Couldn't agree more, Con. I sigh in despair to see supposedly liberal actor types like the Clooney making challenging and thought provoking movies like Good Night and Good Luck or Syriana while shamelessly making a little on the side by endorsing D&G bling and Nestle, who are surely THE poster-boys for ethically and morally bankrupt business and marketing techniques. One can only hope he's ploughing what he makes from these, ahem, 'business opportunities' back into making movies that encourage some awareness of related issues.

As for Bob Dylan advertising Cadillac... well, y'know, Victoria's Secret was funny and he did, after all, jokingly comment many years ago that he'd like to be a salesman of women's under-garments, but telling middle America to go out and buy a frickin great 4x4 'cos it's such am American institution? Bob... if you're reading (heh), we don't want you to be that protest singer that you say you're not... being a "song and dance man" and DJ is way cool with us, but would you think twice about endorsing climate change accelerators? It's not alright.

but to take adverts for music sold in Tesco, the guy who does the voiceovers here in Ireland (or at least who *did*) was a guy called Tom Dunne, ersewhile lead singer of Irish also-rans 'Something Happens' He now presents a well respected show on national independent station Today FM and champions plenty of bands that otherwise wouldn't get airplay.

The problem is that by endorsing the shops like Tesco which put traditional independent record retailers under considerably more pressure (like there wasn't enough from downloading etc) he's making it harder for bands that he plays to ever get into a shop; i think we all know that most shows of this ilk generally have playlists which contains little of the Top 40 albums.

Clooney et al, i can sort of handle. Dammit, they're actors. Hired guns. Call them what you will, but people who've been in the music business should sort of know better.

God, I'm naive, aren't I...

The guy in your local shop probably isn't quite as influential as the Whites and Clooneys, though
he'll only carry what sells just like we generally buy what's on offer. Does that mean we're not allowed to speak up? If you really want

This post has been cut by the corporate police (sponsored by Nestle) for being a bloody worthy borefest. Enjoy your coffee. Everything is fine.

...I think there's a difference between advertising something and selling it in your shop. I choose not to buy Coke, drive an enormous 4x4 and drink Nescafe and would actively discourage others from doing so. Most (particularly small) retailers need to stock these products to make a living, which is a pity but fair enough. However, by fronting an advertising campaign for an ethically dubious product you are endorsing it. Anyone who accepts the job and takes the cash can't claim that they are doing otherwise.

This means that Jack White is content to be associated with Coke and all the horrors it perpetrates. Same goes for Dylan - he's basically saying that not only is he happy for people to buy unnecessarily large motor cars but that he will accept payment in return for encouraging them to do so. What he does with that cash is indeed his business but that's not the point.

Forgive me ranting about this on as jolly a blog roll as The Word's, but I just think it's a damned shame that brilliant musicians and other performers are willing to associate themselves with a corporate world that is destroying people and planet.