Filed under: News, Politics, Race and Civil Rights
After weighing the pros and cons and even listening to the classic album "Exodus" for a little inspiration, I still don't know if the deal inked by Bob Marley's survivors to use his image to hawk audio equipment is a good thing.
On one hand, almost anything that gets the name of the reggae music icon and personal hero into the public mainstream is a good thing. At least he's not selling bug spray like Muhammad Ali did back in the 1970's.
But on the other hand, attaching the name and likeness of a man who stood for so much, such as putting his life on the line to end the violence that surrounded Jamaica's 1976 elections, to something as mundane as stereo equipment leaves me a little cold.
House of Marley, a creation of Marley's surviving family members, unveiled a line of headphones, earbuds and speaker docks being sold under Marley's name. To try and bring a more "ital" feel to the project, the equipment is being marketed as using "as much recycled and eco-friendly material as possible."
Does anyone else smell a weak sales pitch?
You really can't blame the Marley family for seeking to earn some money from their patriarch's toil. Other folks sure are.
Marley's name, sound and image are believed to generate $600 million annually in pirated merchandise. Marley ranks with Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson among the world's richest dead celebrities.
Marley left no will and his riches have been the subject of numerous legal battles between his family members and corporate interests.
I don't know if Bob Marley headphones will ultimately catch on with consumers.
But I do know I won't be running out to get a pair. The whole House of Marley campaign lacks the component that made Marley a great man to me and millions of others followers - authenticity.