I've had this picture of John Roland sitting in my phone for the past month and wanted to write a post, but I had to get my head around the true meaning of what Compensated Spokesperson meant. When I searched to see if others had the same reaction I found this post on Lost City.
I used Camerabag to improve this iPhone photo, and that's the only difference from mine and the one on The Lost City, or others that people have sent me after I shared mine with them. They are the same damn photos, because they are all just too funny. To even keep writing here I must add some analysis, so here's what John Roland's Wilens and Baker ad for legal services means to me about our society.
John Roland's Title is part of an old media meme that I'm calling the Compensation.
The Compensation includes Robert Wagner of the Senior Lending Network. "I know you must have lots of questions" as Robert Wagner would say. As the economy crumbles advertisers see the need to stand upon rocks.
We must reverse this bad economy with trustiness, and since we no longer have Charleton Heston with us, after Robert Wagner
we look to the appropriate Anchormanfor our local area, a statesman to see us through these hard times. It's kind of screwed up that we cannot somehow stop companies from pandering to our need for security and trust, and allow commercials targeted to people who cannot see that we cannot reverse our problems with reverse mortgages. However, choice wins and for now there is momentum in choosing paternal figures to hawk predatory lending products.
Maybe the Madoff scandal will turn attention to this, but hopefully not until a few more of these hilarious posters make it into the subway and commercials show up on late night tv.
There is however a really interesting social trend here though - the same trend that made my favorite Anchorman, Will Ferrell make the skit about the Coconut Bangers Ball in which Robert Goulet is selling his Rap disc. (note, this clip is not on Hulu or NBC.com!)
"The Compensation" uses gangster rap tactics to sell to people who just happen to buy Cadillacs, by saying John Roland, 'he gets paid' and you should listen to people who get paid. That's why we see real estate newspaper-thick ads dedicated to Donald Trump's real estate conferences. The Compensation, it's a rap!
