Romans in Pop-culture

[DanM]

Have you guys seen any? I saw one last night on politcal satire, it was a centurion talking with an author about that USA is the new rome stuff, I laughed so hard! I also enjoyed Gius Octavius fighting cowboys in night at the museum!

[Narukami]

How about the Pepsi ad from the Academy Awards of a few years back which used Spartacus as a starting point for a most amusing commercial.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXgj2S2GQzk

:wink:

Narukami

[satsobek]

The Doonesbury cartoon showed the President for a long time as a floating centurion's helmet... but I suppose most people know that one.

[Icelandic]

The one you're referring to, DanM, is the Colbert Report...I was actually eating cereal at the time, and sprayed it all over my television. Granted, I was pretty close to it. :lol:

[Et tu brute]

I remember an advert for John Smiths Extra Smooth, that had a Roman intro, I was convinced it was some new "Gladiator" style movie until the Legat e wandered into a pub and asked for a pint...

[Narukami]

Here in the US the most ubiquitous use of Romans is Roman Meal Bread.

As I remember one of their very old commercials, we see sandal shod feet marching while a serious voice intones "They built a mighty empire.." or something like that.

In fact, the company was inspired by the legions of Rome.

This from the Roman Meal Company web site:


Around 1910, an ailing physician named Robert Jackson moved from Victoria, British Columbia, to Tacoma to seek medical care. An avid historian, Dr. Jackson was fascinated with accounts of the legions of ancient Rome. On a daily ration of two pounds of wheat or rye, these foot soldiers had the strength and stamina to conquer the then-known world!

So, the good doctor decided to follow the example of these early empire builders. He would attempt to improve his health in much the same way we still do today -- by modifying his diet and conditioning his body.

Based on the early diet of the Roman legionnaires, he developed Dr. Jackson’s Roman Health Meal. It was a breakfast mush of whole grain wheat, rye, bran, and flaxseed which he also used to make pancakes, muffins, and bread.

http://www.romanmeal.com/pages/history.htm


And we thought it was just another advertising gimmick. :oops:

Narukami