Pac-Man’s Got Bette Davis Eyes
As a child of the 1980s, I absolutely devoured all things Pac-Man related. Odd then that I have absolutely no memory of the above 7-UP ad from 1982 that features everyone’s favorite metaphor for the futility of existence joylessly moving around a game board entirely on instinct as if he is a character in Vonnegut’s Timequake while a lethargic soda-based reinvention of Kim Carnes’ “Bette Davis Eyes” slogs away on the soundtrack. It is at once as beautiful as a blind man seeing his wife for the first time and as tragic as catching up with an old friend after twenty years to see how time has ravaged their body and decimated their soul. It is the advertising equivalent of the sweetness and shit that makes up this beautifully damaged world we all live in. Whether you consider yourself a Pac-Man or one of his ghostly enemies we are all in this together, so be kind whenever possible before the power pellets run out, okay?
Wait, Pac-Man couldn’t get a Coke endorsement? Dude needs a better agent. See you all tomorrow!
About The Author
Chris Cummins is a pop culture writer and Archie comics historian who has contributed to The Robot's Voice, Den of Geek US, Philebrity, Geekadelphia, Uproxx, and Unicorn Booty. He is the co-producer and co-host of Nerd Nite Philadelphia, and is regularly involved in producing and hosting New York Super Week events. In 2014, Chris began Sci-Fi Explosion, a mix of live performance, trivia and funny clips celebrating the weirdest in science fiction that regularly travels around the United States. He wrote the introductions to the compilations Archie's Favorite Comics From The Vault and (with Paul Castiglia) Archie's Favorite High School Stories. You can find Chris on Twitter at @bionicbigfoot and @scifiexplosion.