The Heartland Music School of Acting

It's been a while since I wrote about TV record ads, and these ones from Heartland Music were THE WORST.  Instead of concert footage or photos of the acts, we get "regular people" in "regular situations" lip-synching!  It's the same people, too, in many of the spots.  At least some of them do look like they were in the store or the beauty salon or the office, and it's as if a camera crew surprised them and said, "excuse me, can you lip-sync to this song for a few seconds for our ad?"  First-rate acting.  One thing I noticed: there is not a SINGLE person of color in any of these ads.  NOT ONE.  Bizarre.  Also, the first three commercials feature a total of TWO songs by Black artists (at least among the ones being actually lip-synched).  Odd.


Man did I HATE this commercial growing up; it's also the one I recall seeing the most


This one is not as bad, and I don't recall seeing it often. The "elderly" folks here would, today, be people who grew up on Elton John (if you fast-forward the timeline)


The Unforgettable 50s (except they "forgot" anything that might have been labeled rock):


Finally we get to rocking (60s-70s); the hair dryer lady is trying way too hard.


I don't recall ever seeing this one, but the dude on "Love Will Keep Us Together" clearly doesn't know the words. And most of the couples move like they've never danced before.  During "Don't Worry Be Happy," you may spot Brian Baumgartner of "The Office."  And the lady on the left in "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" looks like Veanne Carter, who played Toby in the "Seinfeld" episode, "The Fire."


This is from Time-Life, not Heartland, and is just song clips with photos, as most people are used to. I just remember this being shown endlessly on Nick at Nite