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DJ Fail: When Co-Opting a Culture Goes Wrong

Christmas has come early this year for those us who love a good bit of bad advertising. It appears that in an effort to prove just how "with it" they are, Smirnoff has released the above ad in hopes of proving that their nightlife is the best nightlife.

Other than, as my partner in crime explains to me, the girl's ill-fitting dress the obvious problem here is DJ Fail, as he's been dubbed, is spinning without having any records on his decks. That's not the only thing he's missing, but I would direct you to Chris Cox's takedown of the ad for a complete list of missing equipment.

But that's only a literal reading of the ad, and as I look at it more and more I find myself full of questions. But let's start with a basic one: What does this ad say about the Smirnoff Nightlife Experience?

1. Their clubs suck.

I know that's a lot to take away from one corner of what we can assume is a larger room, but why would I want to hang out somewhere that looks like a bad restaurant. I can't even fathom who thought those curtains screamed "cool place to party." And when did the "nightlife experience" start including well-lit rooms. I assume that the people who go to this club are awful, which explains why...

2. It seems to be OK to bother the DJ.

Look how excited she is to be up close watching him do his thing. Look how he's adding an extra bit of arm movement to impress her. Most DJs who take their craft seriously aren't playing to be bothered or take requests. That doesn't mean they have a stick up their ass; it means they want to do quality work. Then again, this guy clearly isn't a professional because...

3. The DJ's technique is awful.

Dude is trying to control the record with one finger which means he's giving up a lot of fine control when it comes to scratching. Unless he has a freakishly strong middle finger his ring finger should be up there helping out too. Of course, all the technique in the world won't help if...

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Cory Garcia is a Contributing Editor for the Houston Press. He once won an award for his writing, but he doesn't like to brag about it. If you're reading this sentence, odds are good it's because he wrote a concert review you don't like or he wanted to talk pro wrestling.
Contact: Cory Garcia