Check out this new Super Bowl commercial for Volkswagen. At first it seems like a cute advert about a dog losing weight but it has a surprise ending that ties into an ad from last year. Here’s a link to the Volkswagen ad from last year in case you’re curious but watch it after watching this one.
Tag Archives: Darth Vader
Tiny Darth Vader Volkswagen Superbowl Commerical
One of my favorite treats is watching the Superbowl ads. Every year there are a few stand outs that make even a bad game watchable. Good adverts tell a story and tap into a shared cultural experience by referencing social meaning. Volkswagen has released on a Star Wars themed ad early. It’s the first of the game’s ads that I’ve seen but I think it will be one of favorites. Who among us wouldn’t love some Jedi/ Sith powers?
Why Popular Culture?
© 2007 USPS. All Rights Reserved.
Darth Vader rang the bell at the New York Stock Exchange this morning. That isn’t really news unto itself . Celebrities and popular culture icons ring the Wall Street opening bell on a consistent basis. Spider-Man once rang it, as did a cast member of the Broadway show “Legally Blonde.” In truth, the short ceremony often is little more than an advertisement for an product or event. The interesting thing about this particular bell-ringing is how identifiable and important Darth Vader is. A 1970s heavy breathing science fiction villain starts the day’s stock market trading and it doesn’t feel that unnatural. Maybe it was ecause he was surrounded by bankers but Lord Vader wasn’t out of place.
Darth Vader first appeared in Star Wars in 1977 and has become a cultural touchstone for millions. Vader and his Star Wars counterparts are the subject of entire generations of (not always so) young men and women. I contend that Darth Vader and the other Star Wars characters are far more important than most people admit. These are fictional characters that have resonance and importance in millions of lives. They have become part of the fabric of our culture and our lives. I’m not referring to various merchandize and movie memorabilia. (Although, I do want a tauntaun sleeping bag.) No, I’m writing about integral parts of society. Don’t believe me? Looking at this link from the Washington National Cathedral. http://www.nationalcathedral.org/pdfs/darth.pdf. This is a house of worship that was created by act of Congress with a Darth Vader grotesque. This intersection between the state, religion, and po
pular culture is amazing when one thinks about it but also rather common place. In 2007, the United States Post Office produced R2D2 mailboxes and Star Wars stamps. In a 2001 UK census, almost 400,000 of the Queen’s subjects declared themselves to be religiously Jedi Knights. I could go on but the point is that Star Wars permeates cultures across the world and this not unique. American society, and many others, have a relationship with popular culture that we usually do not want to think about or admit to. We are immersed in our popular culture, it touches almost every corner of our lives. Most of us chose to view it as a base pleasure that deserves little or no serious consideration though. It’s fun to watch the Star Wars movies and talk to our friends about them but we wouldn’t want to have a serious discussion about the social and cultural implications of Star Wars. We may enjoy reading comic books but we would never consider them “literature” or “art” and we don’t think our children should study them at the university. Many people tend to think of popular culture narratives like they do their favorite old stretched out and stained shirt; it’s great when you’re alone but you don’t wear it when company comes over. Not surprisingly, I disagree. (My blog’s title probably gave that one away.) It’s my belief that popular culture is an incredibly important part of our daily lives and should be studied and discussed, so that we can better understand ourselves and the world around us. Superman is an interesting character but he also is a barometer of American society and how it changes and evolves. From 1930s Great Depression vigilante to World War II patriotic war hero to 1950s superdad, the Man of Steel’s stories illuminate how American society functioned at the time they were published. All comic book superhero stories do. As do movies. And television. And most other types of popular culture. We can understand so much about ourselves by studying our popular culture outlets and asking what they mean. I’m not contending that most popular culture is well crafted and enjoyable. You and I both know that’s not true. What I am arguing is everything we produce tells us something about our hopes, dreams, and fears and I believe those things are worth knowing. One should always strive to know his or herself and we never will if we ignore the stories that fill our daily lives.
