Isaiah Mustafa as The Old Spice Man. Image via Wikipedia
A year ago, Old Spice ran what might be its most popular ad campaign to date, starring Old Spice Man Isaiah Mustafa, also known as THE MAN YOUR MAN COULD SMELL LIKE (yes, the caps are deliberate. He’s just that epic).
In the original commercial, Mustafa encouraged women to buy Old Spice for their men to keep them from smelling like “lady-scented body wash.” His suave, confident delivery, along with the absolutely ridiculous style of the commercial itself, made him an instant hit (I can’t stand the smell of Old Spice, yet I was tempted to buy a bottle for my last boyfriend). It became so popular that even Sesame Street ran its own spoof, starring Grover in “Smell Like a Monster.”
This month, Mustafa returned to reprise his role (this time as the Old Spice “MANta Claus”) in an online campaign to distribute “a kingly gift to all the living people around the world.” The gifts and their recipients are nothing short of hilarious, including a “handsome cross-stich pillow schematic” to the elderly women of the world, “traffic happiness” in the form of a green light to commuters in Shanghai, and a “large collection of super manly gifts” to the manly men of the world.
There are a total of thirty-three clips on the Old Spice youtube channel, but these three are my absolute favorites. Get ready for some holiday cheer, grandiose claims, and plenty of laugh-out-loud funny. I recommend setting down any and all beverages. 😛
To the Lorraines of the world, a custom R&B slow jam:
To Australia, the gift of its creation 1.5 kabillion years ago (on a Tuesday):
To all the women in the world, the gift of his heart:
Each week for Wicked Wednesdays, I like to share something that I love, virtues as well as vices. Today, given that we are well in the midst of the holiday season, I’d like to talk about my favorite Christmas film: Samuel Goldwyn’s 1947 classic, The Bishop’s Wife, starring Cary Grant, Loretta Young, and David Niven. There are many wonderful Christmas movies from the “Golden Age” of Hollywood (Miracle on 34th Street, It’s a Wonderful Life, Holiday Inn), but I think this is one of the unsung classics from the period.
The film tells the story of Henry Brougham, a cold-hearted bishop (Niven) too blinded by ambition to pay attention to his wife (Young), their daughter, or the people who have supported him. His goal — to build a glorious cathedral — consumes all of his passion and energy, and distracts him from his faith in god and everyone around him. In a form of “divine intervention,” an angel (Grant) is sent to restore the bishop’s faith, and set him back on the right path.
If the storyline sounds somewhat familiar, that may be because it was remade in 1996 as The Preacher’s Wife, starring Denzel Washington and Whitney Houston. In my opinion, the remake was only so-so (although Denzel is mighty fine to look at). As with so many movies, there is nothing like the original.
There’s so much to love about The Bishop’s Wife. For starters, the cast is phenomenal — the leading actors bring quite a bit of star power with them, and the supporting cast, including Monty Wooley, Elsa Lanchester, and Gladys Cooper, add to the magic. Cooper is particularly memorable as the icy, materialistic Mrs. Hamilton, the wealthy widow who is helping the bishop to finance the cathedral, but who insists on using her financial contribution to micro-manage the project and control the bishop. Even better is the script, which manages to be funny and heart-warming all at once, without slipping into overly-saccharine sappiness.
Of course, it is Cary Grant who steals my heart, and given the strength of the cast, that’s saying a lot. As Dudley, Grant is his usual suave, debonair self, inserting himself into the bishop’s household with easy grace and a twinkling smile. In many ways, Dudley reminds me of a male Mary Poppins, emerging out of nowhere to brighten the lives of everyone around him. In the opening scenes alone, he rescues a baby in a runaway stroller and helps a blind man cross the street, and the good deeds continue throughout the film.
A bit of eyecandy, because I cannot resist:
Looking too dashing for his own good (source: The Elegant Age)
Reading Loretta Young's palm (Source unknown)
As an angel, Dudley also helps to restore the faith of those around him. One wonderful example comes about half-way through the movie, with his story about divine inspiration and Psalm 23, “The Lord is My Shepherd.”
For those of you who enjoy classic Hollywood, I highly recommend watching this film. It is filled with many more gems, including the most charming ice-skating scene I’ve ever seen in my life. I could say so much more, but I’d rather not give away too many spoilers. However, I will leave you with this clip, which is probably my favorite moment in the entire movie: the performance by the real-life Mitchell’s Boys Choir, singing “O Sing To God” by French composer Charles Gounod.
What are your favorite films to watch during the holiday season?
Lena Corazon writes steampunk and fantasy novels, drinks far too much tea, and has an unhealthy obsession with Byronic heroes. She blogs about books, sparkly things, her masochistic relationship with academia, and anything else that tickles her fancy.
