Friday, June 27, 2008

Q: Are We Not Men?

Church just hit me up with a link to an interesting post at Club DEVO, the new wave nerds' official web presence. Apparently McDonald's outfitted their "New Wave Nigel" American Idol Happy Meal Toy in a most DEVO-esque manner, and Mothersbaugh et al are not amused. Of particular concern, even more so than fig's day-glow jumpsuit and trippy eye-wear, seems to be the inclusion of the eponymous "DEVO Energy Dome."

How important is said hat? Important enough, apparently, to warrant litigation. Pitchfork Media says:
Devo bassist Gerald Casale-- who designed the trademarked energy dome headgear-- is quoted as saying, "This New Wave Nigel doll that they've created is just a complete Devo rip-off and the red hat is exactly the red hat that I designed, and it's copyrighted and trademarked. We're in the midst of suing them...they didn't ask us anything. Plus, we don't like McDonald's, and we don't like 'American Idol', so we're doubly offended."
Looks like my Happy Meal just got significantly less jovial.

Fot those of you in the audience too young to totally grok the depths of this beef, here's the Casale-directed video for "Whip It," a piece that introduced many a slack-jawed Booji Boy to the band that repped nerds in the age of excess. Note the funky hats.


4 comments:

obsessive blonde said...

"Plus, we don't like McDonald's, and we don't like 'American Idol', so we're doubly offended."

That's the best thing I've read all day. Power to the people!

Church said...

I don't know how to feel about this:

http://www.exclaim.ca/articles/generalarticlesynopsfullart.aspx?csid1=120&csid2=844&fid1=32183

That is all.

funky49 said...

get those greasy mother humpers devo!!!

Z. said...

Oh yeah, Snidge, DEVO have been fighting back against banal consumer culture for as long as I've been alive. :)

I just think it's funny, Church.

You tell 'em, funk!