I've seen a few movies recently and I can't help but feel uncomfortable when artists like 3 Doors Down and Kid Rock decide to do a commercial for National Guard recruitment. Now I have no problem with the National Guard just the types of ads. At the same time, art serves as a good critique, a check if you will, on the state. To have popular artists serve up propaganda is kind of disturbing. If Bob Dylan was dead, he'd be rolling over in his grave.
There is of course another principle here, these commercials, like all commercials, romanticize everything it is selling. I was in fact shocked to see an explosion in one of the ads - no one was hurt. Often these service ads tend to ignore the purpose of service in say, the Army. Its a dirty job but people need to be aware. The current use of the National Guard in Iraq typifies this. They are not firefighters. They are infantry. Of course even if action was actually shown, this would also be romanticized. Still. Its an odd nation when the Dixie Chicks are being berated for being anti-war and one of the few rock bands left happens to be doing these commercials.
There is of course another principle here, these commercials, like all commercials, romanticize everything it is selling. I was in fact shocked to see an explosion in one of the ads - no one was hurt. Often these service ads tend to ignore the purpose of service in say, the Army. Its a dirty job but people need to be aware. The current use of the National Guard in Iraq typifies this. They are not firefighters. They are infantry. Of course even if action was actually shown, this would also be romanticized. Still. Its an odd nation when the Dixie Chicks are being berated for being anti-war and one of the few rock bands left happens to be doing these commercials.
