I have just been reading an article about well known iconic NZ Beer Brand Steinlager and their new Pure campaign.
Lion Nathan are currently filming a new commercial in the "famous tough guy actors series" that has previously featured Harvey Keitel and Willem DaFoe. This time they have chosen to use a non-household name actor called Vincent Gallo.

There has been a media reaction to this as Mr Gallo is not widely recognised on the same social level as the previous two actors. Most people would not have even seen any of the more obscure movies that he has either starred or starred and directed in.
He is a bit of a renaissance man and has been a successful artist, athlete, actor and director.

Lion Nathan spokesman Neil Hinton said Gallo was perfect for the campaign and would be recognised by New Zealanders. "He is exactly what we want as our leading man. He is very uncompromising in some of his views and he is not the kind of guy you can buy for his opinion. He has a reputation for saying what he believes"

A bit of quick research goes a long way. If you chose to believe what you read on the internet then this is funny but also very Vincent Gallo-esk!!!!

With this story, the devil is really in the detail, and one wonders just how much detail the folks behind this campaign actually went into!

Vincent Gallo - the artist.

At first when trolling through google what pops up most is the now infamous scene in one of his self directed movies Brown Bunny, in which there is an unsimulated fellatio scene with famous A-List actress Chloe Sevigny. By unsimulated it is just that, right out there for the whole world to see - no holds barred, no angles for modesty, no discretion. It is hardcore for mainstream, hardcore for even the edgy side of things. As director and leading man it seems it is quite an indulgent statement to make really.

Delve a little deeper past all of the controversy that this act alone brought up (Sevigny was dropped by her agents for the role which they described as only one small step above pornography) and you may find your way to his website www.vincentgallo.com (cut and paste people) where you can learn a little more about him as an artist.
At first this all seems an extension of this massive ego that would bask in the glory of indulging in recording himself getting real fellatio from a famous actress as a by product of the movie making business. The film got huge amounts of negative critisism for this. Then stumble across the merchandise link and get to the "Personal Services" page < http://www.vgmerchandise.com/store/pages.php?pageid=4 > (cut and paste people!!!) and you get a real shock. Is he for real?????

Here he is selling himself as an escort for $50,000 a night, and then the next listing is for the donation of his sperm for $1,000,000 with a $500,000 extra fee for "natural impregnation" . The way the whole thing is written it seems somewhat real, and believable, and he comes across as this absolute weirdo with a massive, massive ego.
At this point in my research I was a little shocked. I found it hard to believe that Steinlager would align themselves with a guy like this. Tones of rasism and blantant old school macho self indulgent nonsense. Just full on. I urge you to check it out before reading any further. Get the shock for yourself. It will be worth it for the context of this article.

Here is an exert from the page:

"Have you ever watched a movie and fallen in love with one of the actors?
The way they looked or a character they played? Afterwards you thought of them over and over. Daydreaming, imagining things, sexy things......... So believe me, I know and understand what it's like to wish and dream about spending time with a movie star. Doing things that couples do. Couples in love. At least couples where the guy is hot and knows how to handle a chick.

I, Vincent Gallo, star of such classics as Buffalo 66 and The Brown Bunny have decided to make myself available to all women. All women who can afford me, that is. For the modest fee of $50,000 plus expenses, I can fulfill the wish, dream, or fantasy of any naturally born female. The fee covers one evening with Vincent Gallo. For those who wish to enjoy my company for a weekend, the fee is increased to a mere $100,000. Heavy set, older, red heads and even black chicks can have me if they can pay the bill. No real female will be refused. However, I highly frown upon any male having even the slightest momentary thought or wish that they could ever become my client. No way Jose. However, female couples of the lesbian persuasion can enjoy a Vincent Gallo evening together for $100,000. $200,000 buys the lesbos a weekend. A weekend that will have them second-guessing."

The Man behind the media creation.

Huh? Is he for real? Then it goes onto a rant on a listing selling his sperm for a million dollars. Still shocking and still believable if you are still buying into this character that is being formed in the front of your mind.

At this point I was beginning to question the validity of the website so I did some further research and found out that yes it is infact his website, but also that Vincent Gallo is a very renaissance kind of guy and has been heavily into cutting edge, fringe art for most of his adult life.
The music he currently makes and tours with is all avante guard, it is all improvised live on stage for that particular audience, on that paticular night. It is more of a performance piece than anything else. No two shows are ever the same. He tours and performs with some fairly heavyweight musicians.
His paintings are likewise challenging but it is the website that really got me. According to an interview it is a comprehensive conceptual art piece about love and hate, perception and reality. So it seems he really isnt the brute he is making himself out to be, but rather a far more intellectual person asking us to confront this function of ego, and question our reaction to extreme cases of it. DEEEP!

I am not going to go into the whole interview here but you can check it out < http://www.crawdaddy.com/index.php/2008/04/09/vincent-gallo-selling-sperm-but-not-selling-out/ > but be warned it is quite a frank interview and there are some swears.........

Some highlights from the interview

"That stuff was very high-level, conceptual, philosophical prose, you see. I believe we’re all earthlings, and if we’re all earthlings, which is already a microcosm because we’re already all connected to the universe. But let’s reduce it to earthlings. Let’s take that narrow-minded point of view, that we’re all just simply earthlings… then calling yourself an African American or a homosexual or a vegan or a raw foodist or an American or any of these things, if you identify yourself in that way, in a sense, you’re in total disconnection. I mean, on some level those maps create references that governments use, but for people to buy into those stories seems really small-minded. Celebrity, for example, is another disconnection, so my concept of those things on my website, the only way I can see those things having any significance, is in a humorous way. To me it’s very funny that people think of themselves more specifically than an earthling, for example."

Ah, now I get it. It is all very philosophical and throwing into peoples faces the very notion of why they chose to respond in the manner that they do to this very notion of celebrity. And some more to further explain:

“My internet site is a highly conceptual reference to that, both in a comic sense and a highly sophisticated conceptual sense. And for the record, no right wing republican, no bigot, no homophobe, no meat grower has ever reached out to me in a compassionate way ever. Ever. It’s only been the idealists, the socialists, the protestors, the activists who have written me the most offensive, hateful letters that I have ever read in my life. Those are the people that constantly dwell on the internet and on blogs and chat sites, insulting me relentlessly. Those are the people that are so caught up in their hate and their ego and their judgment that they can’t help themselves but reveal and reflect the horrible discomfort and hate that they’re investing so much energy in. And I’m just reflecting them back to them, and that’s interesting for me. Aside from that, if you can’t understand the concepts and the humor of that website, and you’re only response is to hate me, then that’s where you’re at today and I hope you grow as a person.”

I feel relieved but digging a little deeper this man is not in the same category as Harvey Keitel and Willem DaFoe at all. He is a lifestyle artist, prepared to push the envelope and really stand up for taking a shot at people in general. To make us all think a bit more deeply about our place in this confused world.
Some of his comments lead me to believe he pursues quite a meditative lifestyle within the bounds of Buddhist or Taoist philosophies. Some even suggest he does not take drugs or drink, and with the meat farmer comment above one could also assume he maybe vegetarian. MMMmmm. Is this really the kind of man that blokey beer makers Steinlager really want representing them? A new agey, artist type that perhaps doesnt even drink???

Ha funny. Part of what he seems to be about is taking the piss, both from what people perceive of him and also from folks that dont take the time to dig deep enough to get beyond this carefully crafted persona that is a mere character. I am struggling with this. Steinlager Pure is a newish beer in the Lion Nathan stable. It is marketed solely on the premise that they way Steinlager achieves this Pure beer is through being completely uncompromising. It has previously aligned itself with Hollywood tough guys known for their roles as uncompromising tough guys - Harvey Keitel is the case in point. He normally plays no nonsense tough guys, usually the lovable rogue that you really wouldn't want to cross. Totally uncompromising.

As for Willem DaFoe - he has that edgy villian thing going on.

This is what I find confusing. Are the marketing folks behind Steinlager thinking that most that look to find out more about Vincent Gallo will only go digging as far as his website and the Chloe Sevigny blowjob scene? Has this persona that he has created as an uncompromising brutish areshole ticked all of the boxes for them, or are they buying into the fact that this is only a persona and the man behind this is infact far from uncompromising but challenging us to question how it all works and strive to be compassionate, connected members of the total human experience? Which market are they targeting? I am totally confused now. And now maybe I have a slightly deeper understanding of the path Joaquin Phoenix is currently walking. Maybe he and Vincent are friends, or maybe Joaquin just really likes what Vincent has done with his celebrity. But that is a whole other blog for later.......

Good on Vincent Gallo though. He has made a career in a place that is very difficult to succeed by sticking to his guns. I hope he finds joy in the experience and gets to meet some genuinely nice and friendly New Zealanders that dont buy into the whole celebrity thing. If you are going to meet anyone like that in the west it is a good chance that you will meet them in the deep south!!! That place is full of real characters and by real I mean on the whole real, well outside of the tourist traps anyway.