Now this is interesting

[giandujakiss]

Remember the rapey Belvedere ad?

It did occur to me at the time to wonder about actors who pose for that sort of thing - in the same way I sort of cringe when I see black actors having to play incredibly racist stereotypes and I think that that has to suck. (Like, did you know Don Cheadle played an inner city gang leader in an episode of Booker? It's painful to watch it. And then there was the actress who starred in that awful Pete Hoekstras ad and then apologized?)

Anyhoo, so I did wonder.

It turns out, though, that the actress never consented at all, and now she's suing. Dunno how much of a case she has, if only because the ad was only up for about an hour, but it is interesting.

Comments

[ithiliana]

It will be interesting to see what happens--and while the ad was up only briefly, there are reproductions of it all over the internet, because internet.

And since apparently she works on a children's show, it could have even more damaging effect.

I'm reminded of all the bigtime politicians taking songs (that they mostly don't understand) to use as theme songs and not getting permission/paying for rights....and I bet they bitch about pirating on the internet too, but that's totally different.

Belvedere deserves whatever it gets, and I hope they have to pay her a BUNCH.

[mecurtin]

Belvedere's contract with the ad agency should have stated that the agency would only provide materials to which they have all appropriate rights. This is absolutely standard, boilerplate stuff, and Belvedere should take the agency to the cleaners -- if not the abattoir.

[kore]

I don't have much sympathy for giant companies, especially ones that sell liquor, but it sucks that Belvedere/Moet Hennessy USA is getting all the bad publicity when surely the ad agency should get some too. I can't find it anywhere in that story....

[laurajv]

I am not sure there was an ad agency involved. Some of the news stories are making social-media-intern blame noises.

[kore]

Wow! Well, good for her.