My brother-in-law Peter Campbell used to do some modeling and acting in commercials. Nothing fancy. He was once in an ESPN promo dressed as a quarterback getting tackled. It wasn’t on TV, it was just shown in the ESPNZone bars.
I mention that because he got a call today to audition for a Miller High Life commercial. He hasn’t done anythign with modeling in years, but they had him on file and sought him out for it. He went in today on a lark and got a call back for tomorrow. My sister thinks it’s the greatest thing—as long as he doesn’t have to kiss some beautiful woman.
Pete is a good guy. I wouldn’t have set him up with my sister if he wasn’t. But even more than that he’s on a mission for serve God. That’s why, when he was inspired to do something for Catholics in Salem, he went on a one-man mission to set up a Catholic concert here. Everyone thought he was dreaming, but he didn’t listen to naysayers. He had no experience with anything like that. But it didn’t stop him. Oh, did I mention that he wanted it to be a completely free concert, that he had just been married and they had a brand-new baby?
By the grace of God it was a great success. More than 1,500 people came to the all-day event on August 8, 2001. He had thought at the time that if it was successful he would do it every other year. Well, everyone had a different idea and by popular demand there was another concert last summer. Despite bad weather, it was bigger and better. Whole youth groups came from as far as New York state for the day. If you want to learn more, see his web site Proud2bCatholic.com.
So Pete comes to me with is dilemma. Is it appropriate for the promoter of the Proud2bCatholic concert to appear in a beer commercial, especially if it has sexual overtones? First, I told him, we’re not Baptists so it’s okay to drink beer. But if they do ask him to do something that would compromise his integrity, I told him that perhaps he can be a witness to higher moral values. But if not, I said that having the concert promoter there would show that he’s not some religious weirdo, but a regular guy and would be a great means of promoting the concert. If he were a professional athlete, it would be the same way.
I don’t know if that’s the best reason to do it, but come on, he gets to be in a commercial, drink beer, and get paid for it. How cool is that?
