The convenient thing about being a contrarian and a provocateur is that you get to do pretty much anything you want, however much it would seem to go against anything you might have done previously.
I don't care if Lydon's advertising butter, I just hope he doesn't try to justify it in some ideological way.
Nowadays he seems to swing drastically between being a mature but sparky wit (as in a recent interview with Radcliffe & Maconie) and an embarrassing lost soul, spouting rubbish dressed up as grand statement (as in repeated award ceremony appearances).

-Country Life.

a ludicrous no-mark has-been for well over a quarter of a century, I couldn’t really give a rat’s arse what he does. If he can earn a crust using his clapped-out turn to flog butter good luck to him.

I can't believe he's not bitter...

Betty Botter bought some butter but she said 'this butter's bitter, if I put it in the batter it would make the batter bitter'. So twas better Betty Botter bought a bit of better butter.

( Apparently ).

the artist as salesman taboo been well and truly smashed?

Dylan was and is to some extent the true embodiment of the artist but he's selling underwear.
What are we to make of this?
Does anyone think any less of him or his work?

If a band or performer isn't strapped for cash I see no reason whatsoever to advertise a product.

Funnily enough I don't recall that most fame hungry of celebrities that is Madonna advertising anything. I'm sure I'm wrong. I must be.

The Stones would advertise anything if paid enough.
The Beatles in contrast have a clean sheet as far as I'm aware and in my opinion this reflects well on them.

I have a vague recollection that John Lydon and his wife had done well in the US property market. Maybe he didn't cash in when he should have and has suffered accordingly? Hence the butter ad.

Something that has always stuck in my mind was a spoof which I think Richard Williams wrote in around 1977 as punk took off. It was an article set about 10 years in the future, in which he caught up with the founders of punk. They were all then living in Monaco, developing property portfolios and avoiding tax - in other words, the classic showbiz life style. I have always remembered it, although I may have got the details wrong after 30 years, as he was the first person to point out that the drive for money and fame were as important in punk as any other part of the entertainment industry. And rebellion usually has to change to a career at some time.

I'd like to see this again, if anybody knows where I could find it.

http://www.johnlydon.com/jlnews.html#butter

Quote from Johnny Rotten: “I for one am proud to be British and I’m proud to get behind a proper British brand. That’s why I’m supporting Country Life butter.

“People know I only do things that I want to or that I believe in and I have to do it my way. I’ve never done anything like this before and never thought I would but this Country Life ad was made for me and I couldn’t resist the opportunity.”

The ad premieres on ITV1, this Wednesday, October 1st, at approx 20:20.