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Ken+ State Commercial


Dr Z

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I've seen this commercial a few times too. It is pretty good and it's pretty hard to knock Mark Mothersbaugh because DEVO is very awesome. Although, Can't was a far more interesting, politically motivated and artistically flourishing place when he and the other members of DEVO went there. Sadly these days that school is mostly dead airspace, both politically and artistically speaking. Akron has a far more flourishing art scene these days... Which isn't all that bad for a school of scientists, engineers, and lawyers.. The underground music scene isn't too shabby either...

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I've seen this commercial a few times too. It is pretty good and it's pretty hard to knock Mark Mothersbaugh because DEVO is very awesome. Although, Can't was a far more interesting, politically motivated and artistically flourishing place when he and the other members of DEVO went there. Sadly these days that school is mostly dead airspace, both politically and artistically speaking. Akron has a far more flourishing art scene these days... Which isn't all that bad for a school of scientists, engineers, and lawyers.. The underground music scene isn't too shabby either...

:rolleyes::rolleyes:

Where even to start with this drivel? What I take from this commercial is, a Can't education gives you the ability to write music for cartoons directed to 6 year olds and the skills necessary to be a member of a freakshow, one hit wonder of a band from whenever those guys were young. I guess I shouldn't be too harsh, one must play to their strengths.

Akron, on the other hand, produces world class polymer scientists, top notch engineers, nurses, teachers, business leaders and political leaders.

My long streak of never saying anything good about a Can't State education continues....

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PS GP1, the Mothersbaugh's are from Akron.

...an Akron grad is superior to a Can't grad any day of the week.

I think we can ALL agree on that. I don't think that is even a debate. The point is we know Ken+ sucks, not everybody does, this commercial is done in a fashion that makes Ken+ look respectable. I thought it was well done. A good example of marketing a shitty product. I would like to see our sports marketing department come up with something better for football this season.
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I've seen this commercial a few times too. It is pretty good and it's pretty hard to knock Mark Mothersbaugh because DEVO is very awesome. Although, Can't was a far more interesting, politically motivated and artistically flourishing place when he and the other members of DEVO went there. Sadly these days that school is mostly dead airspace, both politically and artistically speaking. Akron has a far more flourishing art scene these days... Which isn't all that bad for a school of scientists, engineers, and lawyers.. The underground music scene isn't too shabby either...

:rolleyes::rolleyes:

Where even to start with this drivel? What I take from this commercial is, a Can't education gives you the ability to write music for cartoons directed to 6 year olds and the skills necessary to be a member of a freakshow, one hit wonder of a band from whenever those guys were young. I guess I shouldn't be too harsh, one must play to their strengths.

Akron, on the other hand, produces world class polymer scientists, top notch engineers, nurses, teachers, business leaders and political leaders.

My long streak of never saying anything good about a Can't State education continues....

This was pretty much my reaction to the commercial as well.

I'd say it's a pretty dumb example to use.

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One hit wonder? I just got their latest CD from 2010. And I'm much older than 6...

He made more in royalties from doing the theme of "RugRats" than we'll make in our careers. Now he's scoring probably the hottest kids show on TV today. He's done other shows, films, video games. Devo's music has been used in several TV commercials and theme songs.

Someone asked me if I disliked the musicians who went to Can't, I said no. Buchtel Community College wasn't what it is now, and Can't isn't what it once was. It's not like we've seen a Joe Walsh, Chrissie Hinde, or Devo come out of there in the last 30 years...

One hit wonder. :rofl: I don't think he's looking through the couch cushions for change to buy food...

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One hit wonder? I just got their latest CD from 2010. And I'm much older than 6...

He made more in royalties from doing the theme of "RugRats" than we'll make in our careers. Now he's scoring probably the hottest kids show on TV today. He's done other shows, films, video games. Devo's music has been used in several TV commercials and theme songs.

Someone asked me if I disliked the musicians who went to Can't, I said no. Buchtel Community College wasn't what it is now, and Can't isn't what it once was. It's not like we've seen a Joe Walsh, Chrissie Hinde, or Devo come out of there in the last 30 years...

One hit wonder. :rofl: I don't think he's looking through the couch cushions for change to buy food...

Well, they were one hit wonders in the sense that they only had one real hit. Mark Motherbaugh is a creative guy, no doubt. But not in a cutting edge way. He does background music for films and clever jingles for ads. He wrote the music for the "I'm a MAC, he's a PC" commercials. I'm sure he makes a nice living.

As far as Devo goes, they've always been more of a novelty act more than anything else. David Bowie saw one of their shows in NYC in the mid-70s and liked them. That's how they got their break. Their first record was pretty wild, but everything since has been a little too calculated to appeal to anyone other than their hardcore fans. Except for Whip It, which was later used in some kind of broom commercial, I think. So much for being hip.

I saw the Can't State ad featuring Mothersbaugh on TV a few months ago. It is well done, but I could not help but wonder if, when he was a student there, the university did anything to nurture him. My guess is that he was considered kind of a freak. Now that he's had some success, they want to take credit. Same for Joe Walsh and Chrissie Hynde. I bet when they were students, their talents were ignored.

The real creative types have to create their art outside of the confines of academia, which does more to stifle creativity than anything else. Just my opinion.

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The commercial is great. It may not appeal to most of us on this board, but it's not intended to. It's intended to appeal to Can't's target market - naive high school kids who are just becoming wise enough to resist the urge to pick their noses in public. Seeing a "hip" musician writing music for Hollywood does precisely that, even if we, being older and wiser, realize that that has almost absolutely nothing to do with the education he received at Can't.

Just like delivering pizza has absolutely nothing to do with the education received at Can't. Or wait, maybe it does...

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Well, they were one hit wonders in the sense that they only had one real hit. Mark Motherbaugh is a creative guy, no doubt. But not in a cutting edge way. He does background music for films and clever jingles for ads. He wrote the music for the "I'm a MAC, he's a PC" commercials. I'm sure he makes a nice living.

As far as Devo goes, they've always been more of a novelty act more than anything else. David Bowie saw one of their shows in NYC in the mid-70s and liked them. That's how they got their break. Their first record was pretty wild, but everything since has been a little too calculated to appeal to anyone other than their hardcore fans. Except for Whip It, which was later used in some kind of broom commercial, I think. So much for being hip.

I saw the Can't State ad featuring Mothersbaugh on TV a few months ago. It is well done, but I could not help but wonder if, when he was a student there, the university did anything to nurture him. My guess is that he was considered kind of a freak. Now that he's had some success, they want to take credit. Same for Joe Walsh and Chrissie Hynde. I bet when they were students, their talents were ignored.

The real creative types have to create their art outside of the confines of academia, which does more to stifle creativity than anything else. Just my opinion.

I'm trying to remember all of the shows and commercials that used DEVO songs. They're not listed anywhere. Maybe someone else in my age group can fill in some of the blanks

"Working in a Coal Mine" was the theme of an office-based sit com

"Freedom of Choice" was used by a cell phone company and/or bank

"Beautiful World" was in a commercial

"Through Being Cool" was in a commercial

"Planet Earth" was in a commercial

"Out of Sync" was the theme of a movie?

THey went techno after "Are We Not Men?" and turned off some, turned on others. Their music continues to evolve (I'm sorry, de-evolve) They were never mainstream, and never commercialized to become mainstream like most other bands do. So I don't think less of them for only having one hit, I'm glad they didn't cash out on "pop". If they had, they wouldn't have lasted this long. If that makes them "one hit wonders" then so be it. People still pay to listen to them.

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As far as Devo goes, they've always been more of a novelty act more than anything else.

Novelty act? They were a freakshow. They wore plungers on their heads.

Every been to an Alice Cooper, David Bowie, Marilyn Manson,Trent Rezner, Maynard Keenan... show?
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