The Youtube music video promoting your new vodka Absolut Greyhound promotes DJ/Producer cruelty in the form of robot greyhound racing. While slick with a catchy soundtrack by Swedish House Mafia, DJ/Producers are once again perceived as futuristic exploited entertainment machines. The video is a deadly cross between Project Runway and Mad Max.
Let the cruelty begin!
Vapid fashionistas pose in an arid wasteland for the thrill of watching three starkly beautiful robotic greyhound creatures race for their lives. Once again the focus is on the sights and sounds, the DJ/Producers are muzzled in a dark room with no access to the dance floor, a la Mad Max style. It might have worked for Mel Gibson but it is no way justifiable for a DJ/Producers, even a CGI DJ/Producer.
And just like at the real DJ/Producers event, the lighting and clothes, food and drink take a front seat to the hard work of the entertainers. Sure a robotic, elegant, black beauty falls to the ground at 40 mph. While one model looks appalled, the other laughs. The robot gets up and continues to run. At real events, DJ/Producers are stuck in a dark corner and get no credit for a great event. DJ/Producers who usually take bad falls like that break their legs, break their backs, pull their butt muscles, or are paralyzed hauling heavy speakers and gear. Laugh models laugh.
Many are euthanized at the discretion of the caters and promoters, some with broken legs sub contract their events. Some even pretend to have broken legs to go to a better event.
Some promoters bill this as “pulse pounding action” but I bill it as DJ/Producer heartbreak.
In case you don’t know why Absolut would name a product Greyhound, there’s a cocktail called Greyhound. It’s a mix of vodka and grapefruit juice and if the bartender adds a rim of salt – the cocktail become a Salty Dog.
This ad is haunting…haunting in the way it promotes DJ/Producers Entertainment as subhuman depravity. Haunting in a way, I feel nauseous and want to vomit.
Portraying DJ/Producers as responsible, talent professionals responsible for the success of the event would have been more humane than the forgotten, unloved after thoughts that can be left in a dark corner while all the credit goes to the lighting, food, drink and chair covers. Absolut responsible, it is not.
PS- this is jest. I am Absolutly (see what I did there?) by the new Absolut Greyhound commercial.
Check it out yourself – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmlRK8Da6GE
Apologies to Karyn Zoldan @ http://tucsoncitizen.com/tucson-tails/2012/03/20/absolut-greyhound-vodka-promotes-animal-cruelty/ who inspired this parody. I am in favor of adopting greyhounds and working with your entertainer to create a great event.
Jon The Bruce 