Bob Dylan Is In Lady's Underwear and Wine

What better way to pump up an aging pop icon's popularity and get him some media coverage than to mix him up with scantily clad young women and put his name on a cool product?

Victoria's Secret has made a surprising choice for the star of its new commercial for the chain's "Angels" line: scraggly, sexy in a dissipated way, Bob Dylan, 62. And British media report that Bob Dylan wine will soon be released. "Let's go get stoned."

In the Victoria's Secret ad, Dylan, who's seen wearing eye liner and a cowboy hat, stands around looking distant, (the only look he has) while gorgeous models bop around in their underwear and huge angel wings to a remixed version of his 1997 song, "Love Sick." (See the video.) Says the Wall Street Journal, "Bob Dylan has gone from "Tangled Up in Blue" to tangled up in women's lingerie."

Baby Boomer Fan Foundation
The interesting thing is that a lot of Generation X and Y MTV watchers probably don't know, or care, who Dylan is. Dylan's demographic is Baby Boomer, and Victoria's Secret is apparently hoping that Dylan will appeal to the over 50 crowd who, after all, need foundations.

The market for the wine probably skews older too because only people with jobs will be able to afford the $64 a bottle 2002 vintage wine. The UK wine blog, Spittoon, reports that an Italian Bob Dylan wine will hit the shelves later this year. A blend of Montepulciano and Merlot in a bottle signed by the singer/songwriter will bear the name of Dylanís 1974 album "Planet Waves."

The Guardian UK reports that the idea came about after Antonio Terni, a Dylan fan and vineyard owner near Ancona, met Dylanís drummer at a party late last year. Terni sent Dylan a bottle of wine he had produced, and received an email back from his manager asking if Terni could help Dylan become more involved in wine.

Dylan's one of the last 60's musical icons to sell out. However, as Victoria's Secret Creative Director Ed Razek notes: "I can't speak for his motivation, but it certainly wouldn't be commercial." The scuttlebutt in online chat rooms are calling Dylan a sellout, but really, so what? Who's not.

In 1965, Dylan sang, in "It's Alright Ma, I'm Only Bleeding:"
"Advertising signs that con you/Into thinking you're the one/That can do what's never been done/That can win what's never been won/Meantime life outside goes on/All around you."

In addition to the commercial, Victoria's Secret is selling a compact disc of Dylan's love songs at its stores. He had allowed a different version of "Love Sick" to be used in a similar Victoria's ad in 2003, and Apple Computer used a version of his "Forever Young" in 2000, but this is the first time he actually appeared in a commercial.

Is it my imagination or is Bob Dylan looking more and more like Vincent Price?

I think he looks more and more like John Waters on a bad day.

Yeah he does look like Vincent Price...but a hot Vincent Price.

I can't speak for his motivation, but it certainly wouldn't be commercial.