McCartney and Visa

Re the Visa credit card TV ad featuring Paul McCartney:

Big corporations pay big dollars to artists such as McCartney to attach a brand name to their art through a slick commercial. Each time a viewer sees the ad, that attachment is made stronger. Eventually, every time the viewer hears the song involved, the TV commercial gets a free run in his or her mind. It’s free subliminal advertising time every time he or she hears the song anywhere.

I consider this a rape of my loyalty to a musician’s work.

Every time I hear “Tonight Tonight” by Genesis, all I see in my head is a bimbo at a bar about to have sex with some guy cause he’s drinking Michelob beer. Same with “Don’t You Know What the Night Can Do” by Steve Winwood and “After Midnight” by Clapton. Three or four Stones’ songs mean “Drink Budweiser!” now.

Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp, REM and Neil Young seem to do just fine without the extra cash this racket generates. Maybe McCartney could ask them for some pointers on making ends meet.

MARK WITSKEN

Hawthorne