Be water...or be alcohol?

I may be late, but I guess the controversy surrounding Bruce Lee (or rather, the CGI Bruce Lee) endorsing Scotch Whiskey brand Johnnie Walker is still going on. This commercial really divides the fans, those who condemn Johnnie Walker for using Lee's image for "everything he stood against" (and Shannon Lee for "being so greedy"), and those who applaud Johnnie Walker for respecting the legend's legacy in an awesome CGI work. I belong to neither, and instead I wonder how this advertisement works...


That's the Mandarin version. The Cantonese version is soo badly dubbed, and at 0:13 is a cut off Lee's 1971 Pierre Burton Show interview in which he stated he didn't speak Mandarin.

Apparently this ad attempts to appeal to your emotion, especially if you're a Bruce Lee fan or happen to remember him from when he was alive. Bruce Lee fans like me are surely familiar with his famous "be water" philosophy and "keep walking" is not just Johnnie Walker's tagline but also another of Lee's philosophy, which his daughter Shannon has tried to introduce to the new generation of Bruce Lee fans through the "Walk On!" range of Bruce Lee merchandise. That and of course his legend status made him a perfect endorser for Johnnie Walker.

It is expected that Bruce Lee fans will take heed from their idol: be flexible like water, break some rules, set up your own rules and eventually you'll be a success. And when you're on top, celebrate with Johnnie Walker, which is created for people who keep looking forward and never gives up like Bruce Lee and John Walker himself. As much as I like Bruce Lee and admire Johnnie Walker for being around for 197 years, this concept doesn't work on me. I don't drink.

But anyway, for those who flame Shannon Lee for selling her father's image as an alcohol endorser, let's all cherish the fact that 40 years after his death, Bruce Lee is still very much relevant - and bankable. Of course it's not something everyone can achieve. Rephrase - it's not something every STAR can achieve.

Ok, now the part of the commercial that really bugs me...


It's so damn annoying that the body double for Bruce Lee, actor Danny Kwan (who, as you can probably tell, is known for his uncanny Lee resemblance), is not even given a voice in this behind-the-scene. He had to endure shooting the ad with spots on his face and without him the ad would've been impossible, so they should have at least let him deliver his two cents on playing Bruce Lee in an ad that people knew would be a controversy.