Back in the spring of 2002, Billboard magazine interviewed me on Marriott's utilization of Alice Cooper as their pitchman in one of the best post-9/11 TV spots produced. Just five years ago, the utilization of a rocker pitching a mainstream product was still pretty unusual, despite the genre's ownership of music cuture since the '60s.
I mean, for many, it was just...weird, akin to the counter-culture revolutionairies selling out to corporate America. How could they?
Of course, it wasn't selling out...just that the lines had blurred between "us and them." Hell, we are, as Jimmy Buffett said, "the people our parents warned us about." Hell, we ARE our parents (just hipper, eh?).
Anyway, Cadillac now uses Led Zep, Sheraton uses the Stones, Gwen Stefani endorses Huckelberry Dolls, Snoop Dog does Chrysler...so it's no longer the "shocker" it once was.
But it still kind of catches me off-guard when I see an article about Paul Stanley in the "Lifestyle-At Home" section of USA Today, sharing his interior decorating tips and showing off the bed he designed. But it shouldn't. I think.
Favorite part of the story (and something I've been thinking of doing for a while, but could never find the words). Over an arched doorway into the family room is painted: "Fedelta, Compassione, Integrita."
Translated: "Be Faithful, Have Compassion and Have Integrity."
Words to live by. Thanks Paul.
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