The Oklahoma City Bombing (April 19, 1995)

We spend a lot of time here at this site discussing frivolous popular culture, but sometimes, it's appropriate to pause and reflect upon more somber topics. Fifteen years ago today, on April 19, 1995, domestic terrorists attacked the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, killing 168 people (including a number of small children), wounding more than 680 others, and frightening the nation as a whole. This was the Oklahoma City bombing. The first time I visited Oklahoma City was years later, in the mid 2000s, and on that trip, I toured the area affected by the blast, which has now become a quiet memorial to those who perished that day. A museum nearby offers exhibits related to the bombing and its aftermath. The most chilling thing at the museum is an audio recording of the meeting of the Oklahoma Water Resources Board, a body which met near the federal building that morning. Visitors to the museum stop in a room as this recording plays over a sound system. The board's meeting began at 9:00 a.m., just two minutes before the blast. As visitors listen to the recording, they hear what would under any other circumstance be the routine administrative minutiae of an administrative body, but this is far more ominous, as the listeners know what is about to happen. (You can hear that recording here, but it is disturbing.). So, take a moment away from the banality of popular culture today, and think about that terrible day in 1995, when our nation suffered this great tragedy. Normal pop culture posts will resume tomorrow.

Conan O'Brien Covers Radiohead's "Creep" (April 12, 2010)

Sure, you probably already saw this clip of Conan O'Brien covering Radiohead's "Creep" during the sound check for the first stop on his"Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour" in Eugene, Oregon this past week. But I couldn't resist reposting it. It's a Radiohead cover.

Stereogum notes in a post this week that Radiohead was Conan O'Brien's very first musical guest on his old NBC show, "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," back in 1993, and that blog even posted a video of that performance which was, of course, of the band playing "Creep." The blog Green Plastic Radiohead has a similar post but also includes a clip of Radiohead's very first U.S. television appearance, on "The Arsenio Hall Show." My, how things come full circle.

Resquiat in Pacem: Eddie Cochran (1938 - 1960)

Fifty years ago today, on April 17, 1960, Eddie Cochran, a true rock and roll pioneer, died as a result of an automobile accident the previous day. Much can and has been said about his influence on the then nascent rock and roll genre. As of this writing, his Wikipedia entry notes:

It was because Paul McCartney knew the chord and words to "Twenty Flight Rock" that he became a member of The Beatles. John Lennon was so impressed that he invited Paul to play with his band, The Quarrymen. Jimi Hendrix performed "Summertime Blues" early in his career, and Pete Townshend of The Who was heavily influenced by Cochran's guitar style ("Summertime Blues" was a Who live staple at one time and is featured on their Live At Leeds album). Glam rock artist Marc Bolan had his main Les Paul model refinished in a transparent orange to resemble the Gretsch 6120 guitar played by Cochran, who was his music hero. He was also a heavy influence on the nascent rockabilly guitar legend Brian Setzer from Stray Cats, who plays a 6120 just like Cochran, whom he portrayed in the film La Bamba. Cochran is easily one of the first musicians, alongside Chuck Berry, that the late Rory Gallagher was always quick to mention as a strong influence on his musical taste and performance.

Today, in 2010, it's Saturday, so to celebrate the life and music of Cochran, go find yourself a copy of his "C'Mon Everybody," "Summertime Blues," or "Twenty Flight Rock," and blast them from your car stereo or iPod. Without Cochran, who knows what rock and roll would be now, if anything? Resquiat in Pacem.

Record Store Day 2010

Don't forget: Today is Record Store Day. Be certain to stop by your favorite independent record store! Information on participating stores can be found here. There are always giveaways and special edition promotional materials released in conjunction with Record Store Day.

Resquiat in Pacem: Peter Steele of Type O Negative (1962 - 1948)

I can't say that I know too much about Peter Steele, or Type O Negative, the band he fronted for two decades before his death at 48 this past Wednesday. But I do remember the band's contribution to the soundtrack of the 1997 slasher movie, I Know What You Did Last Summer, a film written by then trendy screenwriter Kevin Williamson (of Scream fame) and directed by Jim Gillespie. You remember that one: it starred the then very young Jennifer Love Hewitt, Freddie Prinze, Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar (just half a year after her debut as Buffy Summers on TV's "Buffy The Vampire Slayer"), and Ryan Phillipe, all of whom would go onto to bigger and better things. The opening to this late 1990s horror film, though, featured Type O Negative's sinister remake of Seals and Crofts' 1972 hit "Summer Breeze," originally a light and breezy tune. But with the addition an ominous guitar and Steele's deep vocals, the tune became a frightful portent of doom (and appropriate for the opening credits of a film meant to inspire fright). Type O Negative's cover first appeared on their 1993 album, Bloody Kisses. Now, I Know What You Did Last Summer was not a great film, by any means, and it probably would not be remembered had Williamson not achieved such success with the first installment of the Scream series, which turned the 1980s slasher genre on its head by adding postmodern teenagers who quipped ironic dialogue. But I must confess, that after seeing the film, I did purchase its soundtrack (which also included covers of Billy Joe Royal's "Hush" by Kula Shaker and The Beatles' "Hey Bulldog" by Toad the Wet Sprocket.). When I heard the news on the Twitter yesterday morning of Steele's death, I wasn't sure if it was a hoax, as he had previously been the victim of Internet death rumors. But now, apparently, it is confirmed, and so I can only say, Resquiat in Pacem. And for the record, the opening credits which brought the band to my attention are below:


For further reading, check out the following stories:

• "Type O Negative singer Peter Steele dies," Entertainment Weekly
• "Type O Negative singer Peter Steele Dead at 48," Rolling Stone
• "Peter Steele of Type O Negative: A Remembrance," MTV.com
  

In Living Color Debuts (1990)

I should pause to note that twenty years ago today, on April 15, 1990, the sketch comedy series "In Living Color" debuted on the Fox network. I rarely, if ever watched the program, but I certainly encountered my fair share of references to the show at school. (In fact, my most vivid memory of the show was not the show itself, but the band Living Colour objecting to its similar name. I remember seeing two members of Living Color presenting at some type of awards show and introducing themselves as follows: "We're Living Colour, and we don't do comedy."). But the program does have a very special place in pop culture history. It brought the Wayans Brothers to national prominence as well as Jamie Foxx and Jim Carrey, both of whom would go on to have very successful careers in Hollywood. David Alan Grier wasn't so lucky, I guess.

Be Careful, Conan O'Brien.

Above: The November 13, 1989 issue of Time.

Conan O'Brien continues to be in the news for his comedy tour (which began this week in Eugene, Oregon), his innovative use of the Twitter to keep in touch with his fans, and now, his new deal with TBS to return to the television airwaves later this year. It's nice to see him land at a network, even a basic cable network. However, in going from more traditional network television to basic cable, his future remains uncertain, and here's hoping that twenty years from now, we do not look back at the Conan of 2010 like we do the Arsenio Hall of 1994. Arsenio, of course, was hip, perhaps overly so, and heralded as a youthful alternative to Johnny Carson. (His dilemma: How to remain cool in the eyes of his celebrity guests without appearing obsequious, which he too often did.). Now, of course, Arsenio is a cultural relic, someone who was very visible in film and television in the late 1980s and early 1990s but who has simply vanished from the pop culture landscape today. (Sure, he's done some forgettable things since his talk show ended in 1994, but they were forgettable.). Do the millenials even know who Arsenio is or that he once hosted a talk show so many years ago? Conan, of course, has the benefit of his many years at NBC hosting his old show, but unless he can turn his new platform at TBS into something more meaningful than viewers consider when they currently think of TBS, his moment may pass, and he may sink into the type of irrelevance known only by Hall (and maybe the late Morton Downey, Jr.). Of course, maybe, as some have speculated, Conan himself can transform the perception of the network, not unlike what "Mad Men" did for AMC. He apparently will have an unprecedented level of creative freedom, but sometimes, it's the barrier of network interference that makes the artist more subversive and creative. Whatever the case, good luck, Conan.

George Wendt, Friday Night Videos, and the Minutemen (November 8, 1985)

Would you ever have associated George Wendt, the actor who played Norm on Cheers, with the Minutemen, the fabled punk act of the 1980s? Would you ever thought that Wendt would have hosted "Friday Night Videos"? Last year, Wendt was interviewed by Noel Murray at The Onion A.V. Club, and the following exchange on that point occurred:

AVC: I have a hazy memory of seeing you on Friday Night Videos back in the mid-’80s, co-hosting with John Ratzenberger, and you each got to pick one video during the show. And if I’m not mistaken you picked “King Of The Hill” by the Minutemen.

GW: I may have. I was a big fan of the Minutemen. Unfortunately their career only lasted about a minute. D. Boon had that tragic auto wreck. But I still listen to various Mike Watt projects.

There you have it. A little digging reveals that Wendt and his "Cheers" co-star John Ratzenberger co-hosted "Friday Night Videos" on November 8, 1985 (although, technically, it may have been November 9, 1985, since the show did not air until after midnight).¹

For good measure, see here for an (apparently old) fan site dedicated to FNV and here for my prior post of the Minutemen and their connection to the 2000 film, High Fidelity.

Above: The "King of the Hill" video by the Minutemen.

Above: The "Friday Night Videos" introduction.

1. Bianculli, David. "TV Tonight," Philadelphia Inquirer. November 8, 1985; Sonsky, Steve. "Videos, Wrestling Keep 'Retired' Ebersol Busy," Miami Herald. November 8, 1985.

Happy Birthday, The League of Melbotis.

Happy Birthday to Ryan S., the once, and possibly future, author of The League of Melbotis, a now defunct pop culture blog. He's not really 50. Today, he is 35. He maintained The League blog for a total of six and a half years, starting in 2003, before retiring at the very end of 2009. Despite occasional bouts of uncertainty, he was prolific. There were thousands of posts, but here, dear readers, on his birthday, are my favorite 25 blog entries, in no particular order:

1. "Summer of Superman: A Super Lifestyle - Having A Super Day," (Sunday, May 14, 2006).

2. "The League (with Special Guest: Steanso) Taste Tests the Jones Soda Holiday Collection," (Sunday, December 25, 2005).

3. "The League Taste Tests Coca-Cola Blak (imagine a little dash over the "a" in Blak) aka: My Coke has an Identity Crisis," (Wednesday, April 12, 2006).

4. "League Taste Test: The regrettable 'mallow' hot dog," (Monday, August 21, 2006).

5. "Me and Chuck E. Cheese," (Sunday, April 5, 2009).

6. Untitled Post About Working at the Disney Store, (Wednesday, November 19, 2003).

7. "The League Takes The Pepsi (Holiday Spice) Challenge!!!," (Sunday, November 21, 2004).

8. Untitled Post About Why Kristin Kreuk is Annoying on Smallville, (Friday, November 21, 2003)

9. "The League Presents: The League taste-tests the new BK Chicken Fries," (Sunday, August 7, 2005).

10. "Summer of Superman: Why The League is a Superman Fan," (Sunday, June 11, 2006).

11. "Tonight we dined IN HELL!!!" (Wednesday, April 25, 2007) (with necessary follow-up reading here, here, here, and finally here).

12. "Chronological Snobbery," (Friday, November 16, 2007).

13. "Dames In The Media The League Once Dug: Sean Young as Rachael in Blade Runner," (Sunday, January 6, 2008).

14. "Things that College Students Do," (Tuesday, February 10, 2009).

15. "Last Will and Testament of The League," (Sunday, January 11, 2009).

16. "Goodbye to Melbotis," (Friday, January 2, 2009).

17. "Get Off My Lawn: The League is a Grumpy Neighbor," (Thursday, November 6, 2008).

18. "The League Revisits: Pump Up the Volume (and DITMTLOD)," (Wednesday, August 27, 2008).

19. "Lollapalooza 1991," (Monday, August 4, 2008).

20. "Zero Effect - 10 Years Later," (Sunday, January 27, 2008).

21. "Superman stinks?" (Thursday, April 10, 2008).

22. "The League tells you about love," (Thursday, February 01, 2007)

23. "The League's Halloween Costume selections throughout the years!" (Sunday, October 30, 2005).

24. "Mystery Albums from a Far-Off Place," (Thursday, July 7, 2005).

25. Untitled Post Offering Marital Advice, (Monday, November 8, 2004).

These posts, truly, were the site's greatest hits. But the real question of the day: Did Ryan ever fulfill this birthday wish and watch The Searchers?

Richard Hell's "Blank Generation" and HBO's "How to Make It in America"

Speaking of Richard Hell, it was nice to see his most famous song, "Blank Generation," play over the end credits of "Crisp," the second episode of the HBO original series, "How to Make It in America." Although that episode originally aired on February 21, 2010, I only watched it yesterday, as I've had a backlog of that series since I began DVR-ing it earlier this year. The song is marginally relevant to the episode in that the series' two protagonists, Ben Epstein (Bryan Greenberg) and Cam Calderon (Victor Rasuk), are attempting to design a brand of jeans dedicated to New York in the 1970s, a rough and tumble time that saw the birth of punk and hip hop. Hell, as a punk icon from that era, directly influenced the late Malcolm McLaren and the U.K. punk scene. "Blank Generation," the song, appeared on Hell's LP of the same name in 1977.

Unnecessary Remakes: The Karate Kid

Above: The Karate Kid, (1984).

Above: The Karate Kid, (2010).

Really? Was this remake necessary? Is 1984's The Karate Kid a film that cries out to be remade? Isn't it a cultural touchstone, a film so emblematic of its time that a remake would border on cinematic sacrilege? Certainly, it's not a great film, but it's a fun one, and it's near and dear to the hearts of those who enjoyed it at the time of its release and the decades since. There's no reason why modern viewers cannot return to it in order to obtain the same amount of enjoyment. Considering the numerous homages and pop culture references still being made over the original film, it remains culturally relevant enough to insulate it from a 2010 remake. But, no. The remake is to be released this summer. What gives? Is nothing safe? Is nothing sacred?

Resquiat in Pacem: Malcolm McLaren (1946 -2010)

Yesterday, punk rock icon Malcolm McLaren died at age 64. This is big news (and the far better nostalgia blog Slicing Up Eyeballs has its coverage here.). Often called a punk rock impresario, he managed the New York Dolls for a bit in the early 1970s and later in that decade brought the Sex Pistols into being (which means, of course, he is to blame for introducing Sid Vicious, the ultimate poseur, to the world). In 1983, he released Duck Rock (the album cover of which is depicted above), which assisted in the rise of hip-hop in the U.K. Perhaps McLaren receives a bit too much credit today for fashioning the punk rock aesthetic, as he simply appropriated many things from Richard Hell, Tom Verlaine, and the New York Dolls. (It's no coincidence that Hell's "Blank Generation" predates the Pistols' eerily similar "Pretty Vacant."). But he was a fierce self promoter and exploiter and certainly punk rock would be a much different thing today without his efforts and influence. And in perpetrating the Pistols, McLaren apparently frightened much of the United Kingdom back in the day. And that's certainly a punk rock thing to do. Resquiat in Pacem, Malcolm, and say hello to Sid for us, wherever he may be.

David Lynch and Twin Peaks (1990)

Above: The cover of the October 10, 1990 issue of Time.

The pilot of "Twin Peaks" aired 20 years ago today, on the night of April 8, 1990. What to say about that? This strange series not only altered narrative television, but it was popular enough to prompt the nation to ask "Who Killed Laura Palmer?" - a question which in and of itself became a pop culture catchphrase. There's much to say about that, and there will certainly be more exhaustive reviews and summaries of the anniversary on the Internets (such as Pop Candy's "Ten Unforgettable Moments" from the series). I loved the show, despite, and probably because of, its overt and wonderful oddness. Believe it or not, it was actually my mother who alerted me to the series and encouraged me to watch its premiere, as she had, somehow, discovered David Lynch and his work prior to 1990. It was fun, it was intriguing, it was campy. I was glued to the set each week (although I recall that the series was not as popular with my classmates as I had initially expected it might be). It apparently lasted only thirty episodes (fewer than I remembered, too few for it to be truly profitable in syndication) and vanished from the airwaves for good by June of 1991. A feature film prequel, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, came in 1992, bringing it all to an end.

The series was unavailable on DVD for some time, and when it first came to the format, the two hour pilot episode was only available as import, while the remainder of the first season - without the pilot - was released domestically. This, I understand, has been remedied with subsequent releases, including a far more definitive edition which includes both versions of the pilot and the entirety of the series. Several years ago, I watched most of the first season again on DVD and was surprised that the performances seemed as wooden and stilted as they did. That of course, is a hazard of watching something you enjoyed immensely in your youth and revisited in your adulthood. But here, the experience was a bit more startling, because I did not think of "Twin Peaks" as something that would suffer with age as it apparently had (to me). Alas. Perhaps I should give it another shot in the coming weeks and watch the entire series start to finish. Or, more likely, maybe I should simply let it exist in my memory as a series I very much enjoyed watching as a teenager. Yes, I think I'll do the latter. It is safer for my well being.

Michael Bolton - The Ultimate Collection?

Well, perhaps Michael Bolton is far too easy a target for one of my Ultimate Collection posts? After all, he's already suffered the slings and arrows of Mike Judge's humor in 1999's Office Space. And, unlike some acts featured in these posts, Bolton did have a fan base and sell some records back in the day (though we can say what we will about those who actually purchased those records and tapes back then). Nevertheless, although Bolton might not have been featured on the radio stations I listened to in the 1990s, he was certainly on some other stations. Might he be worthy of his own Ultimate Collection? Is my fashionable disdain inappropriate? I begin to wonder. But then I remember the hair. Do you remember the hair? Behold:

Off Duty XIX

Whew. After spending so much time and energy last week stewarding the coverage of the tenth anniversary of the 2000 film High Fidelity, I need a vacation. Well, if not that, at least an off duty day. So, for the time being, content yourself with the above image of the Grim Reaper facing that hell of hells, the consumer hardware store. The image, of course, is from the 1991 film, Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, a flick that I'll surely get around to revisiting here some fateful day.

Clash of the Titans (1981)

Not even I am nostalgic enough to look back at the 1981 film, Clash of the Titans, and believe it to be a good, or even a mediocre, film. It's the perfect example of a childhood pleasure that you should never revisit with adult eyes, for if you do that, the memory of it will be forever ruined. But surely it is better by 1981 standards than its remake, released this past Friday, is by 2010 standards. Initially, it seems that a remake of the 1981 version might be a good idea, as film-making techniques and technology have significantly advanced in the last 29 years. Further, Clash of the Titans is not so ingrained in the culture and popular imagination that a remake that trifles with its narrative or place in pop culture history would be objectionable. But to make a film which from the trailers appears to be even worse than the original seems a tactical error. Surely this was pitched as Gladiator with monsters? Well, I'm sure it will be on DVD in a few weeks . . . . Perhaps I will rent it at that time and do violence to whatever childhood memory I maintain of the original film. Alas.

Happy Easter from Chronological Snobbery

May the Easter Bunny bring you joy and happiness today. And all of that jazz.

The Week That . . . What?

Did Ryan S., the author of the now defunct pop culture blog, The League of Melbotis, resurrect his site ever so briefly on the occasion of April Fool's Day? Apparently. If so, it is his first official post at that site since his official farewell on December 20, 2009. Indeed, at 12:03 A.M., on April 1, 2010, he authored this cryptic post, in which he offers no commentary, but merely embeds a bizarre video from the YouTubes, entitled "Numbers Stations with 1928 Science Video."

What could it all mean? Will we ever know?

High Fidelity: Jack Black Covers Marvin Gaye

What to say about Jack Black, the over the top comedian who rose to prominence with his role as Barry, the obnoxious record store clerk, in the 2000 film, High Fidelity? As the final installment of this site's coverage of the tenth anniversary of the release of that film, we pause to reflect upon Black's performance at the end of the film, during which he covers Marvin Gaye's immortal classic, "Let's Get It On." His emotive version of this tune is important, as the viewer is left with the impression throughout the film that Barry is nothing but a pretentious hack lacking any talent whatsoever. He brags about his musical efforts, but none of his friends or co-workers really believe that he has any musical chops whatsoever. Throughout much of the film, he banters about his band, Sonic Death Monkey, which is renamed several more times during the movie, once to Kathleen Turner Overdrive and again to Barry Jive and the Uptown Five. Thus, when he rises to take the stage at the film's end, everyone, the viewers of the film, assume that he will crash and burn. But he does not. He delivers a fine rendition of the song. And the film ends.

In 2000, I didn't know much about Jack Black, and I suppose not many others did, either. Of course, I had seen some of the films in which he appeared before High Fidelity, but I doubt I knew who he was at the time. (I adore the 1992 film Bob Roberts, in which Black appears as a sycophant of the rebel conservative title character.). He had already appeared in the Tenacious D television series, but I wasn't really familiar with it. But it was High Fidelity in which he truly came to light as a comic actor (although he has certainly appeared in his fair share of stinkers since then, including the wretched Shallow Hal and the even worse King Kong remake). But for every few instances of cinematic detritus, he charms us in a film like School of Rock. What to do?

And so it was with his first major role in High Fidelity, featuring his fateful homage to Marvin Gaye. How did that come to pass? In fact, it was Black himself who chose the song he would cover in the film, as one news account from April 2000 notes:

Tenacious D fans will be shocked to hear lead singer Jack Black sing "Let's Get It On" at the end of "High Fidelity," but it was Black himself who chose the song. Black is known more for his heavy-metal parodies than the sweet rendition of the Gaye standard that closes the movie starring John Cusack. "I pushed for the song that they ended up using just 'cause I thought I could sing it well. They were talking about me doing another Marvin Gaye song that I didn't think rocked as hard. I wanted to really get a good clop in the chops at the end of the movie." Black plays a bombastic music snob who works in a record store.¹

Curiously, though, the soundtrack to the film featured not the live version depicted on screen but a far more restrained studio version. I recall reading an article at the time, or shortly thereafter, indicating that Black had hoped one of the live versions recorded on film would appear on the soundtrack, but that when the soundtrack was released, the studio (or the record company) had included the studio version, which can only be characterized as lifeless. Alas.

Since 2000, Black has become a major star. Whether this is a good thing, the jury is still out. Well, it's probably a good thing, as he does make us laugh, every so often.

This brief article, of course, would not be complete without a link to the video:


1. "People," Cleveland Plain Dealer (April 20, 2000).

The Taco Liberty Bell (1996)

Text in the above image: "In an effort to help the national debt, Taco Bell is pleased to announce that we have agreed to purchase the Liberty Bell, one of our country's most historic treasures. It will now be called the 'Taco Liberty Bell' and will still be accessible to the American public for viewing. While some may find this controversial, we hope our move will prompt other corporations to take similar action to do their part to reduce the country's debt."

Fourteen years ago today, Taco Bell ran a full page advertisement in a number of newspapers proclaiming that the company had bought the fabled American Liberty Bell and redubbed it, the Taco Liberty Bell. Many were amused, but some were not (and in fact, some believed the prank to be real). Back in the early days of the Internets, Usenet users discussed the prank here, including user Hillary Gorman, who on April 2, 1996, observed:

did anyone notice the ad in the april 1st inky about the liberty bell being bought by taco bell, and being known as the taco liberty bell from now on??

my tv watching friends tell me it was all over the news, and that the park service was all pissed off about it - tee hee.

i thought it was a pretty good april fool's joke. i was really surprised that the taco bell corporate mucketymucks had that much of a sense of humor. anyone have any opinion on this?

That was then. Reached in late 2009, Gorman (now Hillary Israeli, with an official website here) looked back on her 1996 post and offered these thoughts nearly fourteen years later:

I remember seeing the ad in the newspaper and thinking that it was hilarious. Not being a big TV watcher, I failed to realize that so many people took it seriously until it became the hot topic of discussion at work and all of my friends started discussing the "controversy." As you can see from the phl.media thread, the people I associated with at the time all seemed to think it was funny, obviously a joke, etc - and that people who didn't quite see it that way needed to undergo a craniorectal inversion. I obviously agreed with them.

Mark Costello commented that he thought the ad was timely due to the way our society is. I remember being distressed when Candlestick Park became 3com Park, which I believe was shortly before or around the same time as the Taco Liberty Bell stunt. Today we have Lincoln Financial Field (at least "the Linc" is an ok name), the Wachovia Center, and Citizen's Bank Park. Oy vey. I'd rather have the Taco Liberty Bell, at least that has some vague etymological connection, and is kind of funny!

I wonder if we could actually get Taco Bell to sponsor the Liberty Bell, and if so, how many Philly taxpayers would be in favor of that if it would keep the libraries and swimming pools open for another five years? I am also willing to become the Taco Bell Animal Hospital, if Taco Bell would make it worth my while, and give me a discretionary fund to use on what would otherwise be "financial euthanasias."

Taco Bell, of course, would later revert to more traditional advertising, including the use of a dog, who beginning in 1997, would proclaim his fondness for Taco Bell in Spanish.