Mick Jagger is dead to me
That’s right. He’s dead to me. I will no longer be returning his calls, and he knows why. And so does anyone who watched the Super Bowl last night (which was, by the way, the best Super Bowl ever). If you happened to have missed it, here’s why…
First, let me start by saying I actually understood when the Rolling Stones lent their “Start Me Up” song to Microsoft for their Windows 95 ad campaign, I really did. It was rumored Microsoft asked The Stones what it would cost to use one of their songs in a spot, and they (allegedly) threw back a $14 million figure, essentially saying “no”. Little did they know Microsoft’s secretary regularly has $14 million in the petty cash drawer, and the deal was soon done.
But as I said, I understand that. $14 million is a lot of money, especially to do nothing. Heck, I would sell almost all my songs for $14 million (but then, my songs, which are for the most part about rainbows and unicorns, all suck, and I’d be lucky to get $9 million). So I understand the dilemma of selling out to “the man” vs. not getting $14 million. And I forgave The Stones.
But now jump ahead 13 years. The Stones have had 5 major tours since then, each one grossing an insane amount of money. Tickets often start at $200 for horrible seats behind view-obstructing columns, and go up quickly from there. The Stone, who likely each only had about $100 million back in 1995, now have upwards of $750 million (well, Jagger and Richards, anyway).
First Microsoft, now DELL?!?!
But time heals all wounds, and I had more or less forgotten the whole Rolling Stones-selling-out-to-Microsoft thing, when suddenly last night I see this ad… for DELL.
Yes, that’s “Sir” Mick Jagger’s “Charmed Life” being used to promote DELL – DELL! DELL who I consider to be perhaps more the enemy than Microsoft in the battle against Apple for good technology taste and design.
Now, since I refuse to admit that anyone famous uses anything other than a Mac, the question now becomes, at what point, as an “artist” do you say “I have enough money, I won’t endorse the devil?”. Well, apparently Jagger has not reached that point. Maybe he’s so close to $1 billion, he is a man driven. Or maybe his 7 kids’ child support is taking its toll, and he’s just trying to make enough money for bus fare.
But until he writes me a personal letter of apology, Jagger is dead to me. I’m sorry.
Right Said ! Right Said. Always been a Beatles’ fan too.
“Dell? Dell?” Mick Jagger said when he heard he had licensed the song to Dell Computers. “I thought it was for my friend Mel. Mel’s a good guy. Dell is rubbish. I don’t hear so good anymore. All that loud rock ‘n roll music, you know. My bad.”
Dear Doc,
Whatever your personal opinion, everyone knows that Apple is not the only strong, desirable brand in the market. In fact, some would argue that a brand like Dell is even more desirable compared to Apple. Perhaps even superior.
Dell have produced many products that…have been a hit…among users…worldwide. They have…hee hee…been a leader…hee hee…in the technology…Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!
Oh man, I can’t do this. They were offering me $20m! What was i supposed to do? Throw the money back at their stinkin’ faces? Hell no! Plus they said i could keep that hot girl in the green dress as long as i liked. That was the clincher, man! You understand right?
Anyway, I’m really sorry. I promise i won’t do it again. Really. 🙂
you should have mentioned our daughter’s face when she saw that commercial. she was appalled! it was so cute!
Have you noticed that the Stones have been used to sell crap products?
Think about it:
“Start Me Up”: Win95
“Charmed Life”: Dell
and one for those who live in New Zealand
“Painted Black”: The All Blacks
Yes that’s right all you Aussies, Poms, and Boks I’m a New Zealander who thinks that the All Blacks are nothing more than handbag toting, makeup wearing pansies who cry at the first sign of a twisted ankle. They make me sick to be a Kiwi. If they actually spent more time in training than putting on makeup and wondering what handbag goes with black then maybe we’d have won a few more Rugby World Cups since 1987.
Feared team my butt. The only reason other teams fear them is that they fear they might catch Gay.
I have lived too long.
And you know what’s worse of all?
That ad was shot in Buenos Aires, Argentina…
Dude… I live there, man… WAY uncool…
Shame on you, Mick!!
You know what’s ironic? Some of the early iPhone purchases were treated almost like that dell dude NATURALLY. Not some faked up commercial. No one buying a dell would get that kind of reaction naturally. Pretty good commercial, though, for the weak-minded.
If only music licensing worked that way. I doubt he got anywhere near a million dollars for that commercial. My band was in several commercials for the WB network for various TV shows and I can’t even remember if it paid more than $100. Usually third party companies deal with music licensing and the royalty compensation rates are laughable. There is even a chance he didn’t even know the song was used in the commercial. It happens all the time. I will give Dell a little credit. Their monitors look and work great with Macs. My room mate is running a G4 tower with a 19 inch Dell display that he got for around 200 because he couldn’t afford the 600 for the Apple display. As for computers though, I will never buy a Dell ha ha.
People never seem to recall Mick attended The London School of Economics (as did I). The two major differences being I completed my degree, and he makes more every day in interest than I’ll make in my lifetime.
I choose to rationalise this by insisting Michael Jackson bought The Stones’ song book, too.
as Bill Hicks says, “you make a commercial, youre off the artistic role call”
Just curious if you had a similar outcry last summer when Devo released their first new song in x years for ANOTHER DELL COMMERCIAL!!!??? Who gives a flying fig newton about Mick?
We know from a recent feature in MacLife that Mark Mothersbaugh and the guys at Mutato are totally Mac-centric so they’re still cool.
PS: Interesting side note, Guess which song Devo didn’t play at the Macworld ’08 Party???
So let me get this straight. A mac fanboy apparently doesn’t mind a sellout to Microsoft. And doesn’t mind his own brand being touted by the smuggest guy in the world. (Yeah, smuggest became a word right after that ad campaign came out.) But he minds that Mick “sold out” to a company that sells hardware?
Dell is appreciated for it’s 15 years on recycling, being carbon neutral and having the least toxic product. Apple can learn from this !!
What is applebeyond a user interface, humping on a poor implemented Linux OS, think about NEXT and Aple/UX when they still understood how an OS works like…
Apple is a spoiled supermodel, very expensive to maintain, poor brains, addicted to expensive branded add-ons and great looks…
Regards Ruud (once a Lisa user)
Yeah I’m sure Mick is all broke up over some twat , who he doesn’t know, giving him grief on the internets.
you guys are funny! FUNNY-LOOKING!!! ooooh I have this …I have a MAC, I have a DELL… when people are actually dying everyday from hunger and other things… all you guys care about are stupid commercials of your beloved or hated products of society – why don’t you go HELP someone… PAY IT FORWARD!
Go phuck yourself…Mac sucks…Jobs is dying…
The Stones are the Greatest Rock and Roll Band on Earth…….
You are an ijit !
Mick is the smartest rock star alive…………………..
Seats for $200 ?
AHAHAHAHA….I haven’t had a seat for under a thousand in the last 5 concerts. I own Dell exclusively and can buy and sell most Oxygen depleting igmos on this planet.
Go stand behind a column Macbait !
Tony Loves the STONES