Anyone Who Thinks The Black Eyed Peas Are Capable Of “Selling Out” At This Point Hasn’t Been Paying Attention (Or Is Super-Fast With Their DVR Button)

noah | June 22, 2009 2:00 pm
Seriously, Seth Stevenson of Slate–you’re just now noticing that the Black Eyed Peas are very interested in increasing the Black Eyed Peas’ bottom line by any means necessary. You dare fling the slightly dated epithet “sellout” in their direction? Do you think that they don’t know that they’re one of the most overexposed acts of this young century–and that they don’t relish every minute of it? I mean… where to start. The Pepsi ad where will.i.am was equated with Bob Dylan? The extended HP spot that was the video for “Boom Boom Pow”? This bit of Apple plugging–or this one? This shilling for Best Buy, into which they unwittingly enlisted Dick Dale? This Doritos ad? OK, that last one was I think for an international campaign, but shoot, yesterday when I was at the mall I was greeted by boxes and boxes of Fergie-branded shoes. (I almost bought these. Almost.) Perhaps I will just give you the benefit of the doubt and think that you are genuinely chagrined over the Target ad and its coming omnipresence because you liked “Feeling,” which is certainly one of the less irritating parts of the Peas’ body of work, and you’re sad that it’ll be turned into an incessant jingle. But a large part of me can’t help but think that your piece continues today’s celebration of Slow On The Uptake Day at Slate and its related publications. will.i.shill [Slate] Black Eyed Peas Target Commercial [YouTube]