Oh Uncle Jesse, what have you done now?
Picture: Oikos Yogurt via Youtube
America’s NFL Super Bowl has once again generated a few controversies that we can report, instead of pretending we understand the football.
Fans of the John Butler Trio have pointed out that the music in a commercial for the Oikos Yogurt brand bears more than an uncanny similarity to the trio’s song Zebra.
Like Zebra, the riff features a sparing guitar over a similar foot-stomping beat. Unlike Zebra, the ad features former Full House star John Stamos.
What do you think? Judge for yourself…
The story is developing on Facebook, where the trio’s management posted a note late yesterday.
“Thank you everyone for making us aware of the Oikos Greek yogurt TV ad that aired during the Super Bowl yesterday featuring a song that sounds extremely similar to Zebra,” the note read.
“John Butler and his management were not aware of this usage until yesterday, and we will be seeking advice as how to address the issue.”
Legal experts say Butler has two options: he could be a gentleman or he could be violent.
For its part, Oikos Greek Yoghurt posted a response to the allegations this morning.
“A question about the music in our Super Bowl commercial has been brought to our attention,” it read.
“We are working to fully understand and address the situation. We apologize for any concerns this has caused John Butler Trio's band members and fans.”
The company is also copping criticism that the ad, in which a woman headbutts Stamos to get to the last of his yoghurt, makes light of domestic abuse, and would have been unacceptable had the gender roles been reversed.
In further Super Bowl fallout, the NFL and broadcaster NBC have apologised after British singer M.I.A. gave the one-fingered salute to the camera during her contribution to Madonna’s half-time performance.
"The obscene gesture in the performance was completely inappropriate, very disappointing and we apologise to our fans," said NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy.
The telecast aired in Australia on One, part of the Ten Network. We asked upstairs. The main complaints were from non-football fans complaining that the game was too long. No one seems to have noticed or cared about the bird-flip. But who watches the Super Bowl for the half-time entertainment, right?
In added Super Outrage (and a web extra! This won’t be on the TV show) there was also this questionable use of a racial stereotype in a political ad that aired in the state of Michigan during the game.
The Senate candidate who ran the ad, Pete Hoekstra, defended it by saying it “… isn't nasty at all. It simply points out the facts.”
You know, facts like how whenever a Chinese person who can't speak English properly rides her bike through a rice paddy, someone’s playing tinkling string music in the background.
Ah, Super Bowl. And to think some people like it for the football.
