What the Hell Were They Thinking?

SUICIDE BY COBAIN, BOOTS BY DR. MARTEN

Edgy merchandisers are forever walking the line between good and bad taste, wherever that may be at a given time for a given product, but Dr. Martens has shown itself to have no taste at all in appproving an ad campaign featuring posters showing dead rock starts wearing their boots in heaven.

The tastelessness of the ads somehow seems appropriate since just about any wardrobe can be ruined with a pair of Dr. Martens.

But the company is now all contrite and has pulled the ads showing Kurt Cobain, Joey Ramone, Joe Strummer and Sid Vicious and, for good measure, has fired Saatchi & Saatchi, the venerable British advertising firm that put it up to such sacrilege.

Relatives of the various stars also are having their say over the ads, which under British law could be produced without the approval of representatives of the dear departed.

Huffed Mickey Leigh, Ramone's brother:

"We were never asked for permission to use Joey's image or paid for the use of it. "As executor of my brother's estate, I would never have approved this ad as Joey never wore these shoes.

"And, not that my brother was terribly religious, but the fact that he was Jewish, and this ad is not exactly kosher, makes it that much more inappropriate, inconsiderate and contemptible."

Well, yes, but what if payment had been proferred?

You can view the rest of the dear departed posters here.