Iconic Imbibers - Pop Culture

Iconic Imbibers: a bi-weekly profile of some of history’s most famous and infamous drinkers.  This week we feature the present day pop culture hall of shame:

Icons are symbols, signs that give us a calculated amount of information in an abbreviated form.  Traditionally when celebrities have become icons, we only knew the carefully chosen information that those individuals agreed to share with the public and the information was usually self serving.  The difference between icons of the past and those of the present day are not that extreme.  There have always been ups and downs with those who have been randomly picked to be extraordinarily famous or fortunate and in the public eye.  However in 2009 those eyes are now equipped with the technology that was rarely available in the past to record their every move and this has taken away their ability to control the direction of their image and in some cases brand.

Where does the act of imbibing come in? Well, cocktails and spirits owe a great deal to the icons of celebrity culture.  Whether it is a high profile politician, a Hollywood starlet or an athletic superstar, one can never underestimate the power of a celebrity endorsement.  Over the years soliciting someone with high visibility to become the spokesperson for a particular product has become the norm.  Our culture has chosen to associate actors, artists and athletes including Sean Connery (Dewar’s), Andy Warhol (Martini), Ratief Goosen (Grey Goose), respectively, and countless others for their coveted ‘star power’.  If you think about it, product placement and celebrity association have gone hand in hand with booze for hundreds of years and for the most part they have had a positive effect. 

So, is an Iconic Imbiber a good thing?  It could be.  But there is always risk involved when you have influence and are under the influence.  Becoming an icon has its challenges, and sometimes a drink in moderation can help one to deal with those challenges.  Unfortunately in some cases icons end up spending too much time at the bar and then find themselves spending time behind bars.  This week Iconic Imbibers brings you a list of the ten Pop Culture Icons least likely to be pegged as a celebrity ambassador for our industry:

1.       Charles Barkley (NBA Hall of Famer) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8ievwM-2iA

2.       David Hasselhoff (Televison Star of Knight Rider and Baywatch) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QH3JAp7vMuo

3.       Amy Winehouse (Singer and Songwriter) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRoeZ8-TBr4

4.       Paula Abdul (American Idol Judge) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zt5-wn3fvlw

5.       Mel Gibson (Hollywood Actor and Producer) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YHccyFZKPU

6.       Nick Nolte (Movie Star) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CVykdnlef4

7.       Mike Tyson (Former Heavyweight Boxing Champion) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=231JV8URYDE

8.       Shoichi Nakagawa (Former Japanese Finance Minister) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odpgopHigUU

9.       Nicolas Sarkozy (President of France) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1HCFHjLndQ

10.   Barney Gumble (The Simpsons Animated Character) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eSemNkw_yI