I Didn't Really Want To Do This . . .

Note: Since this piece was first written, it's been revealed that Bruce Springsteen was arrested on November 14 at Gateway National Recreation Area in Sandy Hook, NJ. Springsteen was cited for DWI (driving while intoxicated), reckless driving and consuming alcohol in a closed area. Also, the Jeep ad is no longer as easily accessible online as it once was and Jeep is appears to be moving to remove it from platforms.

I was hoping I wouldn't have to write about Bruce Springsteen. Honestly, I realy was. I was particurlarly hoping I could avoid the whole subject of Bruce and that two-minute Jeep Super Bowl commercial. You, know, the "Middle America" ad for Jeep (part of the multi-national conglamorate owned by Italy's Fiat company). But the ad has gained so much attention and Bruce has a way of beng so "in your face" all the time these days that I can avoid the subject no longer.

First, full disclosure: I've never been a Sprigsteen fan. His music has always been a bit too somber for me. I'm usually looking for something that's both more melodic and more uplifting. Also, I'm not necessarily looking for social commentary in my music unless it's humorous or somewhat sardonic. And, I need to be able to understand the words the singer is singing. In that deparment, Springsteen's gutteral tones (paired with what a friend identified as a feigned southern accent) are often incomprehensible to me. 

In this latest outing, Springsteen is the narrator of a plea for unity that also features him as the star. Indeed, he is the only human in the commercial. Yes, he's in Kansas (in the exact center of the country, he claims) but we see no other Americans. We see no farmers, no workers, no moms or dads, no cowhands or merchants, no friends or neighbors -- nobody but Springsteen. We see none of the people that President Reagan called "America's everyday heroes" -- the people who make America work.

Instead, it's a cold, barren and empty America that we see. Amidst this stark, chilling, lifeless, setting Bruce Springsteen, of Darkness on the Edge Of Town, has come to cheer us up and call us together. Presumably, the ad is here to remind us that this is Jeep's 80th anniversary and Jeep (made by Fiat's Chrysler division) wants us all to get along with one another. In this sense the ad poses as a feel-good institutional message. It wants to present itself as a sort of video Hallmark card that leaves us feeling all warm and fuzzy about Jeep and equating that with whatever patriotic feelings we might harbor during a time of turmoil and polarization. 

But the ad fails. Why? Well, to begin with, it's not as if "Mr. Everyman" narates this ad. And it's not just any ad. This is the Super Bowl. And Springsteen (like it or not) long since stepped into the political arena and took sides. He's a partisan -- and a rather strident one at that. This is a decision he made freely, clearly, loudly and repatedly. As a public figure, that made him controversial and, not necessarily a unifying force. So, for him to present himself as a conciliator simply strains credulity. What's more, this quintessential Jersey guy is donning cowboy boots and a cowboy hat. What's with that? C'mon, man! This is more than inauthentic. This is almost laugahble. 

"But the commercial's really not political" you say? Then why does Bruce talk about finding "common ground" and serching for the [political] "middle" and red [states] and blue [states] and the struggle between "fear and freedom"? These are more than code words. This is the language of the liberal establishment. 

And don't for a minute think Bruce wasn't down with all this. He certainly would never do a spot such as this if it didn't square with his own oft-repeated political sentiments. But he must have really been desperate for attention (and, perhaps the big bucks) because at base level, the whole idea of Bruce being the paid spokesperson a big bad corporation is at odds with all of Bruce's earliest professed beliefs.

Is there any way this message may have succeeded? It's doubtful. But a better narrator might have been someone who had not heretofore been on the record as "red" or "blue" and was not seeking to cast his lot on one side or the other. Such a person might be able to command the attention and affection of a wider audience. Such a person would obviously have more credibility. Matthew McConaughey comes to mind as he has managed to strike a careful, nuanced balance -- a rare feat, and one that he will have to work hard to maintain. Still, McConaughey might not have been OK with either the ad's script or visuals. A proud Texan, McConaughey is also an affable, gregarious people person who tends to be more upbeat.

One more thought. As a general rule, corporations (especially big, multi-national, foreign-owned corporations) should stay out of US politics in their ads and pronouncements. Indeed, they certainly should not deign to lecture the American people about civic life, etc. Though rich and hugely famous entertainers who are American citizens certainly have the right to publicly comment on issues of the day, they should take exceptional care and should think one, twice, three times before opening their mouths regarding such matters not the least because they are in a special, vaulted category and are largely insulated from the everyday problems of ordinary Americans. 

Finally, it's important to note that while exceptionally talented people may be hugely successful in their "gifted" endeavors, they are almost never similarly gifted with exceptional intellect, insight, sensitivity or judgement. Bottom line: Icons, take care with your words and actions - always. When in doubt, stick to what you do best and let that speak for itself. Fans: Proceed with caution lest you slip into a state of idolatry which may cloud your judgment and carelessly (and needlessly) exalt your "hero." 

Oh, yes -- Jeep got what they wanted and so did Bruce. They got our attention. Beyond the controversy of the ad, I'm thinking that Bruce (a very wily marketer and the penultimate promoter of his own brand) is building a bridge to a new (or additional) career as a voiceover. Now 71 (and the pipes don't hold out forever) this guy has no intention of ever relinquishing the spotight. But Springsteen would do well to remember a lesson that Ronald Reagan taught us: If you want to be an entertainer, be an entertainer. If you want to be in politics, be in politics. But don't try to do both at the same time. Don't mix them; don't intermingle them.