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Subject: RE: BS: Specsavers ad, insult to Edith Piaf From: PoppaGator Date: 27 Jan 08 - 02:45 PM Were it not for the current release and success of the film La Vie en Rose, I doubt that any ad agency would have produced an ad featuring Ms Piaf. It probably would never have been made in the States, even right now duirng Oscar-nominaiton season, because it assumes that the viewer either recognizes the song and knows the meaning of the lyrics, or understands French well enough to translate "Non, je ne regrette rien." More than can be expected from the average American ~ even the average bespectacled American. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Specsavers ad, insult to Edith Piaf From: GUEST Date: 27 Jan 08 - 01:44 PM If you dont like what you see on tv....either dont watch it , or complain to the appropriate people, just hearing her voice is pleasant to me.....especially as it has just been on in the background , as i am on the pc... suzi |
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Subject: RE: BS: Specsavers ad, insult to Edith Piaf From: Backwoodsman Date: 27 Jan 08 - 08:20 AM Strikes me some people are constantly searching for opportunities to be 'offended'. I bet they even get offended by totally inoffensive things on the basis that they fail to offer a suitable degree of offence. Life's wa-a-a-a-a-y-y too short. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Specsavers ad, insult to Edith Piaf From: The Walrus Date: 26 Jan 08 - 09:16 PM I must say that I find the Specsavers use of Piaf somewhat counter productive. If I'm sitting when the ad comes on, my tendency is to sit back with eyes closed to listen, if I'm on my feet, I'll listen while I carry on with what I'm doing, either way, I don't tend to bother about the sub-titles. Good music dumb add. W |
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Subject: RE: BS: Specsavers ad, insult to Edith Piaf From: Jean(eanjay) Date: 26 Jan 08 - 06:41 PM Some adverts use songs quite tastefully. "Non, je ne regrette rien" is a very powerful song sung by someone with an amazing voice and an interesting life. The captions on the screen, whilst Edith Piaf is singing, about getting 2 pairs for £75 and the word Specsavers seem to trivialise the song. It sort of cheapens things. I don't like looking at it; I just close my eyes and listen to the song. Now the other Specsaver advert about the blow job was distasteful in a different way, but it was funny. If that woman's eyes are that bad then maybe she needs more than Specsavers! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Specsavers ad, insult to Edith Piaf From: Bonzo3legs Date: 26 Jan 08 - 06:17 PM What rubbish - only idiots get offended on behalf of other people! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Specsavers ad, insult to Edith Piaf From: Liz the Squeak Date: 26 Jan 08 - 05:39 PM 'I can see clearly now' was used in an advert, I think for eye drops... The Police song 'Don't stand so close to me' was used for a deodorant ad. LTS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Specsavers ad, insult to Edith Piaf From: Victor in Mapperton Date: 26 Jan 08 - 05:10 PM I went to a private clinic two years ago for cataract surgery. Maybe they should advertise with the old Johnny Nash hit "I can see clearly now". Or In the 1970's a group called "The Adverts" had a hit with "I'm looking through Gary Gilmore's eyes". Brought out weeks after his execution. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Specsavers ad, insult to Edith Piaf From: McGrath of Harlow Date: 26 Jan 08 - 02:41 PM Try YouTube Q - Specsavers ads , including one which I think is a parody, but maybe its a real foreign ad that got banned here... Specsavers? They seem about the same as any of the other firms, but I've found they do seem particularly good about mending glasses that have been sat on and so forth - even when they didn't get bought there. I'm afraid none of our three Tescos here does eye tests or sells glasses. Clearly Leeds leads in this respect. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Specsavers ad, insult to Edith Piaf From: Q (Frank Staplin) Date: 26 Jan 08 - 01:19 PM A funny add. Have they done others? I would like to see them. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Specsavers ad, insult to Edith Piaf From: Jean(eanjay) Date: 26 Jan 08 - 01:06 PM I only ever went to Specsavers once and this advert has put me off even more. It is distasteful and since Mudcat is a music forum I think that it is appropriate to discuss it here - but maybe it should have been put in the music section. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Specsavers ad, insult to Edith Piaf From: Dave Roberts Date: 26 Jan 08 - 12:49 PM I agree with jOhn. I went to Specsavers in Northwich and, although the eye test was good (I'm diabetic and you need to have it done properly, as we all know), the glasses they sold me fell to bits shortly after I got them. To be fair, this might well happen with glasses from other opticians, but I usually manage to lose them before they have the chance to disintegrate. I'm going back to CATS Opticians in Middlewich (plug). |
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Subject: RE: BS: Specsavers ad, insult to Edith Piaf From: Victor in Mapperton Date: 26 Jan 08 - 12:13 PM There are indeed M.Ted, sadly too many. It's unlikely we will have any impact on any of them, so that's why you and I just highlight the things that irritate us on a forum. I found the ad, tacky and distasteful. Clearly some here didn't. I will keep my opinions to myself and if everyone else here was to do the same, this section of the forum would close. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Specsavers ad, insult to Edith Piaf From: M.Ted Date: 26 Jan 08 - 12:01 PM We gently reafirm, Victor, that there are greater injustices in the world. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Specsavers ad, insult to Edith Piaf From: Victor in Mapperton Date: 26 Jan 08 - 09:38 AM Well jOhn, "Every little helps" a case of J'ai des regrets d'aller à Specsavers. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Specsavers ad, insult to Edith Piaf From: greg stephens Date: 26 Jan 08 - 09:29 AM So now you can see La Vie en Rose, I expect. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Specsavers ad, insult to Edith Piaf From: GUEST,jOhn Date: 26 Jan 08 - 09:16 AM specsavers are shit anyway, got some glasses from there, they was 100 quid, plus i paid an extra tenner for anti scratch coating and they still scratched, and hey fell to bits, little scews fell out etc, total bloody rip off. i just got some new glasses from tesco, 20 quid!, free sight test, and miles better quality than spcsavers. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Specsavers ad, insult to Edith Piaf From: McGrath of Harlow Date: 26 Jan 08 - 08:42 AM It might depend on the product. If they used Princess Diana as a way of encouraging people to wear seat belts I think that might be an excellent thing. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Specsavers ad, insult to Edith Piaf From: Victor in Mapperton Date: 26 Jan 08 - 08:33 AM I found the advertisement tacky, in the same way I would find it tacky if the French used Princess Diana to push a product. I suppose this type of "humour" has it's audience. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Specsavers ad, insult to Edith Piaf From: greg stephens Date: 26 Jan 08 - 08:00 AM I am a total admirer(beyond idolatry) of Edith Piaf. I do not find the ad in the least offensive. I'm also at a total loss as to how anyone else could find it offensive. It seems to me a total tribute to her. It contrasts(as McGrath has pointed out much better than I could)the largeness of her singing about regrets with the smallness of the Specsaver regrets....a standard humorous use the good old figure of speech known as bathos. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Specsavers ad, insult to Edith Piaf From: Victor in Mapperton Date: 26 Jan 08 - 07:05 AM Thank you Liz. Just submitted my complaint. Thank you for taking the time to send the link. Victor |
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Subject: RE: BS: Specsavers ad, insult to Edith Piaf From: Jean(eanjay) Date: 26 Jan 08 - 06:43 AM I love listening to Edith Piaf but not in that advert; it really is in poor taste. I had considered complaining when I first saw it and this thread has just made me realise that I should make the effort and do it. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Specsavers ad, insult to Edith Piaf From: Liz the Squeak Date: 26 Jan 08 - 05:26 AM A quick poll of those near me has shown that no-one knew she was allegedly blind as a child, only that she lived on the streets. The cynic in me says that a cute blind child has far greater begging power than a scrawny underfed adolescent, but that's my opinion. If you feel so strongly about the advert, then complain to the Advertising Standards Authority, who are the correct people to contact. Boycotting Specsavers because of their advert will do no good at all, as it is invariably price that determines the majority of purchases. If I don't go to Specsavers, it isn't that I find their advertising distasteful, it's because I find their prices too high. LTS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Specsavers ad, insult to Edith Piaf From: Big Al Whittle Date: 26 Jan 08 - 04:17 AM Obviously its 'horse feathers' to many. I suspect its how it strikes you. Theres a similar thread on Mudcat where they have superimposed a big mobile rubbery mouth onto the face of Robert Johnson. Just for a laugh - no profit mtive. They have even given Robert a 'coontalk' speech pattern - reminiscent of the character, Jim in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. I have been roundly shouted down on the thread for finding this offensive. Perhaps it is wrong to get upset about the rights of the dead, when so many of the living are humiliated and insulted. Perhaps..... |
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Subject: RE: BS: Specsavers ad, insult to Edith Piaf From: McGrath of Harlow Date: 25 Jan 08 - 10:25 PM The humour lies in the contrast betweeen Edith Piaf singing about how she has no regrets about big things and the subtitles with her saying how she bitterly regrets something trivial. And humour is a subjective matter. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Specsavers ad, insult to Edith Piaf From: M.Ted Date: 25 Jan 08 - 10:10 PM Actually, Victor, I didn't finish my post--the last line should have been,"Or you could get a life." And there is still time. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Specsavers ad, insult to Edith Piaf From: Victor in Mapperton Date: 25 Jan 08 - 08:55 PM Or in the words of Victor ""horseshit" |
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Subject: RE: BS: Specsavers ad, insult to Edith Piaf From: Q (Frank Staplin) Date: 25 Jan 08 - 08:44 PM In the words of the Marx Brothers, HORSEFEATHERS! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Specsavers ad, insult to Edith Piaf From: Victor in Mapperton Date: 25 Jan 08 - 08:37 PM Q, Her music is timeless. I always felt there was so much feeling,yet so much sadness in her beautiful voice. To use a deceased person of this standing who suffered so much tragedy in her short life as an object of fun and ridicule is downright disgusting and for anyone to say they felt entertained watching it frankly says a lot about them. Let's hope to God that British Gas or British Nuclear Power don't decide to provide similar old footage to "entertain". |
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Subject: RE: BS: Specsavers ad, insult to Edith Piaf From: McGrath of Harlow Date: 25 Jan 08 - 07:59 PM Derogatory? Wasn't even thinking of V's post. Definitely not taking a shot at him. Why on earth would I want to do that? "Pretty funny" referred purely to the ad. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Specsavers ad, insult to Edith Piaf From: Victor in Mapperton Date: 25 Jan 08 - 07:47 PM Thank you PoppaGator I wasn't aware they had made a film about her life. Shows how up to speed this old duffer is ! Thanks again, I just made arrangements to see it. McGrath of Harlow, I wasn't shocked to see your derogatory post. It was a little cheap to take a shot at me (yet again) saying you found it "pretty funny" old boy. Did you take professional lessons to become an arsehole or is it an natural gift ? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Specsavers ad, insult to Edith Piaf From: Q (Frank Staplin) Date: 25 Jan 08 - 07:46 PM Like McGrath, I got a laugh out of that advertisement. I fail to see what the fuss is about. I think a Jacques Brel clip would be good too. I have much of Piaf's music, I think she was great. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Specsavers ad, insult to Edith Piaf From: Bee-dubya-ell Date: 25 Jan 08 - 07:28 PM Subject: RE: BS: Specsavers ad, insult to Edith Piaf From: Peace - PM Date: 25 Jan 08 - 05:22 PM BOYCOTT SPECSAVERS Better yet, boycott television. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Specsavers ad, insult to Edith Piaf From: M.Ted Date: 25 Jan 08 - 06:46 PM Write to them and tell them how you feel. Doubtless others feel the same way--you might write to the French Minister of Culture, or some such person, as well--they would regard it as some sort of outrage as well, and they are rather protective of their icons-- |
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Subject: RE: BS: Specsavers ad, insult to Edith Piaf From: McGrath of Harlow Date: 25 Jan 08 - 06:40 PM I thought it was pretty funny, and not in the least offensive - and there is no implied referance to Edith Piaf's eyesight. And if it pointed anyone in the direction of listening to Edith Piaf, that's a good thing. Here's the clip on YouTube I hope they follow it up with a few more singers. Georges Brassens would be a good one. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Specsavers ad, insult to Edith Piaf From: Irish sergeant Date: 25 Jan 08 - 06:28 PM They do it becuase when it comes to advertising the onmly thing they understand is the loss of money. Neil |
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Subject: RE: BS: Specsavers ad, insult to Edith Piaf From: Q (Frank Staplin) Date: 25 Jan 08 - 06:21 PM She was allegedly near-blind from ages 3-7; there are uncertainties about this story. Great movie, but not 100% accurate. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Specsavers ad, insult to Edith Piaf From: Dave Roberts Date: 25 Jan 08 - 05:57 PM I didn't know about Piaf's unfortunate affliction until now, either. Quite likely neither did the general public. I'm sure it's not deliberate but,now we do know, yes, definitely in bad taste. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Specsavers ad, insult to Edith Piaf From: PoppaGator Date: 25 Jan 08 - 05:31 PM Pretty bad taste, to say the least. That said, there's something to the old show-biz adage that there's no such thing as bad publicity. Public awareness of The Little Sparrow is undoubtedly much greater now that ever, or at least at any time since she was alive, thanks to the worldwide hit film, and this nonsense can only add to the publicity snowball ~ and all the more, thanks to being so controversial. Of course, she's not among us to reap the benefits, but I suppose her estate gets something out of it, and those of us who are just fans get more chances to sing her praises, defend her honor, remind each other of biographical details, etc. I wonder if the stupid ad copywriter even know about Edith's childhood blindness. Possibly not; I didn't know until I watched the movie last week. The idea was undoubtedly just to play on the "no regrets" idea. Maybe they should have used Tom Rush's song instead; he, at least, is still alive to collect the royalties. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Specsavers ad, insult to Edith Piaf From: Peace Date: 25 Jan 08 - 05:22 PM BOYCOTT SPECSAVERS Ask your friends to call five people who could also call five people, etc. Let Specsavers know what you're doing and why. |
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Subject: BS: Specsavers ad, insult to Edith Piaf From: Victor in Mapperton Date: 25 Jan 08 - 05:19 PM My God just how low can a company stoop to sell a product. Here in Britain the company Specsavers are using film footage of one of the greatest singers of all time,Edith Piaf singing "Non, je ne regrette rien" and they have a taper running across the bottom of the screen saying "I wish I had went to Specsavers for a bargain". This is sick, Edith was blind from the age of 11 to 14 as a result of keratitis. How can a company be allowed to manipulate such a classic rendition and insult the memory of such a wonderful woman who led such a tragic life. Sorry folks, just needed to sound off somewhere. Victor. |
