You may remember Asta Philpot. Born with a physical disability called arthrogryposis, he became something of a folk hero in England (with help from a 2007 BBC documentary) by advocating for the sexual rights of people with disabilities—even if it means paying for sex.
Philpot appeared in an ad last year for Come4.org, a porn site devoted to charity, which sponsors the Asta Philpot Foundation. Now, the foundation itself—whose broader goal is to spread a message of positivity, happiness and empowerment to people with and without disabilities—has come out with its own two-minute spot. And it's quite the defiant little musical, as an extremely diverse cast of characters urge viewers to look beyond their appearances—or (as they sing throughout) "kiss my ass."
The Paris agency Being, which made the Come4.org spot, did this one, too. "All the protagonists of the film were volunteers eager to spread Asta Philpot's message of diversity, positivity and empowerment. They were cast for their differences, which they were willing to affirm proudly," the agency tells Adweek.
The original score was composed by Ben Von Looy of the Flemish band Das Pop, with lyrics by Being. It sounds like a typical cool, Rat Pack crooner singing, but in the end it's revealed to be Philpot himself—another reminder not to make assumptions about appearances.
Is it preaching to the choir? Probably. Still, there are worse things in the world than celebrations of tolerance, even if the haters turn a deaf ear.
Credits and full lyrics for the film are below.
CREDITS
Client: Asta Philpot Foundation
Spot: "Beyond Appearances - Diversity Song"
Agency: Being, Paris
Chief Creative Officer: Alasdhair Macgregor Hastie
Creative Director: Thierry Buriez
Art Director: Rémy Fournigault
Copywriter, Lyricist: Joris Vigouroux
Director: Pierre Edelmann
Assistant Camera: Clément Menu
Assistant Film Director: Nicolas Guy
Production: TBWA\Else
Head of TV Production: Maxime Boiron
TV Producer: Emilie Prudhomme
Producers: Jennifer Bauche, Cathy Pericone
Head of Music and Sound: Olivier Lefebvre
Sound Producer: Benoit Dunaigre
Original Score: "Kiss My Ass" by Bent Van Looy
LYRICS
If you think I'm different because of my skin,
that I'm only good for the bin,
oh baby, you can kiss my ass.
If you think I can't party because of my age,
that that is an odd marriage,
oh baby, you can kiss my ass.
If you think I'm as boring as my ties,
that I can't do grand things because of my size,
oh baby, you can kiss my ass.
If you think I'm a bad guy given my looks,
and that a blonde girl can't read books,
oh baby, you can kiss my ass.
So you say that I can't be the best CEO,
I cannot be hot with these kilos,
oh baby, you can kiss my ass.
And if you think that all I can do is booze,
I can't be a great ma with tattoos,
oh baby, you can kiss my ass.
And if you think you can't love somebody in a weird body,
you can KISS MY ASS.