"Taylor Hicks must be stopped"

"Pos-si-bil-i-ties!"

There's a thread on the P-D's Cards Talk forum whose sentiment is close to my heart. The heavily-run Ford commercial featuring Hicks on an American Idol-type stage, whirling and shouting and gesticulating to beat the band, has quickly become the most irritating ad in recent memory. It would be bad enough if the commercial appeared infrequently; as it is, you just can't get away from it. And the rapidity with which the self-styled "Soul Patrol" singer began cashing in on his new-found celebrity doesn't help. When Hicks shouts "I get what I want," surely he's talking about the generous paycheck Ford gave him for his trouble. Nothing wrong with getting paid, but couldn't Hicks have waited a few months at least before he started shilling?

Of course, Hicks and his commercial do have their admirers:

Reviewing the Ford commercial and the song "Possibilities" written for the promotion, Hicks does a dynamic job, believably belting out the tune. Interestingly, there is some on-line buzz being generated for the song to be recorded outside the bounds of the Ford pitch.

I'm proud to [be] watching the Soul Patrollman ride his wave of destiny.

It's interesting all right, watching ubiquitous commerical fodder become artistic (nominally) product.

Urgh.

(Cross-posted for the public good...)