After debuting an ad with a song from the notoriously ad-phobic Beastie Boys, Joe Biden’s campaign was forced to take it down due to alleged harassment from Trump supporters. On Sunday, October 18 during an NFL game between the Cleveland Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Biden campaign unleashed a new ad featuring the song “Sabotage” by the Beastie Boys, a first for the band which has never allowed their catalogue to be used in an advertisement before. The campaign ad starred Joe Malcoun, the owner of Ann Arbor bar the Blind Pig, which has hosted legendary musical acts such as Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon, Pearl Jam, Nirvana perform. In the ad, Malcoun spoke on the harsh realities of trying to run a live music venue in days of COVID. “This is the reality of Trump’s COVID response,” said Malcoun in the ad, which depicts an empty Blind Pig. “We don’t know how much longer we can survive not having any revenue.”
However on Thursday, October 22, the campaign ad featured Malcoun and the Blind Pig was removed from all channels by the Biden campaign after Malcoun and his family allegedly faced harassment from Trump supporters. Per Forbes, there was some backlash against the ad due to Malcoun’s wealth, which is not entirely linked to the Blind Pig. Malcoun is an “angel investor,” who has reportedly inherited money from his wife’s grandfather. This lead to threats and harassment from Trump supporters said Bill Russo, a spokesman for the Biden campaign. In a statement to the New York Times, Russo said that Malcoun and his family were “doxxed, harassed, and threatened after the Trump campaign has sought to smear [Malcoun].” You can see the now departed ad below, which very well may be your last chance to hear a Beastie Boys song in an advertisement of any kind.
