Bob Dylan is considered many things: musician, poet, professional mumbler and (these days) a spot on Vincent Price impersonator. He has also, over the years, made rare appearances in commercials, often to the dismay of his legions of fans who thought the guy — who was once considered a sellout by folk fans for plugging in with an electric guitar — was a sellout to the likes of Victoria’s Secret, Pepsi and Chrysler.
And while I am not the biggest Dylan fan, I do admire his “I don’t give a crap” attitude toward those who try to pigeonhole him into what they want him to be. So coming across this commercial for IBM — featuring Bob Dylan talking to a computer — put a snarky smile on my face. It is brief, strange and probably the only thing Dylan has done since “Blood on the Tracks” that I have enjoyed.
And maybe, just maybe from this video of Dylan speaking with IBM Watson, we have seen the first interview Old Bob has given where he seems 100 percent sincere (and not making up random gibberish) in his brief, awkward conversation with an artificial being. Maybe more robots should interview the rock legend.
The JOE-DOWN 