Am I the only one that see's the irony in using this song in what is basically a pro-stars and stripes commercial??
No, I think it's for Lee jeans. It has a bunch of white guys playing football, fishing, and other "American" things. It plays the opening of the song, has the opening lines "Some were born to wave the flag, ooh the red, white, and blue..." the songs fades out after that, and then the commercial ends with a shot of a waving American flag. This song was written as an anti-Vietnam involvement statement, not to mention against blind patriotism. I just find it find it pretty ironic and humorous.
By the way, the company you want to write your protest song to is Wrangler, not Lee. Lee Dungarees advertising features that adorable Buddy Lee.
It took the improper use of a protest song to get you to not buy nut huggers? This commercial isn´t nearly as bad as the Jag commercial "Featuring" London Calling by The Clash...
Remember, both CCR and the Clash had the right to say "NO" to the use of their songs in both commercials. If they are cool with it then what does it matter? My beef would be more with the band for selling out than the product for using it. And Wranglers make the WORST jeans on the market...all stiff and scratchy.
I remember seeing that commercial and nearly falling off the couch laughing. Then I thought to myself, these people must think we are stupid or something using that song for "American" blue jeans (whatever "American" jeans are.) I probably wasn't even born when that song came out and I know it was a protest song.
True, but beside the point in this case. The use of these songs in their respective commercial contexts was stupid and permission from the bands, however disappointing some might find it, doesn't change that.
True enough, but that's not really what I'm talking about. I'm discussing the context in which the song is used in. Fogerty probably gets a kick out of it everytime he sees it. This wasn't started to get into a debate on "selling out" or allowing your music to be used for commercials. If there are two bands that have earned the right to do that, it would be the Clash and CCR.
Fogerty's attitude may be different. They made a bunch of money and then lost it to a scam artist who talked them into investing in some tax-shelter scheme (in the Bahamas, I think). I don't know if they all still hate each other, but they did for a long time, even the Fogerty brothers. So much for the non-materialist hippies of the Vietnam war era. (I'm one, too) Grand Funk was another band from that era that got taken to the cleaners.
The Stoli commercial with "Should I stay or Should I go?" is pretty good though. That almost makes sense whereas the Jag commercial doesn't.
Using "Fortunate Son" in that Wrangler jeans commercial is ironic. I agree, the point of the song is really the exact opposite of the feeling or attitude the commercial is trying to convey. I don't think it's funny, though. Most people who see that commercial won't understand or appreciate what the song is really about, and will think the song is about blind patriotism. At least that is what Wrangler is banking on. Although the commercial uses the line "Some folks were born, made to wave the flag...", it doesn't use the line "it ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no fortunate son". It really takes the words out of context, and tries to fool the consumer. I do have a problem with John Fogarty or whoever sold the right to use the song to Wrangler, but I suppose that's for another thread.