If you believe there's no such thing as bad publicity, you haven't seen the "Chevy Volt Dance" video from the recent Los Angeles Auto Show.
Appearing to steal ideas -- but none of the good ones -- from sources ranging from early Disney cartoons to "Star Trek," bad 1970s street performers and the '80s dance show "Solid Gold," the unintentionally hilarious video has gone wildly viral.
Find it on YouTube.com and you'll see why Chevrolet executives wince when it's mentioned, despite the fact that it's drawn hundreds of thousands of online viewers.
Who knew there was an official Chevrolet Volt song⢠Who could have guessed it would start with off-key whistling the Dopiest Dwarf wouldn't wheeze on his way to work?
Who knew that "vehicularity" is a word, or that "cleaner" could be induced to rhyme with "Pasadena"?
In fairness, the Volt song and dance were conceived to entertain kids at the L.A. auto show. They seemed to enjoy it.
The dance routine's heart is in the right place. However, its random bursts of break dancing look more like outtakes from a 1980s Lionel Richie video than tomorrow's technology, and the dancers are dressed like extras from a lost episode of "Star Trek." My money's on "Planet of the Vibrating Vixens," and that Capt. Kirk hit on the brunette.
The video -- neither shot nor posted by anyone affiliated with General Motors or Chevrolet -- comes across like the trailer before a midnight showing of the "Rocky Horror Picture Show." Like the camp-classic movie, it's ripe for parody.
So hey kids, let's make a video. Show GM and the world what you've got.
Take the video, the song, or both and make your own Chevy Volt song and dance video. Dance your own Volt Jig. Paste in GM executives' heads onto the dancers' bodies, or Kanye West dashing onstage to steal the spotlight and grab an award.
Keep it G-rated, and let's not get mean-spirited. There's plenty of room for laughs, but the Volt is a revolutionary vehicle with the potential to cover 40 miles on electricity alone and reduce fuel consumption dramatically on longer trips.
Who knows⢠Create a great video and somebody at GM or some creative agency may decide they need your talent onboard. Worst case, the five best submissions will be seen on Freep.com, and their creators will get a Chevy Volt T-shirt.
Post your video submissions to YouTube and send the URL to phelan@freepress.com .
