Ski Bunny Blues: Disgraced
Tuesday, 9 January 2007
A while back, I got this message from Art O’Connor:
You’re not going to believe this, but you’re in an ad in Salt Lake City!”
Apparently, an eating/drinking establishment in Park City, UT snatched a photo from the internet and started running this ad in a weekly paper:
It’s that silly ski bunny photo from Easter 2005 (which is currently the #1 hit when you search “ski bunny” on Google):
Since they didn’t pay me or the photographer Alexander Scott– or at least ASK – to use my picture in their ad, I was annoyed. But I didn’t realize the full gravity of the situtation until my mom called me a few days later:
[MOM] Wendy, you’re in an ad in the paper! [ME] Yeah, I know – Art told me about it. [MOM] Do you know what kind of business it is?? [ME] It’s a restaurant in Park City. [MOM] But that ad says it’s a BAR. [ME] The restaurant has a bar. So? [MOM] They sell ALCOHOL.”
It finally dawned on me: promoting a liquor house is almost like promoting a crack house which is almost like prostitution. The implications are serious. My reputation is ruined, I’ve brought shame upon my family, and no one will take to wife. Desperate to restore honor to the Chao Dynasty, I consulted my guru, Zen Master/Hut Master Mike Zobbe, and asked if there was anything I could do to save face. His reply:
Nope, you are totally disgraced and I’m sure you will never get married (I was going to propose until I saw the photo) or will be able to make it up to your ancestors. Yup, done deal. Maybe if it had been an elk or elephant or desert tortoise costume there would be hope, but the bunny costume kind of sealed the deal. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.”
Oh well. So much for all my New Year’s resolutions.
No. 1 — January 13th, 2007 at 7:16 am
It could be worse. As you insinuated, they could have written “Voted one of the top ten CRACK HOUSES in the world.” However it would probably have been written by “the Compton Review” instead of “Skiing Magazine”. And in addition to your skis, you would probably be holding a sleek little pipe…and sporting fewer teeth in your smile a la Whitney Houston. 2007-01-13 08:09:14
No. 2 — January 13th, 2007 at 8:15 am
2007-01-13 08:09:14
dear wendy, it is so distasteful for people using your pic without permission. you may be feeling terribly disgraced after getting the news from people around you…especially mum! but i still see you as a highly intellectual and empowered young lady. you have done nothing wrong to ever disgrace your ancestors and chao dynasty.
No. 3 — May 24th, 2007 at 1:20 am
I know that you are a nice person, and you prefer to laugh that off, but for your information note nevertheless that this constitutes a serious offence (copyright infringement + unauthorized commercial of one’s likeliness) that can be punishable in federal court by shockingly high fines.
No. 4 — September 6th, 2007 at 8:56 pm
I’m with QT Luong. Threaten to sue unless they pay for the rights, and then use the proceeds to buy a Barcelona chair.
No. 5 — October 12th, 2007 at 3:32 pm
Wendy, I know what you mean about the honor of the family dynasty. I’m the first hillbilly of my Chinese side of my family. The first mixed race person born into a family that dates its lineage back to 6 B.C. You get over it. Honor yourself with your youth and hotness, and look back on the photo fondly in your old age. “Dang, I was good looking!”
No. 6 — January 6th, 2011 at 7:14 am
from high fashion to hawking drinks in a cheap weekly rag, ohh Wendy….