Iggy Gone Wrong
February 23, 2009 3:38 PM Subscribe
A car insurer admitted it refuses to cover musicians despite featuring Iggy Pop in its advertisements. (via The Morning News)
I don't understand this. Why don't they just charge higher premiums? In fact, I thought that was the whole idea behind the insurance industry!
posted by aubilenon at 3:47 PM on February 23, 2009
posted by aubilenon at 3:47 PM on February 23, 2009
Anyone who rolls around on broken glass is uninsurable in my book.
posted by Joe Beese at 3:50 PM on February 23, 2009
posted by Joe Beese at 3:50 PM on February 23, 2009
I find this a bit unsurprising. Iggy Pop the Icon might mean something to old punk rock fans, but in media bizarro-world Lust for Life is now totally drained of any meaning except "it's from the opening running sequence of Trainspotting and it's got a catchy slogan for a lyric so therefore it's now an acceptable memetic substitute for 'vivacious'".
I don't think the Guardian expects anything more either. They just liked the angle.
posted by dydecker at 3:51 PM on February 23, 2009 [2 favorites]
I don't think the Guardian expects anything more either. They just liked the angle.
posted by dydecker at 3:51 PM on February 23, 2009 [2 favorites]
Trainspotting? That's 12 years old. It's "that song in the cruise ship ads" now.
posted by Joe Beese at 3:57 PM on February 23, 2009 [4 favorites]
posted by Joe Beese at 3:57 PM on February 23, 2009 [4 favorites]
Anyone who rolls around on broken glass is uninsurable in my book.
But it's safety glass, Joe, safety glass.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 3:58 PM on February 23, 2009 [1 favorite]
But it's safety glass, Joe, safety glass.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 3:58 PM on February 23, 2009 [1 favorite]
Why is Iggy Pop doing commercials for car insurance?
posted by mrgrimm at 4:07 PM on February 23, 2009
posted by mrgrimm at 4:07 PM on February 23, 2009
Iggy Pop has always licensed his music for commericals, movies and such. That's his choice, and for his trouble he gets to drive around Miami in a convertible Rolls Royce. But it sure is tiresome, isn't it? These days he's pretty much the poster boy for "media punk".
Compare this to the Beatles or something - the albums are what they are, unmediated by years of licensing.
posted by dydecker at 4:10 PM on February 23, 2009 [1 favorite]
Compare this to the Beatles or something - the albums are what they are, unmediated by years of licensing.
posted by dydecker at 4:10 PM on February 23, 2009 [1 favorite]
Tina Shortle, marketing director of swiftcover.com, said Iggy Pop had been chosen as the face of its advertising "because he loves life, not because he is a musician. He is an actor demonstrating the benefits of swiftcover.com."
if i was semi-benevolent dictator of the world people who indulge in mendacious double talk like this would be sentenced to shovel shit for real, for life
posted by pyramid termite at 4:14 PM on February 23, 2009 [4 favorites]
if i was semi-benevolent dictator of the world people who indulge in mendacious double talk like this would be sentenced to shovel shit for real, for life
posted by pyramid termite at 4:14 PM on February 23, 2009 [4 favorites]
Concert cellists, polka troupes, and RenFaire minstrels drive like fucking psychos.
posted by CKmtl at 4:23 PM on February 23, 2009 [6 favorites]
posted by CKmtl at 4:23 PM on February 23, 2009 [6 favorites]
Why is Iggy Pop doing commercials for car insurance?
He's a passenger.
posted by vbfg at 4:25 PM on February 23, 2009 [21 favorites]
He's a passenger.
posted by vbfg at 4:25 PM on February 23, 2009 [21 favorites]
He's also got a TV eye on you.
posted by Smart Dalek at 4:35 PM on February 23, 2009
posted by Smart Dalek at 4:35 PM on February 23, 2009
Would this be legal in the U.S? I know I've read articles indicating that real estate agents are afraid of asking people about where they work due to liability issues, but who knows if that's just paranoia on their part or if it's just something specific to the equal housing laws or what.
posted by delmoi at 4:40 PM on February 23, 2009
posted by delmoi at 4:40 PM on February 23, 2009
Punk is for the young. When you're 61, as is Mr. Osterberg, you need comfort - which means money. So bring it on.
Eukanuba can license "I Wanna Be Your Dog" and Six Flags can license "Fun House".
posted by Joe Beese at 4:41 PM on February 23, 2009 [1 favorite]
Eukanuba can license "I Wanna Be Your Dog" and Six Flags can license "Fun House".
posted by Joe Beese at 4:41 PM on February 23, 2009 [1 favorite]
Is Iggy Pop a British band?
die, you fucking hippie.
sorry, I had to.
posted by krautland at 4:53 PM on February 23, 2009 [5 favorites]
die, you fucking hippie.
sorry, I had to.
posted by krautland at 4:53 PM on February 23, 2009 [5 favorites]
Punk is for the young. When you're 61, as is Mr. Osterberg, you need comfort - which means money. So bring it on.
Right - this is the prevailing attitude in 200. Today I was goofing around on YouTube today and noticed one of the most amazing songs and best performances ever had gotten two million hits. For a minute I thought whoa that's great the creme de la creme does rise to the top of its own accord...but then I realised oh right it must have been on an ad.
posted by dydecker at 5:00 PM on February 23, 2009
Right - this is the prevailing attitude in 200. Today I was goofing around on YouTube today and noticed one of the most amazing songs and best performances ever had gotten two million hits. For a minute I thought whoa that's great the creme de la creme does rise to the top of its own accord...but then I realised oh right it must have been on an ad.
posted by dydecker at 5:00 PM on February 23, 2009
Dydecker, I respectfully disagree. I just saw a Beatles song on a diaper commercial.
posted by queensissy at 5:02 PM on February 23, 2009
posted by queensissy at 5:02 PM on February 23, 2009
Right yeah things have changed. Beatles never did commercials at one point, but that's gone now.
posted by dydecker at 5:04 PM on February 23, 2009
posted by dydecker at 5:04 PM on February 23, 2009
Eukanuba can license "I Wanna Be Your Dog"...
This would be awesome.
posted by mr_roboto at 5:05 PM on February 23, 2009
This would be awesome.
posted by mr_roboto at 5:05 PM on February 23, 2009
The whole "musicians who license their stuff for commercial use are sellouts" discussion can licence "Chairman of the Bored" cause the whole discussion is TIRED.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:33 PM on February 23, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:33 PM on February 23, 2009 [1 favorite]
Dydecker: hate to break it to you. Nike licensed the Beatles' Revolution. Talk about co-opting the counterculture.
posted by adamrice at 5:34 PM on February 23, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by adamrice at 5:34 PM on February 23, 2009 [1 favorite]
Now, peanutbutter makes sense as an endorsement.
posted by 445supermag at 5:36 PM on February 23, 2009
posted by 445supermag at 5:36 PM on February 23, 2009
Well, I sure as hell wouldn't insure The Pixies.
Always driving their cars into the ocean, that lot.
posted by UbuRoivas at 5:42 PM on February 23, 2009 [8 favorites]
Always driving their cars into the ocean, that lot.
posted by UbuRoivas at 5:42 PM on February 23, 2009 [8 favorites]
Q: What do swiftcover.com and Carnival Cruiselines have in common?
A: They've both apparently "had it in the ear before."
posted by Navelgazer at 6:15 PM on February 23, 2009
A: They've both apparently "had it in the ear before."
posted by Navelgazer at 6:15 PM on February 23, 2009
But it sure is tiresome, isn't it?
Only if you consider rock and roll to be anything but a force for seperating gullible young people from their disposable income. Once you acknowledge that there's no significant difference between Iggy and Swift Insurance, the whole thing becomes much less depressing.
Why don't they just charge higher premiums?
I've got a great idea! Why don't sub-prime lenders just charge higher interest rates? I bet whoever comes up with this plan will make a bundle!
posted by PeterMcDermott at 6:38 PM on February 23, 2009
Only if you consider rock and roll to be anything but a force for seperating gullible young people from their disposable income. Once you acknowledge that there's no significant difference between Iggy and Swift Insurance, the whole thing becomes much less depressing.
Why don't they just charge higher premiums?
I've got a great idea! Why don't sub-prime lenders just charge higher interest rates? I bet whoever comes up with this plan will make a bundle!
posted by PeterMcDermott at 6:38 PM on February 23, 2009
For a minute I thought whoa that's great the creme de la creme does rise to the top of its own accord...but then I realised oh right it must have been on an ad.
Hm. I would think that it really doesn't matter how people discover great stuff, as long as they do discover it at all.
posted by LooseFilter at 6:53 PM on February 23, 2009
Hm. I would think that it really doesn't matter how people discover great stuff, as long as they do discover it at all.
posted by LooseFilter at 6:53 PM on February 23, 2009
Is Iggy Pop a British band?
die, you fucking hippie.
Peace, man, I was joking. I know he's that skinny guy in Coffee and Cigarettes.
posted by swift at 7:02 PM on February 23, 2009 [2 favorites]
die, you fucking hippie.
Peace, man, I was joking. I know he's that skinny guy in Coffee and Cigarettes.
posted by swift at 7:02 PM on February 23, 2009 [2 favorites]
How many of you have actually read your car insurance policy? Now, how many of you have read Iggy's Concert Rider?
Combine the two and this insurer would make millions.
posted by hal9k at 7:35 PM on February 23, 2009
Combine the two and this insurer would make millions.
posted by hal9k at 7:35 PM on February 23, 2009
I'm not really surprised. This makes sense that a car insurer wouldn't cover musicians. He'd have the RIAA all over him. Not to mention, he's a car insurer - does he even have any musical talent? Or instruments? No, no, none of this adds up at all.
posted by Smedleyman at 8:28 PM on February 23, 2009 [2 favorites]
posted by Smedleyman at 8:28 PM on February 23, 2009 [2 favorites]
Who wins in a fight between Iggy Pop and Bill Hicks?
posted by funkbrain at 8:47 PM on February 23, 2009
posted by funkbrain at 8:47 PM on February 23, 2009
Isn't Iggy Pop dead? The bigger scandal would be if his corpse was hawking life insurance.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 8:50 PM on February 23, 2009
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 8:50 PM on February 23, 2009
A car insurer admitted it refuses to cover musicians...
Loophole: get the drummer to drive.
posted by mazola at 9:03 PM on February 23, 2009 [9 favorites]
Loophole: get the drummer to drive.
posted by mazola at 9:03 PM on February 23, 2009 [9 favorites]
I was always amused by a car ad that used the Dandy Warhols' Bohemian Like You as its soundtrack, obviously hoping that (somehow, inexplicably) the people who found the ad catchy were not the same people who also found the original song catchy enough to, you know, actually know how it went.
Here's how it ended up after some jagged splicing & mismatched dubbing:
You've got a great car
What's wrong with it today?
I used to have one too
I'd like to have one too...
Even funnier is the idea that the ad execs were all "let's use that song that goes 'woo-hoo' - you know the one - it starts with 'you've got a great car...'" *snort, sniffle* "yeah, that'll be perfect!" *snort* ...only to pay for the royalties and then finally listen to it properly:
"oh, shit. this won't do at all"
posted by UbuRoivas at 9:40 PM on February 23, 2009
Here's how it ended up after some jagged splicing & mismatched dubbing:
You've got a great car
I used to have one too
I'd like to have one too...
Even funnier is the idea that the ad execs were all "let's use that song that goes 'woo-hoo' - you know the one - it starts with 'you've got a great car...'" *snort, sniffle* "yeah, that'll be perfect!" *snort* ...only to pay for the royalties and then finally listen to it properly:
"oh, shit. this won't do at all"
posted by UbuRoivas at 9:40 PM on February 23, 2009
"Who wins in a fight between Iggy Pop and Bill Hicks?"
I think if it were held today, have to put my money on Iggy.
"Isn't Iggy Pop dead?"
No. Some days, sort of looks like it, but they're still booking him.
And I think being alive is a decided victory over a dead opponent, if only by forfeiture.
posted by krinklyfig at 10:22 PM on February 23, 2009
I think if it were held today, have to put my money on Iggy.
"Isn't Iggy Pop dead?"
No. Some days, sort of looks like it, but they're still booking him.
And I think being alive is a decided victory over a dead opponent, if only by forfeiture.
posted by krinklyfig at 10:22 PM on February 23, 2009
I just saw a Beatles song on a diaper commercial.
You guys remember the Target commercial that transformed "Hello, Goodbye" into "Hello, Good Buy"? Fucking christ, that was awful.
posted by Curry at 10:27 PM on February 23, 2009 [1 favorite]
You guys remember the Target commercial that transformed "Hello, Goodbye" into "Hello, Good Buy"? Fucking christ, that was awful.
posted by Curry at 10:27 PM on February 23, 2009 [1 favorite]
esure apparently don't insure movie directors although whether that ever disqualified Michael Winner is a matter of fierce debate for those of us familiar with his oeuvre.
And Sheila's Wheels don't insure pink Cadillacs. But that might be because the person driving it doesn't wear a seat belt, doesn't face the road when driving, lets four men playing trumpets stand up in the back of a moving car, stands up while steering, waves behind and lets hold of the steering wheel and also allows a kangaroo chauffeur her and her two friends. She also drives on the right, which is a recipe for disaster both in the UK and Australia.
posted by MuffinMan at 1:16 AM on February 24, 2009 [2 favorites]
And Sheila's Wheels don't insure pink Cadillacs. But that might be because the person driving it doesn't wear a seat belt, doesn't face the road when driving, lets four men playing trumpets stand up in the back of a moving car, stands up while steering, waves behind and lets hold of the steering wheel and also allows a kangaroo chauffeur her and her two friends. She also drives on the right, which is a recipe for disaster both in the UK and Australia.
posted by MuffinMan at 1:16 AM on February 24, 2009 [2 favorites]
I do believe in the book "Please Kill Me: An Oral History of Punk" Iggy has a section where he talks about all of the horrific car accidents he's been in (including slamming his tour bus into an overpass that didn't have the proper clearance).
That said, as a musician, I find this rather offensive. Especially since I'm a damn film composer, and my life could not be LESS fracking exciting.
And while I'm at it...I've never, ever understood how charging a higher premium to someone with a clean slate because of their sex, profession, or age does not amount to discrimination. "Statistics show?" Well, our prison population is disproportionately male, black/latino, and poor. Yet insurance companies can't charge you a higher premium for being BLACK, only for being MALE.
posted by The3rdMan at 1:59 AM on February 24, 2009
That said, as a musician, I find this rather offensive. Especially since I'm a damn film composer, and my life could not be LESS fracking exciting.
And while I'm at it...I've never, ever understood how charging a higher premium to someone with a clean slate because of their sex, profession, or age does not amount to discrimination. "Statistics show?" Well, our prison population is disproportionately male, black/latino, and poor. Yet insurance companies can't charge you a higher premium for being BLACK, only for being MALE.
posted by The3rdMan at 1:59 AM on February 24, 2009
Hm. I would think that it really doesn't matter how people discover great stuff, as long as they do discover it at all.
This would actually happen if the media was your friend - if it had fantastic taste, your best interests at heart, and was solely dedicated to turning you onto the best humanity had to offer. Then all the inspiring stuff would eventually filter down to your ears via TV, commercials, film soundtracks, radio playlists, jingles and such. Then media would truly mediate between you and the culture, eventually the culture at large would discover the best stuff and we'd all blissfully ever after.
Unfortunately, I can't shake the feeling that the media has other motives ;)
posted by dydecker at 2:38 AM on February 24, 2009
This would actually happen if the media was your friend - if it had fantastic taste, your best interests at heart, and was solely dedicated to turning you onto the best humanity had to offer. Then all the inspiring stuff would eventually filter down to your ears via TV, commercials, film soundtracks, radio playlists, jingles and such. Then media would truly mediate between you and the culture, eventually the culture at large would discover the best stuff and we'd all blissfully ever after.
Unfortunately, I can't shake the feeling that the media has other motives ;)
posted by dydecker at 2:38 AM on February 24, 2009
swift : I know he's that skinny guy in Coffee and Cigarettes.
No, he's the skinny cross-dresser in Dead Man.
posted by quin at 8:50 AM on February 24, 2009
No, he's the skinny cross-dresser in Dead Man.
posted by quin at 8:50 AM on February 24, 2009
I'm not mad at Iggy. I'm mad at the insurers. wtf?
posted by Stephen Elliott at 9:52 AM on February 24, 2009
posted by Stephen Elliott at 9:52 AM on February 24, 2009
Regarding Beatles songs in advertising: Typically, you hear a cover version of a Beatles track in an ad, not the Beatles recording. In most cases, artists performing covers don't need the original artist's permission, but I'll admit I don't know if a covering artist can license their cover for commercial purposes without consent of the original version's rights-holder.
I'm a big fan of both The Beatles and TV advertising, and I can't presently think of a single example of an actual Beatles recording being used in an ad. I'd love to hear about the ones I'm not thinking of, however.
posted by chudmonkey at 5:40 PM on February 24, 2009
I'm a big fan of both The Beatles and TV advertising, and I can't presently think of a single example of an actual Beatles recording being used in an ad. I'd love to hear about the ones I'm not thinking of, however.
posted by chudmonkey at 5:40 PM on February 24, 2009
Chudmonkey: I linked to one above. That's not a cover. The story behind it, as I heard it (which may be apocryphal) is that Nike approached Julian Lennon about recording a cover, since they figured there was no way they'd get the rights to the original. He was uneasy with the idea, so he talked to Yoko Ono. She said "why don't they just use the original?"
posted by adamrice at 6:18 PM on February 24, 2009
posted by adamrice at 6:18 PM on February 24, 2009
know he's that skinny guy in Coffee and Cigarettes.
I saaaaaaaid die, you fucking hippie.
Who wins in a fight between Iggy Pop and Bill Hicks?
hicks goes down in the first after getting bitchslapped by the numbers girl. dude was a pansy.
posted by krautland at 8:45 AM on February 25, 2009
I saaaaaaaid die, you fucking hippie.
Who wins in a fight between Iggy Pop and Bill Hicks?
hicks goes down in the first after getting bitchslapped by the numbers girl. dude was a pansy.
posted by krautland at 8:45 AM on February 25, 2009
Even if we're talking about a cover of a Beatles song, the song (the composition) has to be licensed as well as the recording.
That's why you don't want to sell your publishing rights, songwriter friends. Unless, of course, you want to be surprised someday with a lousy re-record of your most cherished love paean being used to sell Depends undergarments...
posted by queensissy at 2:45 PM on February 25, 2009
That's why you don't want to sell your publishing rights, songwriter friends. Unless, of course, you want to be surprised someday with a lousy re-record of your most cherished love paean being used to sell Depends undergarments...
posted by queensissy at 2:45 PM on February 25, 2009
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posted by swift at 3:42 PM on February 23, 2009