And we all thought The Tuxedo was bad enough. Jackie Chan can currently be seen on our small screens peddling discount clothes for school children. Ben Johnson is as puzzled as the rest of us.
In what must be quite an A list clincher for something as notoriously middle market as Woolworths department store, Jackie Chan can currently be seen in a strange skit involving sock puppets and kung fu on our small TV screens. In what appears to be a wholesome family stage set reminiscent of something out of George and Mildred complete with an audience laughter track, Jackie Chan interacts with couch characters Wooly and Worth – a sheep and dog puppet. “Are we ready for the party?” he asks, but our furry friends are just as surprised as the rest of us and force a double take. “Oh my,” says Wooly the Sheep, “it’s Jackie Chan!” Yes, folks, it really is Jackie Chan.
But despite whatever bizarre farmyard party they have been invited to (a barn dance, perhaps?), the event is delayed when the flustered pair realize that they’re ‘naked’ and require new clothes. “Oh no,” says Worth the Dog, “run down to Woolworths and get some jeans and t shirts from the new Worth It value range.” Wooly the Sheep hops it down to Woolworths where he returns wearing a WWE wrestling uniform complete with belt and face mask. Something triggers inside Jackie Chan’s mind – a flashback, perhaps, to that scene in BattlecreekBrawl, where he has to fight in an illegal bare knuckle wrestling match with a fat Russian in spandex to rescue his kidnapped girlfriend. Jackie sees Wooly the Sheep and flips into action like some possessed kung fu demon. The screen widens, the camera zooms and crackles into a crude mock-70s close up, and Jackie tears off his shirt to reveal a Bruce Lee vest and whiplash fists of fury.
And all the while you’re sitting there trying to justify how such an international screen icon and veteran of over four decades in the movie industry as the auteur behind some of the twentieth century’s best action films could possibly end up interacting with a sheep and dog puppet on British television. I know that Rush Hour 3 didn’t do as well as he had hoped, but honestly…
I have always had a slight problem with actors peddling products for commercial gain. Like seeing Alan Hansen with a shopping trolley full of special offers from Morrisons, or Steven Fry banging on about Twinings tea. As much as we like to think of our favourite stars as irrefutably pure while we parade them on a pedestal as people of great standing who we can believe in and trust, they still have to make money. Some need this more than others and will stoop to whatever levels are necessary – I’m thinking of Mark Kemp, who gave up on Eastenders to lounge about on SCS sofas, or Kerry Katona, who was supposedly the perfect model mum who shopped at Iceland, despite all of those drugs she used to take. Once the trust is broken between a performer and their audience, it is hard to ever go back: I’m sure Rutger Hauer had trouble ever walking into a pub without people offering him a pint of Guinness. And doing a commercial can be gloriously self righteous and downright hypocritical, like Gary Lineker, who somewhat spoilt his image as a clean cut, healthy sportsman by banging on about Walkers crisps - a salty snack containing high levels of cooking oil and fat.
I’m a huge fan of Jackie Chan, so you can image how I can’t help but take this all very personally. But now that I have calmed down and the shaking has stopped, I can’t quite put my finger on what it is that I don’t like about the advert. After all, Jackie Chan has always been involved in commercial tie-ins and product placements throughout his whole career. In the 1980s, he signed a contract with Mitsubishi motor cars to advertise their vehicles within his movies. Watch any of his seminal Hong Kong action films, from Police Story to Dragons Forever, and you’ll find more product placements than a 50 Cent music video.
And I’m not really bothered about the fact that it is for Woolworths. Jackie Chan has peddled for Pepsi in the past, which is much worse. One of my earliest memories of Jackie Chan was in a fantastic advert for Mountain Dew in which a more youthful and nubile Jackie demolished a vending machine with a fly kick and then decked an axe wielding psycho in a back alley after supping on the sugary drink. Rather accurately, Mountain Dew has been known to have a similar effect on people. But then we read about how Jackie Chan gives all of the money he makes from advertising to charity.
So perhaps it’s just the cheap and ramshackle feel of the advert that winds me up even more than the actual product he’s promoting. After all, Pepsi are a multi million dollar organization with financial interests across the globe. Woolworths are a down trodden British department store selling Pic ‘n’ Mix and Playdough. But at least Woolworths doesn’t make you obese or affect the sugar levels in your bloodstream. I’m merely pining for the sake of Jackie Chan’s credibility – surely he deserves better than this?
“Jackie Chan is a well known and popular figure with Woolies shoppers. His involvement will deliver additional cut through and give a real boost to the launch of Worthit! clothing,” says Lee Bannister, Brand Communications Director at Woolworths, and I have no doubt that this may be the case. My only concern is that problems don’t escalate and soon we’ll be seeing Jackie Chan and Jet Li fighting over the last Hob Knob, or maybe they’ll resurrect the spirit of Bruce Lee to sell verruca cream: “For your feet of fury!” he’ll shout as he fly kicks the screen. And then we’ll pine for the days when our kung fu stars were a little more subtle about their commercial endorsements.
By: Jon Crump (Registered IP 78.145.175.133) on 26-04-2008 10:04
I've always been a huge fan so was a little disappointed, mainly because I didn't know he was in the country. The advert is a bit naff but that is the appeal of them. You have to look at the series of ads they have done, like the one with Darth Vader. Also, Jackie has a huge staff that are involved with his various projects, not to mention the projects themselves. He needs money for all these. I think that the real problem is that, with only a few notable exceptions, the West has always patronised Jackie and this is really evident in the ad. Shanghai Noon and Knights and Around the World in 80 Days being the only decent Jackie Chan films made in the West. Also, this is a guy that is famous for being totally different to Bruce Lee and they tried to make look like a Bruce rip off. Finally, am I the only one that thinks he looked ill?
By: Andy Murray (Registered IP 86.138.140.105) on 25-04-2008 10:02
Jackie's huge involvement with Mitsubishi. Meals on Wheels etc I don't grudge Jackie making money in any commercial way. There's only so long you can keep being a physical marvel and celebs need to keep the money rolling in. He's paid for his celeb status with more blood, sweat and broken bones than any man alive that I can think of. I'd be more inclined to have a pop at those who are celebs for the wrong reasons.
Fun and Entertainment 
But despite whatever bizarre farmyard party they have been invited to (a barn dance, perhaps?), the event is delayed when the flustered pair realize that they’re ‘naked’ and require new clothes. “Oh no,” says Worth the Dog, “run down to Woolworths and get some jeans and t shirts from the new Worth It value range.” Wooly the Sheep hops it down to Woolworths where he returns wearing a WWE wrestling uniform complete with belt and face mask. Something triggers inside Jackie Chan’s mind – a flashback, perhaps, to that scene in Battlecreek Brawl, where he has to fight in an illegal bare knuckle wrestling match with a fat Russian in spandex to rescue his kidnapped girlfriend. Jackie sees Wooly the Sheep and flips into action like some possessed kung fu demon. The screen widens, the camera zooms and crackles into a crude mock-70s close up, and Jackie tears off his shirt to reveal a 
And I’m not really bothered about the fact that it is for Woolworths. Jackie Chan has peddled for Pepsi in the past, which is much worse. One of my earliest memories of Jackie Chan was in a fantastic advert for Mountain Dew in which a more youthful and nubile Jackie demolished a vending machine with a fly kick and then decked an axe wielding psycho in a back alley after supping on the sugary drink. Rather accurately, Mountain Dew has been known to have a similar effect on people. But then we read about how Jackie Chan gives all of the money he makes from advertising to charity. 
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By: jasondainter (Registered IP 79.70.75.148) on 28-05-2008 09:10
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