Fox has used the cover of Pink Floyd’s ‘Animals’ record as an inspiration to promote the ‘Simpsons Movie’ in London. As you can see in the pictures, Spiderpig has been located in the same general position as the pig that appears on the cover of the record. This isn’t the first time Fox has used a London landmark to promote a movie; the London Eye was used to promote the Fantastic Four 2 movie.
Original cover used as an inspiration
There’s also this video:
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I really think this is a non story,except for the fact of the guy holding what looks like an assault rifle? Do people need protection to raise a pig in the air?
#1 – The guy is there because there could be a high wind condition. The Pig was supposed to fly the day before, but because of the weather the ‘stunt’ was suspended. If a high wind condition were to develop, I guess the guy would shoot down the ‘PIG’. Aircraft are flying over London constantly, be it to get to Heathrow or London City Airport.
#2 you are wrong, its for anti-terror purposes
I live in London and think this is cool and creative rather than crass.
The battersea power station is a grim industrial leftover, bleak and forbidding, various redevelopment plans have been proposed but it remains an empty eyesore.
spider pig brightens it up a bit, tho I think he should have been upside down.
#4 – I think that Battersea Power Station is a cool looking building, although I get what you’re saying.
If you feel that way about it, how do you feel about the Tate Modern, which also used to be a power station.
The rifle is there in case the spiderpig breaks loose; it would then be a potential hazard for aircraft. Pink Floyd also were required to have a shooter on hand for the original flying-pig effort.
As a Floyd fan and someone who has always loved that particular album cover, I find this to be an inspired idea. As well as the chorale version of the spiderpig song.
My daughter and I recreated that cover using Leggos and a small plastic toy oinker. I would recommend everyone do that at least once in their lives.
I had always heard the story growing up that Floyds’ pig got shot down over Cleveland by a kook. Anybody else have insight on this story?
Consider that Fox television and the Simpsons have more or less defined crass for the last 20 years. What did you expect?
Being a Simpsons and Pink Floyd fan for almost all my life, I think the marriage of the two came perfect in this instance. Simpsons payed tribute to PF in the movie as well as their show over the years, and I was tickled to see the Pig in the movie! I also agree with #4 and 5…it does brighten up a station that’s bleak, but has always had it’s own interesting look.
As for the rifleman, yes he was there to make sure if it got away he’d shoot (possibly along with those jets) it down to keep it from being perceived as a terrorist device and causing mayhem.(Kinda like Adult Swims Images in Boston where people thought the Mooninites were booms from terrorists! lol) Smart idea on their part. I saw something about that on HBO or somewhere like that. Once again though great idea!
#1
“Do people need protection to raise a pig in the air?”
Well, The president of the USA has a large entourage 🙂
#8
Well then, go back to NBC and their metrosexual brainless sitcoms or ABC and their “family” sitcoms so white they make the KKK look ethnic or CBS where its sitcoms are identical to NBC’s but starring ugly people.
#11
You have me wrong. I like crass.
If memory serves I recall Pink Floyd had problems getting the pig to get into the just the right position so the photo was retouched to get the pig in the right position for the cover. Anyone else heard that?
Progressive rock was created to be listened to – what ever happened to that? It seems all the old stuff (retro) just gets redone again and again.
Cheers
#4 I don’t think that the pig brightens up the scene there. It’s rather using the grim station for it’s own promotional purposes.
Doesn’t anyone find the whole spider pig meme interesting, tho? It was certainly not the intention of the authors of the movie to make the pig so popular. It was a mere side character. However, it seems to be the most popular part of the movie after all people have seen it…
It seems that the photo used on the Pink Floyd album was a composite. According to Wiki..
“…the final image was made as a composite of the power station picture from day one and the pig from day three.”
About the marksman…
“On the first day of shooting, a marksman was on hand in case the pig broke free. However, according to Thorgerson, this was considered an “insurance problem”, and he was not hired for the second day of shooting. Ironically, on December 3, 1976, during the second day, a gust of wind broke the pig free of its moorings. Because there was no one to shoot the pig down, it sailed away into the morning sky. A passenger plane reported seeing the pig, causing all the flights at London Heathrow Airport to be delayed. A police helicopter was sent up to track the pig, but was forced to return after following the pig to an altitude of 5,000 feet. A warning was sent out to pilots that a giant, flying pink pig was loose in the area.” I’m sure many pilots had a “WTF” moment after hearing that.
Cheers
Cheers