What do BMW, the Greek god Zeus, and Arnold Schwarzenegger have in common?
No, thats not a fucking riddle, its an actual question.
A Super Bowl commercial.
The one-minute spot is called Zeus and Hera and takes us to, of course, Mount Olympus.
It’s free, every week, in your inbox.
But, folks, Zeus isnt really enjoying the earthly life.
Hes struggling with electronics and his neighbors constant nagging to chargeeverything.
Hera, played by Salma Hayek, comes to the rescue and reignites (get it?)
her husbands excitement with a gift: the electric BMW iX.
Take a look at the video yourselves:
Being Greek, this video hit a nerve.
Not a big one, but one nonetheless.
Look, Im totally used to the cultural appropriation of Greek mythology in pop culture.
Sometimes I find it annoying; at others its amusing.
But to see Arnold Schwarzenegger as a car-loving Zeus?
This, I dont accept.
And to have Hercules ferocious Pegasus called Lil Peggy?
I simply CANNOT.
Its not the inaccuracy that bothers me, nor the comedic slant of the video.
Well, actually, maybe that last one is kinda accurate.
Dont get me wrong here, Im not a pagan worshiper and Im not personally offended.
Thats not the case.
And its left me with a conundrum: what Ancient Greece-inspired film can I watch and complain about now?
Story byIoanna Lykiardopoulou
Ioanna is a writer at TNW.
With a background in the humanities, she has a soft spot for social impact-enabling technologies.
