I couldn't give a XXXX for Fosters

Made in the UK for Fucking Idiots with no tastebuds

I was saddened recently when I heard the Violent Femmes classic 'Blister in the Sun' on a Fosters advertisement. I had to do a double take and the Violent Femmes, an Alternative rock, underground band (that sold more than most underground bands) who were massively influential (their songs have appeared in tv shows, movies, video games and have been covered widely) greatly went down in my estimation as complete sell outs.

The Violent Femmes are not a struggling or emerging band and so having one of their songs used in a commercial reminded me of a Bill Hicks quote:

"Here's the deal, folks, you do a commercial, you're off the artistic roll call forever, end of story ... If you do a commercial, there's a price on your head, everything you say is suspect...You know, if you're young and struggling, OK, I'll look the other way. Still, you do a commercial and you're off the artistic roll call forever and that goes for everyone ... except Willie Nelson. With a $30 million dollar tax debt, Willie's pockets were a little deeper than the rest of ours."

I have included a video of the advert below for anyone reading this not in the UK who may not have the foggiest what I'm on about. For the rest of you - don't watch this shite (it's rammed down your throat anyway).

However despite my chagrin that the VF sold out and had climbed the ladder to become suckers of Satan's scaly black pecker (yes another Bill Hicks quote - I keep doing them but I can't help it, honestly) I then found out that the song had been used in a Wendy's (the burger chain) advert beforehand. Yet, just as I thought all hope was lost I saw a comment by Violent Femmes' bassist Brian Ritchie, in reply to a blog that shares my disgust  of such a great song being 'prostituted'.

Feb. 22, 2007, 1:51 a.m.

For the fans who rightfully are complaining about the Wendy's burger advertisement featuring Blister in the Sun. Gordon Gano is the publisher of the song and Warners is the record company. When they agree to use it there's nothing the rest of the band can do about it, because we don't own the song or the recording. That's showbiz. Therefore when you see dubious or in this case disgusting uses of our music you can thank the greed, insensitivity and poor taste of Gordon Gano. It is his karma that he lost his songwriting ability many years ago, probably due to his own lack of self-respect as his willingness to prostitute our songs demonstrates. Neither Gordon (vegetarian) nor me (gourmet) eat garbage like Wendy's burgers. I can't endorse them because I disagree with corporate food on culinary, political, health, economic and environmental grounds. However I see my life's work trivialized at the hands of my business partner over and over again, although I have raised my objections numerous times. As disgusted as you are I am moreso. 

Sincerely, 

Brian Ritchie

I could not have put it better. Unfortunately whilst trying to locate the Fosters advert (above) I had the misfortune to view this complete piece of shite, which is trying to sell Fosters to the Aussie's (hint: they do not drink this fizzy piss water).

It is truly an utterly appalling advert. It tries to be all 'matey' but it's just an advertising exec trying to appeal to patriotic sensibilities and failing miserably. I was born Down Under and I'm offended by this bollocks. It starts by trying to dispel the myths of Aussie's being crocodile wrestling, Kangaroo pet owning and then tries to build into a patriotic fervour. Mash Up DJ Wax Audio who I have mentioned in previous posts commented:

Fart Gas for the Masses

We're not racist in Australia BUT... when we gather in drunken mobs of 5000 to bash "lebs and wogs" in "defence" of our beaches it's OK for Alan Jones (Sydney's number one shock-jock) to spur them on - especially when the country's top politicians back him up. The message to these "middle eastern grubs" is simple: "I come from the land down under, you better run, you better take cover".

After viewing this advert and the type of people it is trying to appeal to (despite the 'normal' looking bloke at the end) I would suggest that the drunken mob, could, very possibly have been drinking Fosters. Is this the kind of Australia that John Howard created whilst he bent over to take George W's Weiner?

No wonders Australians couldn't give a XXXX for Fosters!

Blister in the Sun

This post was updated on 8-1-12