I Smell Racket
Why is it...
No. Let me start over and put the proper emphasis in place.
Why in the freaking friggin' fecking freak does "An Everlasting Love by Natalie Cole not only have to be in the theatre and TV trailers of every single romantic comedy that comes out, but in fact associated with every single reference to romance in our media and culture today?
I've heard it on the trailers for at least four different romantic comedies in the past year or so, plus on all of those damned damned damned "E-Harmony" ads that are every-fecking-where on radio and TV today (almost making me yearn for the equally-ubiquitous fake-acoustic-blues riff they used to inexplicably use), and before that on the ads for Match.com, which were just about as grating, plus a few other non-movie, non-match site ads. Those same, irritating, trying-to-be-soulful-but-coming-across-as-chirpy-cum-constipated women:
"This will be!
An everLASting love!
THIS will be!
An ever LASting love for Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"
No, this is serious. I mean, I've seen the trailers for the new John Cusack/Diane Lane movie, where the two apparently meet via an online personals ad.
I love John Cusack.
I love Diane Lane.
I've tried online personals.
It should be a slam-dunk, getting me in there, even though it's a total chick flick. Right?
Wrong! Because the ads and trailers all feature that same...same...same...song:
"This will be!
An everLASting love!
THIS will be!
An ever LASting love for Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"
And I
will not go! Because while in years of working in radio I probably heard the song dozens of times, and found it innocuous and unmemorable, nowadays I associate it with sappy, trite, saccharine, not to mention relentless repetition.
And I hate that!
Questions for everyone involved:
- Hollywood: I'm told - by a fairly reliable source - that there might have been another song or two sometime during the history of pop music that might have expressed happiness and hope at a blooming romance. Turn those crack research staffs loose.
- Madison Avenue: When advertising a light romantic comedy, it's best to not leave the potential audience wanting to hack your leading couple to death. I mean, it takes a lot to get me to walk away from a Keira Knightley movie - but I did! And why? That Demonic Chirpy Song!.
- The Entertainment Law Bar: Is this song so ubiquitous because it's passed into the public domain? If so, could we file an action to give the rights back to whomever had them? Or assign them to, say, someone with really horrible P.R. value, like the American Nazi Party, so even Hollywood knows enough to stay away from it much less pay for it?
We can do this, people. Please.
Posted by Mitch at
August 5, 2005 12:05 PM
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You know, there seems to be something just below the surface in this post. Let me see if I can put a finger on it:
1) You pay attention to movie trailers for romantic comedies; 2) You know the current - and former - theme music for E-harmony and Match.com commercials; 3) you've tried online personals; 4) you seem edgy and pent-up over an innocuous - if ubiquitous - song.
Kind of reminds me of another song my kids play over and over: "Lonely, I'm Mr. Lonely ..."
Good luck with that. ;-)
Posted by: Night Writer at August 5, 2005 03:19 PMThe free market often makes decisions we don't like. One dollar, one vote.
On a related, er, note, a few months ago I chanced to listen to Natalie Cole's hi-tech duet "Unforgettable" with her late father on a CD, and began realizing something. I hit repeat to hear it again, confirming my reaction. Now Nat King Cole would probably make Frank Sinatra sound inadequate in a duet, but you really hear a difference in ability if you listen closely. The pitch, the timing, the phrasing, everything's just a little bit off with Natalie, despite the hi-tech and ability to make dozens of attempts. I finally decided the original with just Nat is superior music.
Natalie is certainly above, say, Nancy Sinatra, but she isn't going to challenge Whitney Houston anytime soon. Maybe that's what's really bothering you, Mitch. You want to like her singing, but it isn't quite there.
Posted by: R-Five at August 5, 2005 11:56 PMI seem to recall that it was the trailer in the remake of "The Parent Trap."
Posted by: Douglas at August 6, 2005 05:22 AM