Strange ad

[Swinger]

I was doing a google image search and came across a strange picture of Alice I've never seen before - this one.
And first I thought "Hey, that's a cool picture, what's the story behind that one". So I searched some more and it turns out it was used as a beer ad in 2011!

To me it seems very strange that Alice of all people would be promoting beer now, so does anyone know anything more about that ad and if he's aware of how the picture is being used?
Also, it looks like the actual picture were taken mid-late '80s, would that be right?

Here's another picture of the ad actually being shown outdoors - http://www.flickr.com/photos/jannewass/ ... /lightbox/
And here are a few other ads they did of Warhol and Che Guevara.

[A_MichaelUK]

>To me it seems very strange that Alice of all people would be promoting beer now,

Why? I agree that it is ironic, though. However, just because he doesn't drink alcohol doesn't mean that he thinks nobody else should.

>he's aware of how the picture is being used?

It is almost certain that this would have been explained to him at the very beginning of the process.

>Also, it looks like the actual picture were taken mid-late '80s, would that be right?

I think it looks a lot more recent than that.

[Devon]

Why? I agree that it is ironic, though. However, just because he doesn't drink alcohol doesn't mean that he thinks nobody else should.

Yeah. On the radio show the other night he was giving advice on what to take if someone should find themselves with a hangover, even telling everyone what he used to take. I don't think I've ever heard Alice bash alcohol itself. Even the 4d thing with the original band a couple of years ago was a Jagermeister sponsored event and all (and I believe there are pictures of him signing Jagermeister items backstage.)

[Swinger]

I realize that yes, Alice and his managment almost certainly know how the picture was used, I was just a bit shocked by it that I couldn't help wonder.

I'm not saying that it's completely out of the blue if he's doing a beer ad, like you said he usally doesn't bash alchol as such. But personally I do think there's a big difference between acknowledging that people drink alcohol or doing a show sponsored by an alcholic bewerage and personally promoting alchol in an ad, especially one that visually more or less says "If it wasn't for beer I wouldn't be Alice, I would be a boring old business man". Now that would have been one thing in the 70s but in 2011 we know that's not the case.

And if I'm wrong I'll gladly admit that but I do think the picture looks like it was taken around 86-88.

All in all, I still think it's a very strange ad.

[VinceRaven]

Why? I agree that it is ironic, though. However, just because he doesn't drink alcohol doesn't mean that he thinks nobody else should.

Yeah. On the radio show the other night he was giving advice on what to take if someone should find themselves with a hangover, even telling everyone what he used to take. I don't think I've ever heard Alice bash alcohol itself. Even the 4d thing with the original band a couple of years ago was a Jagermeister sponsored event and all (and I believe there are pictures of him signing Jagermeister items backstage.)

What did he recommend for a hangover?

[A_MichaelUK]

>especially one that visually more or less says "If it wasn't for beer I wouldn't be Alice, I would be a boring old business man".

It is meant to be a JOKE.

[Swinger]

I get that it's a joke. Seeing the picture without knowing it's a beer ad I think it's funny, however in context I don't find it funny. I get that most people seeing that ad wouldn't know that Alice is a recovering alcholic, but for me that does know that it's just awkward and not funny. Once again, it's a personal opinion.

[A_MichaelUK]

>Once again, it's a personal opinion.

Since you mentioned "strange", I find it "strange" that somewhere out there is an admirer of Alice's without a sense of humour or irony, given that so much of Alice's attitude is based on those, but you're free not to find it funny or ironic.

[Swinger]

Andy Michael, I do have a sense of humour and irony - it's a bit disrepectful to suggest I don't when this is the only thing you base that on - but like I said I don't find this particular ad funny. I can see the irony and the joke, yes, but I don't think it's a good joke. The picture in and of itself is funny, it's the context that isn't.

Personally, I don't drink - and I can occasionally be very anti alchol or drugs, so maybe that affects my judging in this case.
If you find it funny, then you're free to do that - I don't.

I just thought it was a strange ad that I've never seen or heard of before and I thought it was interesting sharing it with the people on this forum. And yes, I am interested to know if other people do find it funny or if it just comes across as awkward to them aswell. But in the end it's a matter of personal opinion and nothing really worth arguing over.

[criss]

Lets face it the coop has class and sophistication , if the alcoholic content was over 5.6 percent i'm sure he wouldn't be advertising alcohol .

The coop should consider selling cask wine , along the lines of a smooth, well rounded dry red with a generous fruit flavor . And because it will be extremely amusing and hilarious on a few levels the coops can call it SickThings Wine . I can already see a glamorous, classy, dignified campaign .


Once the money starts rolling in the coop can also move on to selling other inherently funny and tasty beverage's like the fuzzy navel and slippery nipple .

[A_MichaelUK]

>Andy Michael, I do have a sense of humour and irony

You can't have it both ways - you can't say the advert is "strange" but not ironic but then say you "do have a sense of humour and irony" when you don't recognise the irony in your position.

> it's a bit disrepectful to suggest I don't when this is the only thing you base that on

What else can I "base that on"? As far as this thread goes, that's all I have to work with.

> - but like I said I don't find this particular ad funny. I can see the irony and the joke, yes, but I don't think it's a good joke.

That is different from finding it "strange" though, which is what you said.

>The picture in and of itself is funny, it's the context that isn't.

Alice sells alcohol in his restaurant. Is that "strange" and also not funny? There is alcohol on the tour bus and in the band's dressing - rooms? Does that mean Alice should not provide those beverages because of his own alcoholism?

>I don't drink - and I can occasionally be very anti alchol or drugs,

The same here.

>so maybe that affects my judging in this case.

It definitely does.

>I just thought it was a strange ad that I've never seen or heard of before and I thought it was interesting sharing it with the people on this forum.

I didn't say it was. My point was that just because Alice doesn't drink, doesn't necessarily mean he can't endorse alcohol. Both Sheryl and Calico enjoy wine. Does that mean he will no longer associate with them for that reason?

>it's a matter of personal opinion and nothing really worth arguing over

I didn't realise that's what we were doing.

[ElectedPlus]

I was a little surprised too, seeing him willing to help sell the stuff that killed some of his friends and nearly himself, too. And easy to see the irony, but is it funny irony? I think not.

But then I think of how he talks about alcohol in interviews - he frequently refers to his 'addictive personality' and how he's traded one addiction for another (golf). I reckon his attitude towards alcohol is not putting the responsibility on the substance itself but more on the drinker of it, which makes sense as he's obviously got no trouble being amongst the stuff or even help sell it. Especially when it's in a rather clever, witty way.

[Toronto Bob]

>Once again, it's a personal opinion.

Since you mentioned "strange", I find it "strange" that somewhere out there is an admirer of Alice's without a sense of humour or irony, given that so much of Alice's attitude is based on those, but you're free not to find it funny or ironic.

quoted for ironing

[SickThings]

Don't forget that Alice also did the series of German Saturn commercials where he played a bartender.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LC14duVyGnI

Hunter

[A_MichaelUK]

>Don't forget that Alice also did the series of German Saturn commercials where he played a bartender.

Yes. How shocking. I am shocked.

[Swinger]

Like I said earlier, there's a big difference between acknowledging that other people drink and promoting the stuff. Wheter Sheryl, Calico, the band etc drink has nothing to do with it. Wheter or not he ever buys anyone a drink or if his restaurant sells alcohol has nothing to do with it. If Alice appears in a beer ad it suggest that he himself drinks beer, which he doesn't do anymore. It gives a very conflicting message if he's very open about his sobriety and his former drinking problem yet still appears in an ad which makes it looks like "beer makes him who he is". I find the decision to appear in the ad strange. Does it lower my opinion of Alice? Certainly not, he can do whatever he wants but that doesn't stop me from thinking it was a weird choice. If other people don't care or thinks it okay for Alice to still endorse the stuff that's fine, it's just a matter of different opinions.

I would like to add that I also think it's a different thing to portray a bartender in an ad that's not about alcoholic bewrages since that doesn't actually promote alchol.

[old school vet]

>What did he recommend for a hangover?

The best thing for an hangover, is not to get Elephants trunk in the first place...

[A_MichaelUK]

>Like I said earlier, there's a big difference between acknowledging that other people drink and promoting the stuff.

Only if you're being very judgemental.

> Wheter Sheryl, Calico, the band etc drink has nothing to do with it.

Explain why not.

>Wheter or not he ever buys anyone a drink or if his restaurant sells alcohol has nothing to do with it.

Explain why not.

> If Alice appears in a beer ad it suggest that he himself drinks beer,

Not necessarily.

>It gives a very conflicting message if he's very open about his sobriety and his former drinking problem yet still appears in an ad which makes it looks like "beer makes him who he is".

To be more accurate, who he was. Most people won't be looking at it in the slightly obsessive way that you are (or even care).

>I would like to add that I also think it's a different thing to portray a bartender in an ad that's not about alcoholic bewrages since that doesn't actually promote alchol.

What different does it make? That is what "a bartender" does. By your logic, he should have insisted he play a postman or something. Again, they're just advertisements - not rules on how you should live your life or something.

[Inmate]

I realize that yes, Alice and his managment almost certainly know how the picture was used, I was just a bit shocked by it that I couldn't help wonder.

I'm not saying that it's completely out of the blue if he's doing a beer ad, like you said he usally doesn't bash alchol as such. But personally I do think there's a big difference between acknowledging that people drink alcohol or doing a show sponsored by an alcholic bewerage and personally promoting alchol in an ad, especially one that visually more or less says "If it wasn't for beer I wouldn't be Alice, I would be a boring old business man". Now that would have been one thing in the 70s but in 2011 we know that's not the case.

And if I'm wrong I'll gladly admit that but I do think the picture looks like it was taken around 86-88.

All in all, I still think it's a very strange ad.

Yeah, this was definitely taken around 86-88.

[Swinger]

>Like I said earlier, there's a big difference between acknowledging that other people drink and promoting the stuff.

Only if you're being very judgemental.

I'm sorry, but I don't understand what you mean by that.

> Wheter Sheryl, Calico, the band etc drink has nothing to do with it.

Explain why not.

>Wheter or not he ever buys anyone a drink or if his restaurant sells alcohol has nothing to do with it.

Explain why not.

I did explain. It's because I think there's a difference between accepeting and tolerating the fact that others drink and being in an ad that implies that you yourself drink the stuff.

> If Alice appears in a beer ad it suggest that he himself drinks beer,

Not necessarily.

Fine. I can't argue with that. Not necessarily. But the implications of the ad is still that the beer makes a change, makes him something different and something more interesting.

>It gives a very conflicting message if he's very open about his sobriety and his former drinking problem yet still appears in an ad which makes it looks like "beer makes him who he is".

To be more accurate, who he was. Most people won't be looking at it in the slightly obsessive way that you are (or even care).

But the thing is he's still Alice Cooper, he still looks more or less like that - therefor the ad implies "who he is" rather than "who he was".

If you think I'm looking at this obsessively that's up to you, but the only reason I'm still discussing it is that you keep commenting on my posts and I simply want to get my opinion across as clearly as possible. If you want me to stop doing that because it seems "obsessive", fine. In the end it's just an ad, and I don't really care. However that doesn't stop me from being a bit suprised over it, and still think it's a strange decision to have a recovering alcoholic promoting beer. I'm not saying it was a bad or stupid decision or anything like that, just headscratching.

>I would like to add that I also think it's a different thing to portray a bartender in an ad that's not about alcoholic bewrages since that doesn't actually promote alchol.

What different does it make? That is what "a bartender" does. By your logic, he should have insisted he play a postman or something. Again, they're just advertisements - not rules on how you should live your life or something.

It's a matter of different opinions again, but in the Saturn commerical he's clearly playing a character since he doesn't own a bar in space, in the beer ad he's just presented as Alice Cooper the rockstar - which he is. That's the difference.

I'm saying that everybody should hate the ad. I'm not saying that you're wrong to think different. And I'm not saying it was a bad decision or wrong of Alice to appear in the ad. Because I don't care. In the end, this isn't about facts I'm trying to claim are true or anything like that - it's a personal opinion that I find the ad a bit weird and that's it. I'm not trying to make this a moral discussion or anything. Therefor I find it quite unnecessary of you to nitpick over it.