Cultural Whiplash
Flicking around on the TV last night, I saw that Wanadoo are using ‘Velouria’ by the Pixies to try to sell ADSL. Fair enough, it’s one of their poppier songs, but I can remember a time when the Pixies would have been seen as being way too weird to use on a TV advert. I got a similar feeling when HP used ‘Pictures of You’ by The Cure to advertise, uh, whatever the hell it was they were advertising. (HP are one of those infuriating companies that don’t advertise things any more, and instead just try to sell their brand image.)
Not that I really have a problem with any of this. I just thought it was interesting to note how quickly music and other cultural phenomena move from being out on the fringes to being accepted by the mainstream. It’s the first time I’ve really been around to observe the entire process; previously I’ve only ever seen the tail end of it. For example, I still don’t really understand why ‘Anarchy in the UK’ or ‘God Save the Queen’ caused such an uproar at the time. I’ve heard people try to describe how it felt, but since I didn’t experience it I’m unable to hear the Sex Pistols as anything other than a plain old pop group.
This is only going to get weirder as I get older isn’t it? I’m waiting for the day they start using Killing Joke to advertise toilet paper.