17 attorneys general urge halt in production of controversial drink

Is Blast alcohol drink targeting youth?
Julia Talanova, CNN
April 22, 2011
http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/04/21/colt.45.blast.letter

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
17 state attorneys general send a letter to Pabst Brewing Co., maker of "Blast"
The malt beverage is a 'binge-in-a-can" that targets youth, letter says
The drink has an alcohol content of 12%, comes in colorful, 23.5-ounce cans
"Message of drinking responsibly" is focus of marketing, Pabst says
RELATED TOPICS
Pabst Brewing Company
Snoop Dogg

(CNN) -- Seventeen state attorneys general are urging Pabst Brewing Co. to stop marketing to young drinkers and halt production of a new malt beverage promoted by rapper Snoop Dogg.

In a letter sent to the Pabst Brewing Co., Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler says "Blast" by Colt 45 is a 'binge-in-a-can" that targets youth. Gansler was joined by attorneys general from Arizona, California, Connecticut, Guam, Idaho, Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah, and Washington.

San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera also joined the petition, according to a written statement.

The makers of the new fruity blend came under fire after advocacy groups and politicians raised questions about its marketing campaign.

The drink, in a colorful 23.5-ounce can that resembles soda pop but has an alcohol content of 12%, more potent than a typical can of beer.

"They're marketing it as a single serving when in reality it's five servings in a can," said Raquel Guillory, spokeswoman for the Maryland attorney general. "We hope they would be a good corporate citizen."

Paul Porter of Industry Ears, a media watchdog group, says "Colt 45 makers are raising the alcohol level from the already high 6% to the even higher 12%, and enticing young people with hip hop themes and lollipop flavors."

He added the company is "expanding its market with our children."

Asked about the letter, Pabst Brewing Co. chief marketing officer Jon Sayer responded in a written statement: "Blast is only meant to be consumed by those above legal drinking age."

"As with all Pabst products, our marketing efforts for Blast are focused on conveying the message of drinking responsibly," the statement said. "To that end, the alcohol content of Blast is clearly marked on its packaging."

Rapper Snoop Dogg is considered a face of the product who "has the ability to take Colt 45 to a whole new level," according to a company marketing video.

As of Thursday night, Snoop Dogg had not responded to a request for comment from CNN.

In 2008, Gansler worked out a deal with MillerCoors and Anheuser-Busch to halt the sale and production of select high-alcohol-content drinks.

"Both of those voluntarily pulled those off the market after we sent them a letter" that requested the drinks' removal, said Guillory.

Katy Perry's 'California Gurls' Video: So Sweet It Hurts

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1641591/20100615/perry_katy.jhtml

Jun 15 2010
Katy Perry's 'California Gurls' Video: So Sweet It Hurts
The queen of 'Candyfornia' battles Snoop Dogg in a cavity-inducing fantasy world.
James Montgomery

As if the electric-blue wig, bedazzled bikini and chest-mounted frosting cannons didn't give it away, let me be the first to tell you that Katy Perry's "California Gurls" video is just slightly over-the-top. Like, all the way over it ... with whipped cream and cherry on top.

Yes, the "Gurls" video — which premiered Tuesday (June 15) on MTV.com — is three minutes and 54 seconds of deliciously gaudy, delightfully ridiculous eye candy, a sugar-coated overload of confectionery gone haywire, cotton-candy clouds, gingerbread paths and Gummi Bears with bad attitudes. It is bright and brash and very likely to give you a toothache. Like the song, there is nothing understated about it.

Directed by Mathew Cullen of the production company known as Motion Theory, "California Gurls" re-imagines the Golden State as "Candyfornia," a magical, cavity-inducing land where Sunset Boulevard becomes "Sundae Blvd" and the Hollywood sign rests on a whipped-cream mountain (the iconic Capitol Records building is also slyly inserted, constructed entirely of what appear to be vanilla wafers). Perry is the queen, parading down pastoral candy landscapes (which resemble the surrealist, saccharine work of artist Will Cotton, who actually worked as the artistic director on the video). All appears to be well until Snoop Dogg -- who plays the evil Sugar Daddy -- begins to pull strings, in an attempt to wrest control of Candyfornia away from Queen Katy.

From there, we have a battle between good and evil, as Perry attempts to free her Candyfornia cohorts from a variety of sweet traps (bubblegum, Jell-O, etc.) while Snoop readies his army of loyal Gummi Bears for the final showdown. Of course, there's also time for KP to ascend into the heavens, strip naked, suggestively nibble cotton candy and perform a dance routine with her Gurls — because what kind of pop video would this be if there weren't? Eventually, she climbs to Snoop's castle to do battle, vanquishing him and his minions by firing frosting from her chest, in a scene that plays out in gratuitous slow-motion, basically for the heck of it.

And then, at the clip's end, Snoop is buried up to his neck in sand, surrounded by Perry and her Gurls. Not surprisingly, everything ends happily ever after ... the Queen of Candyfornia is returned to her throne, the evil Sugar Daddy is banished, and dentists around the world rejoice, dreaming of the business this super-saccharine video will surely create. Brush twice a day, kids.

To see the video:

http://www.mtv.com/videos/katy-perry/527631/california-gurls.jhtml#id=1641622

Shakur estate moves against songs' sale

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070724/ap_en_mu/people_tupac_shakur

Shakur estate moves against songs' sale
7-24-7

Tupac Shakur's mother is seeking to prevent his former label, Death Row Records Inc., from selling the late rapper's unreleased recordings as part of a bankruptcy settlement.

Afeni Shakur sought an injunction in federal bankruptcy court Friday claiming Death Row was attempting to sell Shakur material that belonged to the rapper's estate.

Unreleased recordings should have been turned over to the estate as part of a 1997 agreement with the record label, said attorney Donald N. David, who represents the estate.

But during Death Row's bankruptcy proceedings, "it was revealed that an album's worth of unreleased Tupac material was being advertised to potential buyers as the jewel in the crown of the Death Row assets," David said.

Afeni Shakur and the company she established, Amur Entertainment, requested an injunction after the label failed to confirm the songs would not be included in the bankruptcy settlement, David said.

The court was expected to consider the request within a month when it decides whether to permit the label to release an album with the unreleased tracks to help pay off its debts, David said.

A call to Ronald L. Leibow, an attorney representing Death Row in bankruptcy proceedings, was not immediately returned Monday.

In the 1990s, Death Row was home to superstar rappers such as Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre, as well as Shakur.

The label's fortunes — and those of its owner, Marion "Suge" Knight — started to slide when Shakur was shot and killed in 1996 while riding in the passenger seat of Knight's car.

The shooting took place after the pair were involved in a fight in a Las Vegas hotel. The attack resulted in Knight being sent to prison for violating his parole.

After Shakur's death, Death Row and the rapper's family settled for an undisclosed sum amid allegations that the label had defrauded Shakur, David said.

Knight sought bankruptcy protection for himself and the company in April 2006. He claimed debts of more than $100 million in each filing.

At the time, Knight estimated personal assets of zero to $50,000. Last month, the rap mogul placed his seven-bedroom, 9 1/2-bath home on the market for $6.2 million as part of his financial overhaul.