Sunday, June 04, 2006

Today : TV on the Radio on the TV

I never thought I'd find myself missing the original rock DJ and all-round mirrored pilot shade-wearing, satin tour jacket sporting colossus, Tommy Vance, who died last year. However, Tommy (real name Richard Anthony Crispian Francis Prew Hope-Weston, fact fans) was the voice of Gillette in the UK. His macho, rock-associated, booming, over-theatrical tones made me realise just what a macho, rock-associated, booming and over theatrical activity shaving really is.

Now we are leading up to the World Cup, and Gillette is one of the big sponsors. So there are ads all over the telly imporing me to shave with Gillette products, because it will make me into a virile, athletic gazillionaire, or alternatively a rankly stupid, preening spitting cheat with a collection of tastless cars, a gambling habit and a penchant for filming myself banging Page Three girls. Whatever.

The thing is, the Tommy-a-like who has taken over the Gillette voiceovers lacks the credibility of the late TV on the Radio. You just know this man does not have a collection of albums by Verity and The Tygers of Pang Tang. You know that this man has probably never tried cocaine and never stayed out all night with Lemmy and Philthy Phil. In short, he's a moisturiser-using, Volvo-driving, Westlife-listening fake.

This lends Gilette, unfortunately, a less than authentic, and rather fey image, that makes me want to switch to Wilkinson Sword, or possibly grow a folk-singer beard.

Even better, in the blessed name of Tommy support these people: http://www.boycottgillette.com/

1 comment:

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