The 1980s were a weird time, what with its big hair and even bigger rock 'n' roll, but one of its greatest quirks was its pure, unbridled commercialism. People think Wall Street created an era, but that film was more a product of its time. And who better to sell a product from these times, than Lou Reed?
You can look at musicians making silly commercials nowadays and lament how in the old days everything was more authentic, more real, and there was no possible way anybody that you listened to when you were more authentic and real could stoop so low as to do a commercial for Honda scooters. That's right, not even a commercial not even for a Civic or an Accord, but for a scooter, the same time you see delivery people buzzing about on in New York City to this day.
The truth of the matter is that pretty much anybody will do anything for a buck, unless they're Kurt Cobain and they kick the bucket before they get a taste of all that sweet, sweet, ad cash. That list includes Lou Reed, he of Walk on the Wild Side fame.
Walk on the Wild Side is a now-classic tale of a grittier New York, but apparently in the end it was all about selling Honda scooters. To be honest though, when you think about a Honda Scooter in New York, it's usually some sort of gritty workhorse. Vespas, they are not.
So maybe Lou Reed was being authentic and real?
Eh, I doubt it.