye is “Emily” and on his left scalp, “Floralee.” He and his sister have a great relationship, and he’s very grateful for her help in his life. She might be the “Emily” tribute in this tattoo. Floralee is still anyone’s guess.
I saw this ad for the first time recently and laughed my head off. I love the way the actor repeats a long line of dialogue we normally hear in the ads, not knowing he is IN the ad itself! Of course, that’s not the most funny part, but take a look then scroll down for more.
The actor in this spot is David An. He’s been in quite a few movies and TV shows over the years, including the movies Green Book, Rampage, and The 15:17 to Paris, along with TV appearances in “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” and “NCIS,” among others.
David also stars, alongside a hungry seagull, in a short ad within the same campaign…
Where is this bench, though? Well, this isn’t as easy to figure out. I have 3 educated guesses as to where this was shot, “A” and “B” in New York, and then a secret third option…
A. Governors Island. The view from this island makes sense with the angle of the Statue of Liberty in the background. But the geography on Governor’s Island (the ground… and the real fence) are not at all consistent with what we see in the Liberty Mutual ad.
C. It’s all done in post-production with a green screen.
If I had to pick one, I’d go with choice “C” and they built a set for the ad with a giant green screen in the background. Neither “A” or “B” locations have benches facing AWAY from the ocean (most benches would naturally face out into the ocean, towards Lady Liberty), and the concrete sidewalks are not like the one in the ad. Also, there is no land as close to the Statue of Liberty as the ad makes it feel (and look).
Liberty Mutual has been making funny ads for a while in this particular location with the Statue of Liberty in the background. Here are a few other favorites.
Boring arcade game:
2. Young girl calls magician out:
3. Liberty Biberty:
You can check out the rest of the ads in the Liberty portfolio by going to their YouTube page.
Country singer Morgan Wallen is all over entertainment news, and I literally mean “all over” because weirdly his career seems to be over. He did a no-no by using the N-word in a secretly recorded video when he was in the driveway of his Nashville home. No one I’ve listened to or read articles from has mentioned that he seemed to be telling a friend, in my best guess, to tip the driver well. That’s a good thing, right? But he slipped in the N-word so now his career is apparently falling apart right before our ears.
But there is a gigantic elephant in the room with this story.
First of all, it appears he was most likely repeating lyrics of a song, perhaps one he and his friends had just heard in the car. A quick look at song titles on Spotify with the exact phrase he used…
Yes, that is 9 of first 14 tracks that popped up with song titles of the exact phrase spoken by Morgan Wallen. Will these artists get any backlash from this? Doubtful. Should they? Who knows.
Various awards shows (CMT, ACM, CMA) have pulled Morgan Wallen from any nominations in upcoming programs. Yet these same folks (plus the Grammy Awards) have let Justin Bieber be nominated (and/or win) awards AFTER a video surfaced where Justin used the N-word many times and laughed about it, even joking he might become a member of the KKK.
I don’t know if there is a more well-known pop artist that Justin Bieber, and he’s heard on radio stations and streaming channels all over the world to this day, even after the “shocking” video above. Morgan Wallen has already been pulled from radio, just a few days after the incident.
Saturday Night Live uses the word somewhat often with no real pushback. Here’s an example.
Lastly, the golden child of white people who want to make a point about race is Eminem. He’s white. He has used the N-word in lyrics, although references to this were from decade-old songs. I do think Eminem recognizes the sensitivity of using this word, as he is very careful to not include it in lyrics of more recent tracks.
But the point is still the same… Morgan Wallen is being made an example, mostly by agencies and people just trying to “look good” in the public eye. Other entertainers like Justin Bieber, Eminem, cast members of SNL, and anyone who uses this word in any way, should face the same music, right? They won’t, though, because casting hate towards one single person will be enough to satisfy the appetite of the social justice gods…
…until they become hungry again in about a day.
Then they’ll move on to the next person they want to destroy. Morgan Wallen is in a bad situation, that’s for sure, and yes, he brought it on himself. He will not be welcome in country music for many, many years, if ever. If he wants to save any possible chance of a music career, he’ll crossover to pop and then everything should be golden. (I say this with a bit of sarcasm, but also, yeah, if he goes pop he’ll be fine).
Cringing as I listened to the entire song called “Throat Baby,” I felt like I needed to find a church and a priest ASAP! In my defense, I wanted to know what the song was about as it was trending at the top of SiriusXM’s Pandora station. Now I’m no saint, but I couldn’t believe the things I was hearing in the lyrics of this song. Straight trash. Feminists out there ought to be rioting in the streets.
I am not even going to post a link to the song, I wouldn’t do that to you, but I’ll say it this way… it makes Megan Thee Stallion (singer of W.A.P.) look like a nun. The song is by BRS Kash and features DaBaby and City Girls. The trio of artists managed to fit an entire night of sin into a 3-minute song that would even make shock jock radio DJ Howard Stern blush.
How is a song this vulgar and trashy in mainstream music? Oh yeah, TikTok. The song gained traction on the admirable, high-quality app that kids are obsessed with. I worry for kids (and adults) who listen to music like this regularly or even just randomly hear this particular song and assume it must be OK. I guess the responsibility of parenting kids in a world where music (and TV, movies, commercials, etc) sell sexuality so hard is of utmost importance. Who else will show the kiddos that listening to “Throat Baby” will only make your life worse, your relationships worse, think worse thoughts, and stain your view of the world in general?
Yeah, it’s that bad. I hope people who were outraged about Megan Thee Stallion are just as appalled with BRS Kash. I also hope I can unhear that song, and never hear it again.
Sidenote: the title of this post is a play off of Elvis Presley’s song “One Night of Sin” which, back then, was so controversial that they had to release a safer version for radio called “One Night With You.” I guess there is always an element of pushing the envelope in music and entertainment, but with the song I’ve been talking about in this post, there is neither the element of entertainment or music at all. It’s just trash.
I have a few thoughts right off the bat with this new ad from Doritos, but first check it out for yourself…
I think it’s awesome how they were able to make Matthew McConaughey look like Flat Stanley. I have no idea how they did that from a production standpoint. Very cool.
Music. Obviously using Queen is usually a ‘win’ and to have a song that fits the theme of the ad is a ‘double win’ for Doritos. The song is “I Want To Break Free,” check it out on YouTube here.
If there was one thing I’d change, don’t have a barking dog in the ad. Every time, and I mean EVERY TIME a dog barks on TV my own dogs go crazy. Makes me dislike whatever product the ad is pushing. Remember that, Doritos, you remember that!
More about the ad…
The Loo. Notice in the bathroom shot they have most, if not all, branded items turned away from the camera. This is for at least 2 reasons, legally they don’t want to show brands they may not have permission to show and secondly, they don’t want to give any other company free advertising.
The Ride. Flatt Matthew is driving a Ford Mustang, model built somwhere between 1964 and 1966. Notice the driver’s side mirror. They were only round during these years. In 1967 they changed to a more square-ish shape.
CYA. Much like turning the labels away from the camera, there is a tiny disclaimer when Flat Matthew slides into the vending machine. Don’t want anyone claiming, “Doritos made me do it!”
Extras. Did you notice there were people in the background while tossing the football? Until I watched it a couple of times, I had no idea.
The Agency. This ad was created by Goodby, Silverstein & Partners. It was directed by Academy Award winner Damien Chazelle, and according to the GS&P website, “We also allowed the entire world to experience life in 2D by creating the first-ever TikTok filter that turns people flat.”
For more info on popular commercials, check out my commercials page. Thanks for stopping by!
Out of the Wilderness 