Outrage Over TV Ad Featuring Chris Farley Prompts David Spade Response

We’ve all seen those Direct TV commercials that integrate iconic film moments with Direct TV-friendly re-shoots by one of the film’s stars. The newest of these, however, is giving some people the creeps and/or a case of moderate-to-high dudgeon. The clip features the late Chris Farley‘s “Tommy Boy” character interacting with a re-shot David Spade wishing he was home watching Direct TV.

Is this worthy of all the outrage, or is it a fitting (pardon the pun) tribute to the late comic actor?

Both David Spade and Direct TV told Asylum.com that the spot was intended as a tribute to Farley, and pointed out that Farley’s family was involved with the spot. Even knowing this, others judge the ad a morbid money-grab.

The first time I remember this kind of issue coming up, it was for a 1997 Super Bowl ad featuring Fred Astaire and a vacuum cleaner. There was considerable criticism of this early manipulation of a dead celebrity, and the fact that the product being endorsed was the Dirt Devil (think about it) probably didn’t help.

But in today’s hyper-commercial, tech-savvy world, is this kind of hand-wringing still relevant? Chris Farley was a gifted comic actor, and Spade makes the point that the spot serves as an excellent reminder of that. In a culture that worships commercial success, is there a more fitting tribute than this? Knowing the irreverent comedy world that he traveled in, it’s hard for me to imagine that Farley would disagree.

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