Violent Femmes' bassist, Brian Ritchie, was enraged when he heard his former band's iconic song, Blister in the Sun being played behind a commercial for fast food restaurant, Wendy's three years ago. Ritchie took former lead singer, Gordon Gano, to court, claiming he misappropriated jointly-owned property by selling the rights for the commercial, and that it damaged the band's image. The song is credited to both Gano and Ritchie.
Ritchie told reporters he didn't want Violent Femmes' songs used in commercials for fast food because he believes the food is harmful. Ritchie added, "That's not why we made the music." Blister in the Sun is about masturbating. The song has appeared in numerous films, including John Cusack's Grosse Point Blank, the TV show, My So-Called Life, as well as another commercial (Foster's Lager). It does not appear on the soundtrack to My So Called Life.
The band reunited briefly to record a cover of the Gnarls Barkley song, Crazy, but Ritchie says he has no plans to reunite with the Violent Femmes again at this point. All of the former Violent Femmes members are working with other projects now.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
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