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Idiots

Anyone Who Thinks The Black Eyed Peas Are Capable Of “Selling Out” At This Point Hasn’t Been Paying Attention (Or Is Super-Fast With Their DVR Button)


Seriously, Seth Stevenson of Slate–you’re just now noticing that the Black Eyed Peas are very interested in increasing the Black Eyed Peas’ bottom line by any means necessary. You dare fling the slightly dated epithet “sellout” in their direction? Do you think that they don’t know that they’re one of the most overexposed acts of this young century–and that they don’t relish every minute of it?


I mean… where to start. The Pepsi ad where will.i.am was equated with Bob Dylan? The extended HP spot that was the video for “Boom Boom Pow”? This bit of Apple plugging–or this one? This shilling for Best Buy, into which they unwittingly enlisted Dick Dale? This Doritos ad? OK, that last one was I think for an international campaign, but shoot, yesterday when I was at the mall I was greeted by boxes and boxes of Fergie-branded shoes. (I almost bought these. Almost.) Perhaps I will just give you the benefit of the doubt and think that you are genuinely chagrined over the Target ad and its coming omnipresence because you liked “Feeling,” which is certainly one of the less irritating parts of the Peas’ body of work, and you’re sad that it’ll be turned into an incessant jingle. But a large part of me can’t help but think that your piece continues today’s celebration of Slow On The Uptake Day at Slate and its related publications.


will.i.shill [Slate]
Black Eyed Peas Target Commercial [YouTube]

2:00 PM on Mon Jun 22 2009
By Maura

6 Comments

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Idiots

6 Responses to “Anyone Who Thinks The Black Eyed Peas Are Capable Of “Selling Out” At This Point Hasn’t Been Paying Attention (Or Is Super-Fast With Their DVR Button)”

  1. by DocStrange at 2:25 pm

    Wasn’t there an SNL about BEP’s willingness to shill for everything?

    I mean, it’s not this is Fugazi or some other anti-consumerist act.

  2. by Fried Bologna at 2:57 pm

    Don’t forget the original! (pre-Fergie): http://adland.tv/commercials/dr-pepper-be-you-black-eyed-peas-2002-030-usa

    Back in the day I thought BEP were a fake rap group created to sell Dr. Pepper. Little did I realize they were a fake rap group created to sell pretty much everything.

  4. by silkyjumbo at 6:00 pm

    i was just saying to my office mates that the black eyed peas & the pussycat dolls have the music video product placement game on lock. it’s fun to watch old BEP videos & chart cell phone advancements.

  5. by nardo78 at 11:32 pm

    This is one of my favorite SNL commercials of the last few years.

    http://www.hulu.com/watch/2360/saturday-night-live-black-eyed-peas-ad

  6. by DocStrange at 10:50 am

    @nardo78: Yup, that’s what I was thinking of.

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