Editor’s Pick
OCTOBER 25, 2008 3:04PM

Wassup Now, Eight Years Later?

Rate: 17 Flag
 
This is perhaps the most poignant retread of an old ad campaign I've ever seen. It's clever, sad, and wise. A mild spoiler: Dookie, thank God, is still with us.
 
The interaction of art, commerce, politics and life is fully expressed in the arc of the "Wassup" campaign. Charles Stone III, the fellow in the foreground, is the director of the original short "True" which gained popularity in film festivals through 1999 and was picked up and reshot as the first of the notorious "Wassup?" Budweiser ads. Most of the original cast, consisting of Stone and some of his childhood friends, reprised their roles (the real-life Dookie backed out and was recast), and apparently reprise their roles again, in this grimly funny but hopeful political message on behalf of the Obama campaign put out by Chop Shop @ Believe Media.
 
Thanks and WHAAAZZAAAAP to my old pal Anthony Deen for the headsup! 

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wassup, obama ads, change

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I have not laughed so hard through sad tears in years.......
Thanks for bringing this to us Marco, you are a gem!
Gary Justis
October 25, 2008 02:08 PM
my first reaction - oh sh*t, that's funny.
lpsrocks
October 25, 2008 02:23 PM
Very poignant - thanks.
sanjuro55
October 25, 2008 02:55 PM
This--and the Andy and Opie, Richie and the Fonz ads over at Pretend Farmer's and ePriddy's blogs--aren't just funny. They are exciting. I have never seen anything like these in a campaign. I think it speaks to the extraordinary stakes in this campaign--and I am grateful and hopeful that people like these guys and Ron Howard and friends take it seriously enough to develop these ads.

And they are damn funny. I called Irvin (boyfriend) and Justin (surrogate son) in here to show them and it cracked them up. Justin said to tell you "thumbs up." (I know, he should get on here himself and thumb it, but he's a teenager...)
Susan Mitchell
October 25, 2008 05:28 PM
Marco: This is most excellent and should land on the Cover so that many more can see it. What a great ad. Glad you let us in on the spoiler. Yes, funny...classic male behavior...and poignant and sad. Ultimately, universal...the HOPE at the end says it all.
marytkelly
October 25, 2008 05:35 PM
Yep, definitely clever but sad. It will be very interesting watching the next four years in America.

rated
Rick Lucke
October 25, 2008 06:52 PM
First off, I take the context of what they're saying in the message very seriously...It IS indeed a sad reality...But damn, let me tell you that's one powerfully funny and right on spot!
RATED!!!!!! HIGHEST!!!!!!
Kind of Blue
October 25, 2008 08:59 PM
Says it all, funny and sad. Thanks.
Lea Lane
October 25, 2008 09:51 PM
Terrific, Marco. I wish it wasn't so accurate, but hopefully it will be all over soon.
Lisa Kern
October 25, 2008 10:34 PM
The more I think of it, the more I believe the original Wassup ads and the current version are perfect bookends to the Bush years. The carefree irreverence and goofiness of 2000 (pre-burst bubble, pre-9/11, pre-Iraq and pre-Katrina) vs. the sober reassessments of today. It's also a variation on the theme of it sucks for guys to grow up... but the world doesn't wait.
Marco Acevedo
October 26, 2008 01:59 PM
That was hysterical, had more than one funny out loud laugh moment...and yet had you thinking the whole time. Nice to see Hope being illustrated as the best release of fear and anxiety.

Thanks for adding this!
Glenn Farrington
October 27, 2008 05:00 PM
I can completely appreciate that ad on the level of reflecting the progression (or regression) of society since they first came out. And it's touching. But those ads just about made me chew off my own foot when they came out.
katina choovanski
November 15, 2008 04:56 PM