July 27, 2018

Faye Dunaway in a Gucci ad might amuse you.



It made me laugh because of the surreal lolling about within extreme wealth and Dunaway's gently emerging grandmotherliness (which comes to full bloom when she goes out to play tennis). It's an effective ad (in my view) because it caused me to look up the price of the handbag and to be stunned at the lowness of the price (when it was about $2,300).

56 comments:

gspencer said...

For those of you who only believe that they unable to live surrounded by poshness, luxury, and wealth, Paris Hilton has the answer,

https://viraliq.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/17-1-2.jpg

Quayle said...

The strange thing about Bernie and OC socialism is that it doesn't seem to be attacking or threatening these folks one bit. It's an American neosocialism that the bourgeoisie can adopt and promote.

rehajm said...

Hehe. They dress funny...

It's easy to forget when political factions in the Untied States are demanding and largely receiving rejection of any overt signs of personal wealth in much of the world ostentatious wealth is still largely embraced as aspirational. I bet this ad plays well in Asia.

David Begley said...
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lgv said...

For those who aspire to be the 1%. Finest grade leather + quality workmanship, about $100-$200 cost.

Actual 1% don't buy Gucci, it's for the 2-10%.

David Begley said...

I saw Faye with Steve McQueen in The Thomas Crown Affair last night. Good looking woman. Steve was cool. But the second movie with Pierce and Renee was much better.

lgv said...

And she's old enough to be a greatgrandmother. That would be her granddaughter in the ad, if it were real.

Danno said...

After updating the blog page from last night and the NYT 2016 vote by precinct, I am quite sure all of the places in this video are deep blue.

Why is it that Democrat politicians can lie about the rich all being Republicans, and still get away with it?

Bay Area Guy said...

In "3 Days of the Condor," Robert Redford plays a quirky CIA analyst, who's entire study unit is killed (he luckily avoids it). To escape, he basically kidnaps Faye Dunaway at a grocery store, forces her to take him to her apartment to hide, non-consensually sleeps with her, but then they fall in love, and battle the CIA assassins (inside job), so all is well.

I guess #metoo and Faye were not yet woke in the 70s.

tim in vermont said...

Why is it that Democrat politicians can lie about the rich all being Republicans, and still get away with it?

It's one more conspiracy of silence, just like they way they shut anybody up who wanted to talk about Bill Clinton's abuse of women. They are very good at making sure stuff they don't want talked about gets not talked about.

rehajm said...

The Caddy Limo is great- seeing a few more of those cruising around Manhattan these days.

Bill, Republic of Texas said...

She looks aweful. I hate that waxy and cadaver like look of the excess plastic surgery.

Now the limo and cabio looked great for their age.

FleetUSA said...

Seems to be made for a non-US audience, i.e. Asian like music, old limo, "old money", flamboyant, etc. Probably for China or India.

Would be ridiculed in the US.

Ralph L said...

Both cars are 30 years old or more.

I was waiting for something to happen and thought the girl was going to rifle the purse.

tim in vermont said...

Under the current regime of EngSoc or whatever it is that we speak. Republicans aren't the economically displaced by the "new economy" which disproportionately benefits rich blue areas. No, that would imply some justice in their anger. No, Republicans are "losers." In other words, it's their own fault.

Rob said...

Her granddaughter. Her assistant. Her granddaughter. Her assistant.

Forget it, Ann, it’s Beverly Hills.

alan markus said...

Grandmother/Granddaughter relationship?

I thought it was an easy on the eyes representation of Hillary Clinton/Huma Abedin relationship.

wildswan said...

The dream worlds of adland. It makes me wonder what adland would appeal to me.

Humperdink said...

They should have eliminated the tennis clip from the ad. One lollipop lob, no return, no foot movement, cut to the next scene. Looked phony.

And Bill, R of T is correct.

I did like her as Bonnie Parker, back when assault (cough) rifles were not looked upon with disdain.

Michael K said...

Steve was cool. But the second movie with Pierce and Renee was much better.

I've never seen it. I showed my kids the original movie about 20 years ago. They had never seen it and could not believe how good it is.

It would be tough to improve on it, which is why I have never been interested in seeing the remake.

Faye has not aged well. She is into the gargoyle look.

David Begley said...

She’s 77. I wonder if she is like Jane Fonda and has closed up shop down there.

Phil 314 said...

Too much plastic surgery. Reminds me of Jack Nicholson as the Joker.

And I hope she gave the correct handbag to the right granddaughter.

Bob Boyd said...

"...stunned at the lowness of the price (when it was about $2,300)."

That seems like a lot to me, I admit I don't buy very many handbags.
How much did you think it would cost?

Ralph L said...

Was it Dietrich or Garbo who allegedly wouldn't leave her apartment so she couldn't be photographed as an old woman?

oleh said...

This is eighties nostalgia. I think it's effective anywhere. I think secretly it will play very well amongst those born in three late 90s who outwardly profess adherence to Bernieism.

oleh said...
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traditionalguy said...

Nobody doesn't love Faye Dunaway. Her personality comes through no matter her age. Time to watch Chinatown again.

MayBee said...

I watched it with the sound off and it seemed to go on forever. I couldn't figure out what year it was taking place in.

Michael said...

I watched it without sound and found it creepy. I happen to have a pair of Gucci bit loafers purchased in 1977 which I occasionally wear. Very high quality. I wonder if they still are made as well.

Lloyd W. Robertson said...

This might work as a way to advertise luxury goods to people who can afford them. Remember Jennifer Aniston discovering a plane that is not an Emirates plan lacks a shower and a lounge? This says to a lot of people: what a loser you are. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GS8nqYf5NvQ

JRoberts said...

In viewing the commercial, I think it's a riff on the role Dunaway played in the remake of "Rebekah" with Charles Dance and Amelia Fox.

Also, seeing Dunaway shill Gucci for Asian sales reminds me of Bill Murray in "Lost in Translation".

Sebastian said...

So, do you think Faye has ever had sex in a canoe?

Curious George said...

"...stunned at the lowness of the price (when it was about $2,300)."

The only way that bag is worth $2,300 is if it's stuffed with twenties.

Oso Negro said...

Ha ha ha! We need a new tag "Wealthy Althouse". My wife looked at one of those damn bags in a Gucci store in Florence last week, and I was sweating the price. She didn't buy.

Amadeus 48 said...

She was moving, so the embalming job was not successful.

She was so hot in Bonnie and Clyde...but that was fifty years ago. Now she's dishing out Gucci bags to her personal assistant.

Bad Lieutenant said...

Michael said...
I watched it without sound and found it creepy. I happen to have a pair of Gucci bit loafers purchased in 1977 which I occasionally wear. Very high quality. I wonder if they still are made as well.

7/27/18, 7:50 AM


I have a striped button-down shirt from L. L. Bean that is beginning to fray - OK, past beginning - at the cuffs. Furthermore I noticed the fabric is not solid but seems to have colored thin fabric sewn onto a white middle layer, which seems cheesy. Made in Hong Kong.

Nonetheless it's a favorite shirt and also is quite lightweight so I was prepared to replace it. Though I couldn't find it online.

The wonderful native (I mean they are Mainers, in Maine, not Bangalore or Manila) helpers at the LLB toll-free number asked for the info from the shirt label. I read them off all the numbers and they said Yes, yes, that is Egyptian cotton, made in HK...

And they bought that lot of fabric in 1994 and the last shirts made were from it in 1997.

Yeah, I guess I can't really kick about L. L. Bean quality. Or do you other guys think that's nothing special?

I suppose you ladies would commit honorable seppuku if you had to wear the same clothes for twenty years. I just wish I could get twenty more.

Koot Katmandu said...

I watched it. What stood out to me - Lots of red white and blue.

Seeing Red said...

She moved into Cher territory, but signing those autographs reminded me of “Mommy, Dearest.” So did the all white decor. I’m mad at the dirt.

She was in The Thomas Ctown Affair remake.

Renee was drop dead gorgeous to me in that movie.

Seeing Red said...

The Euro is down compared to the $ I thought. It should have been less expensive.

Seeing Red said...
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Seeing Red said...

My numbers didn’t come in. No Birkin for me!

Welcome to the Decade of Greed! Jumpsuits are back, Gucci is back...I loved the 80s!


Of course the 90s was the REAL Decade of Greed, but the Democrat I feel your pain rapist was in office, so it was OK.

Caroline said...

Mae West as Leticia Van Allen in Myra Breckinridge.

Night Owl said...

What a weird music choice. It's from the 1984 Brian de Palma movie "Body Double" in which a wealthy woman gets brutally murdered. The minute I clicked on this video I got creeped out by the memory evoked by the nusic.

It must have been chosen by some millennial who's never seen that movie. Either that or someone who has a wicked sense of humor.

Night Owl said...

Typo above: should be music not nusic.

tcrosse said...

Blyth Danner, who is about the same age as Dunaway, does the Grandma act in ads hawking some sort of old-lady medicine on TV. She is not so hard to look at.

buwaya said...

Very much Hollywood-LA flash. This does still work very well in Asia.
Check out HK or Singapore sometime. And elsewhere too.

William said...

The relationship with her personal assistant seemed ambiguous. Was the assistant performing on the piano for her or was Ms. Dunaway encouraging her in her conservatory studies? The assistant certainly didn't look like she was having fun playing tennis with Dunaway, but other perks perhaps compensated. I guess the shoe shopping experience was every woman's wet dream even if only lived vicariously....It's good to know that, despite the Mommy Dearest vibe that Dunaway gives off, she's not too grand a person to notice that her assistant would like a Gucci handbag. Underneath all that posh and glamour, Faye is a kind, good, caring person. This ad proves it. People who buy and wear Gucci products are good people.

Amy said...

That was a commercial? I guess I'm not the target audience. I found it extremely repellent.

Darrell said...

The relationship with her personal assistant seemed ambiguous

Because it's her granddaughter in that "film."

Darrell said...

I'm glad I didn't marry Faye Dunaway when I wanted to.

Yancey Ward said...

I knew I recognized the music, I just couldn't place it while I was watching it. Thanks, Night Owl!

William said...

Was it truly her granddaughter? The girl looks presentable but nothing about her would cause the observer to shift the focus away from Ms. Dunaway. I presume that's why she was chosen for the commercial, but if she's truly the granddaughter that reinforces the Mommy Dearest vibe. What young woman wants to be upstaged by her grandmother?.......On the plus side, I think a granddaughter with an inheritance on the line would be more amenable to playing tennis with Faye than would a personal assistant. If there's one thing that history can teach the children of the rich and famous, it's to keep your mouth shut until after the will is probated.

Darrell said...

She gave her granddaughter the purse because she saw the evil glint in her eye. She didn't want her granddaughter putting goofballs in her lemonade. Or loosening the carpeting at the top of the stairs.

PM said...

She was the deal in the 70s and esp great in Network, a screenplay that has never aged.

Jupiter said...

traditionalguy said...
"Nobody doesn't love Faye Dunaway. Her personality comes through no matter her age. Time to watch Chinatown again."

Hmmm. I must be nobody. I was thinking they could maybe segue into a remake of the ending of B&C.

Cheryl said...

That ad works 100% for me, and I'm pretty sure I'm the target audience. I've watched it three times and it just gets better. I LOVE seeing these two women (grandmother and granddaughter) both wearing the same designer and both looking great. Well, actually Faye looks better but she's Faye Dunaway, so there's that. The whole time I watched "Network" I couldn't take my eyes off her wardrobe.

I love almost all the clothes in the ad, and now I'm kind of interested in that handbag. I buy designer very occasionally and I hold onto bags for a long time. I have a Louis Vuitton handbag from about a dozen years ago that still looks amazing and that I still carry when I travel because it's the perfect travel bag. I love the style of this Gucci bag, and the red crocodile...yes, please. I have a pair of Gucci loafers I bought a couple of years ago (I think Faye is wearing similar in the shoe scene) and they are timeless. That bag would be, too.

I think it is so fun that the ad is highlighting the younger girl taking style cues from Grandma, even if she is Faye. I had a grandmother who had pretty great style, and I still think of her when I put on certain colors of lipstick. Great find, Ann. Thanks for giving us a break from politics.