This past week, Alex Romero, a choreographer who worked with Elvis Presley on four of his movies, passed away in Los Angeles. He was 94, so chalk it up to "age-related causes" if you will, but I think I know what really killed him: It was those "Viva Viagra" commercials, as seen here.
Of course Elvis fans are outraged, and thus prone to do what fans always do when beloved songs show up inappropriately in commercials: Blame Yoko — or whoever the Yoko equivalent in each instance might be, this time, meaning Priscilla and Lisa Marie. But the King’s daughter is claiming to find the commercials as "revolting" as most everyone else. Elvis didn’t write his own songs (except in a few instances, as with a lot of ’50s-era rockers, where his name was attached purely for publishing-rights purposes), and so the estate has virtually no control over cover versions. (Family duets are another matter.)
There really may be no finite end to this ad campaign, in other words, as long as the estates of legendary songwriters like Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman — who don’t have their own Gracelands as a sanctifying cash cow — are willing to fork over their piece of posthumous propriety. Unless the male masses rise up as one in protest and throw their Viagra onto a funeral pyre of sacrificed virility, be fully prepared to hear more such appropriations. I hate to give anyone any ideas, but I’m thinking (without getting too blue, or at least any bluer than Bob Dole would):
"Inextinguishably Burnin’ Love"
"Love Me… Tender? Ha!"
"Ready-Teddy Bear"
"A Big Hunk of Love" (Do they even really need to rewrite that one?)
"It’s Not Now or Never (Because Any Time in the Next Six Hours Will Do)"
"Suspicious Creases"
"(There’ll Be No) Peace In the Valley (For You Tonight)"
"Always on My Blood-Desaturated Mind"
"There’s No Room to Rhumba in a Sports Car (But Just Room Enough for a Full Afternoon of Foreplay)"
"Wear My Medic-Alarm Pendant Around Your Neck"
I hate that commerical too. It is annoying.
I think that having an Elvis impersonator say “my Vigara works so well that I’m “caught in my trap”" would be a lot more interesting than “Viva Viagra”.
But seriously, let the music of Elvis stay in Vegas. Don’t insult it on national television.
Horrible, but it does remind me of one of the proudest moments in recent music-merchandising-history, when the children of June and Johnny Cash refused to license “Ring of Fire” to be used in a hemorrhoid cream ad.
Is there any way I can see more of the “Viva Viagra” commercial? I swear I saw that 20 times watching football. Six idiots jamming in a old gas station/diner singing about a ED drug? Why are they singing? Why are they together? Then they all take off, I’m assuming cause the drug started to kick in and had to get home to the wife…
When I first saw the commercial I thought it was an Applebee’s ad!
What really ticks me off is that they play these sort of commercials non-stop during any Star Trek show on tv. Just cause us Star trek geeks can’t get any does not mean we cannot get it up!
Agreed Mark in NYC. It also bugs me that adds for “Bob” and his idiotic all natural male enhancement (statements not proven by the FDA) seem to air almost exclusively on g4, Adult swim and sci fi network.
Anyone who saw Revenge of the Nerds, picked up a comic book, or saw those Big Johnson t-shirts should know how virile the geek population really is.
All done in very poor taste.
Is it really worse than Cialis and the his and hers bathtubs on the beach? Television commercials have relied heavily on oldies in the past five years. This was inevitable.
Somewhere out there The King is rolling over in his grave.
What do you mean, his grave? ELVIS IS NOT DEAD!!!1
but he may shoot himself after this commercial.
Classy, EW: posting an obituary tied to this fluff piece. I’m sure Mr. Romero’s family is really proud.
-kch, http://moviedearest.blogspot.com/
I love that song.I hope they start selling it in stores.
Television commercials have relied heavily on oldies in the past five years. This was inevitable. http://www.esnips.com/user/DrViagra
Anyone who saw Revenge of the Nerds, picked up a comic book, or saw those Big Johnson t-shirts should know how virile the geek population really is.
http://rocking-offers.com/product_xalex-multi-drug-testing-kit-for-10-drugs-p2169.html
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