What do you think of Citroën's John Lennon car commercial?

OMG DIS MEAN DA BEETLES R SELLOUTS NAO!!111!!!!ONEONE!!

The footage is (obviously) dubbed over with a fake Lennon. Comparison and original footage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipyUk5-wlFg

Sean Lennon’s argument is stupid. There are ways to keep Lennon in the public consciousness that don’t include attaching him to capitalist, consumerist values that he (seemed to) oppose. It just doesn’t make sense to want to “expose the young” to this capitalist/salesman version of Lennon in the first place, especially when it’s far removed from what Lennon actually represented. But I reckon it’s not too wise to get worked up about what’s being thrown into the public consciousness because, you know, it’s a fucking wasteland already and there’s not much use in trying to clean it up.

Is keeping John Lennon in the “public consciousness” really worth using his image w/ attributed apocryphal quotation to sell cars? It is not his legacy that is perpetuated – the commercial is literally revisionist & has no interest in Lennon other than to exploit his fame. Intent to “keep him out there in the world” therefore disingenuous. The dead should command more respect from family.

Citroen is really the Ford of Europe, their cars are moderately priced (not to mention that this new DS3 car of theirs looks like one of those ugly Scion cars, and hardly luxurious.) In fact nothing about this car IS luxurious, I mean the car starts in the UK at eleven thousand pounds.

Curt Cobain showing up in a guitar hero game posthoumousy, that’s a real shame. This is just an interview with Lennon, they could of done worse. It could have been CGI-Lennon rocking out in front of the cars.

Well, speaking of his legacy, I didn’t know this until today:

“I used to be cruel to my woman, and physically — any woman. I was a hitter. I couldn’t express myself and I hit. I fought men and I hit women … I am a violent man who has learned not to be violent and regrets his violence. I will have to be a lot older before I can face in public how I treated women as a youngster.”

@TIM T. Yeah, Lennon was a hitter. Isn’t that crazy? Peep these “Run For Your Life” lyrics:

I’d rather see you dead, little girl,
Than to be with another man.
You’d better keep your head, little girl,
Or I won’t know where I am.
You’d better run for your life if you can, little girl,
Hide your head in the sand, little girl.
Catch you with another man,
That’s the end - ah, little girl.

In any case, both sides were pretty stupid in my opinion. The way Sean worded his tweets, it sounds like he defended his mom before even seeing the commercial. And I don’t think anyone needs to point out how absurd it is that they need to have a car commercial keep his legacy in the public consciousness. What a load of horseshit.

At the same time, why wouldn’t the car company use Lennon to sell their cars? Should we be surprised that they’d want to co-opt Lennon’s ideas? It’s nothing new, and Lennon has been co-opted many times before.

i guess if they haven’t skewed his words, i don’t see a big issue. i’m pretty sure people can figure out that a dead man cannot endorse anything genuinely.

people get really stupid when they’re talking shit, so i can imagine why sean lennon would jump the gun on defending his mom despite having viewed the commercial or not.

power to the people.

not “despite,” i mean “regardless.”

Julian would never have allowed this to happen.
Nor would Cynthia!!!
This ad makes me sick and pushes me over to the anti Yoko side once again.
She should just keep to the job of keeping Mark David Chapman in prison.

Who hasn’t heard of John Lennon? I’m three and I’ve heard about him lots.

Citroen needs to find some way to sell their cars that doesn’t make me just want lemon. It’s a crappy commercial.

Yoko Ono is weird, y’know? This makes sense. Everything is still great.

Sometimes, Sean Lennon seems like a real wuss. It’s not suprising that he’s a wuss or something, though. Any John Lennon’s son would wind up like that.

Selling out doesn’t really mean anything, but it’s pretty fun to see.k

“Having just seen the ad I realize why people are mad. But intention was not financial, was simply wanting to keep him out there in the world.”

I can’t imagine it’s very hard to keep Lennon out in the world, with that ridiculous Rock Band video game and just simply the fact that the Beatles still are very much in the public consciousness.

Sean Lennon’s justification is totally pussy, as if using footage of his dead father to endorse a really awful car ad was a rational and legitimate way to keep letting the world know that, “hey my daddy, john lennon, waz a beatle, and now he dead, ‘member him world?”

It’s sad really, it’s so completely sad when the people responsible for this kind of stuff don’t understand a damn thing about respect and integrity.

Sad, but definitely not surprising.

“Is keeping John Lennon in the “public consciousness” really worth using his image w/ attributed apocryphal quotation to sell cars? It is not his legacy that is perpetuated – the commercial is literally revisionist & has no interest in Lennon other than to exploit his fame. Intent to “keep him out there in the world” therefore disingenuous. The dead should command more respect from family.”

^Tim T. nailed it.

With all due respect to you internet blowhards, Yoko Ono was his WIFE, and Sean Lennon was his SON. They are the ones most qualified to say what he would and would not have wanted.

what DOGA said is the only accurate comment here.

Perhaps, Zippers, but Doga’s missing out on one thing — though they know what “John would have wanted” far more than you or me, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re doing it. Were that the way things always worked, nobody would hate Courtney Love.

I’d like to see some people address the claim that the audio is fake, dubbed.

Alright, fuck it, here’s my two cents:

Yes, it’s a travesty. But who gives a shit.

New debate please.

disappointing… sad….

This is really painful. Yoko and Sean should be embarrassed. Anyone who thinks otherwise is living in an Orwellian dystopia or at the very least has forgotten or never learned how to question orthodoxy. If there was one thing Lennon was adept at, it was critical thinking. The world fell in love with the man because he was candid and honest. Consumer Capitalism on the other hand thrives on deception and the manufacture of false wants, and the advertising sector is certainly no exception.

I feel for Sean on this. He’s obviously gonna stick up for his Mom. Who wouldn’t stick up for your own mother? But Yoko? I just don’t understand what she was thinking. She used to be an interesting and provocative artist, but she’s turned into a parody of herself and she risks doing the same to her murdered husband, a completely non-consenting party.

The idea of Lennon’s actual words being twisted to sell cars seems almost worse somehow than the use of his music. I think Sean’s concern about Lennon slipping away from the public conscience is well-intended, but the fact that anybody could be ok with this (including him and Yoko) is proof that it’s already happening.

Also, these cars are ugly, impractical, and overpriced.

Imagine no possessions.

-G

really worth using his image w/ attributed apocryphal quotation to sell cars? It is not his legacy that is perpetuated – the commercial is literally, revisionist & has no interest in Lennon other than to exploit his fame. Intent to “keep him out there in the world” therefore disingenuous.

yeah that’s some bullshit right there. That wasn’t John’s voice, I’m pretty sure Yoko is getting old and her wisdom is not growing with her age and Sean’s comment is nonsense. Oh and besides that…the commercial’s kind of weak and doesn’t make sense to begin with lol.