So it has happened, Punxatawney Phil was too hung over from his post superbowl reveling to come out of his hole this morning, and has doomed us all to 6 more weeks of winter. Way to go Steelers, you might have won more Super Bowls than any other team in history, but now I have to pay for oil for another 6 damn weeks!
What is it about groundhogs day which captures our imaginations? Usually when I use an animal to predict the future, I just cut it open to read its entrails. What else could possibly bring us to care about Punxatawnassassipi Pennsylvania. A quick gander at the Wikipedia tells me, that like all great American traditions, Groundhog Day has it's roots in medeval pagan holidays.
Whatever the reason, this holiday fuels small town economies all over the country, and gives morning news show anchors to do for once. It had given birth to a classic Bill Murray movie. There are even some weird spin-offs. Like Bostons Drowned Hogs Day which is a holiday dozens of drunk Bostonians jump into the harbor, and if their nipples go point, we get six weeks without erections.
It could be the cute animal, or the quaint old-fashioned feeling of looking to nature to tell us the future, but something keeps us coming back. Maybe this year, Bill Murray will finally blow up that damn groundhog. (or was that a gopher?)
Have you ever seen the movie Lost in Translation? If you haven’t, Bill Murray plays a washed up action star, who goes to Japan for a few days to film a whiskey commercial. At one point, a bunch of Americans in a hotel bar recognize him, although it takes them a while to figure out who he is. In order to make some extra money and find some direction in his ever so boring life, he goes to Japan. No one recognizes him, his wife and kids get on his nerves, and not even people from his own country really know who he is anymore.
It’s not really so bad when actors who aren’t really in the limelight anymore go to foreign countries and try to make some money. However, what about the celebs who think they’ve still got it? These same actors claim to be reputable and want you to believe that they are serious about their professions. But instead, they escape to other countries and star in commercials they'd never be caught dead doing in the US.
Here are some examples:
Pierce Brosnan in L’Oreal Men Expert-I don’t know if these commercials have aired in the States, if they have I certainly haven’t seen them. This one is so obnoxious that I couldn’t even find one in English. I’m a Pierce Brosnan fan, but what’s the deal dude?
This one is pretty bad. George Clooney in a Nespresso commercial. Would you ever catch him in an ad like this in the US? Capsules of coffee? I'd prefer some freshly ground beans, thanks.
How about Jason Lewis in this Aero Bubbles chocolate commercial? You’re probably asking, who is Jason Lewis? Remember Smith Jarrod from Sex and the City (aka the guy Samantha actually sticks with for more than ten minutes)? Perhaps he shouldn’t really be included in this list because he’s not super famous. But the commercial is kind of sad because his attempts to get famous for his acting “skills” obviously haven’t worked out too well for him.
This is by far the worst one of all. Iggy Pop dancing around against a purple backdrop for a car insurance commercial. He appears in jeans and no shirt (as usual), and we all have to look at it. Gross. Okay, maybe he’s not a movie star and his career has kind of faded, but doesn’t he still make music? Wasn’t he supposed to be groundbreaking in his genre, or all inspiring to bands like the Red Hot Chilli Peppers? How is Iggy Pop spazzing out and muttering on about random crap supposed to make me want to buy car insurance? Despite the fact that these commercials have given me nightmares, I don’t even know what company they’re for. Maybe in this case, I shouldn’t be mad at Iggy Pop, but at the stupid insurance company.
In other news, I was totally right about that pesky Yo Yo Ma at the inauguration! In my last post, I raged a bit about his ability to play outside, in 20 degree weather, without gloves, a hat, or a jacket on. Well it looks like my suspicions about him were correct. He was only kinda sorta playing for reals. I just knew that there was no way he could seriously be that happy if there wasn’t a recording in the background!
