GoldieBlox Super Bowl Ad Counteracts Beastie Boys Lawsuit

At the close of 2013, GoldieBlox released a pristinely executed, wildly innovative anti-genderstereotyping toy commercial that quickly went viral. The problem? GoldieBlox now faces a lawsuit against the Beastie Boys for using their hit "Girls"without permission in that commercial. Although GoldieBlox had cleverly changed the lyrics AND the Beastie Boys were in accordance with the commercial's female-empowering message, the group had made an agreement early in their career that prohibits all of their songs from being used in promotions of any kind. Member Adam Yauch, better known as MCA, passed away in 2012 and Rolling Stone obtained a copy of his will which reads:

“Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, in no event may my image or name or any music or any artistic property created by me be used for advertising purposes.”

It's tough to meddle with the words of a man that is no longer living. What does GoldieBlox do? Move forward... by spending $4.5 million on a Super Bowl slot- and some more money as royalties to Slade (the orignal artists who released "Cum On Feel the Noize" as popularized by Quiet Riot in the 1980's). The new commercial is almost a carbon copy of the original- just with a new song, new lyrics and an ENORMOUS audience.