Don't Give Up The Day Job Doug! Brad Pitt’s Brother Proves On-Camera Charisma Isn’t Genetic
July 3 2012, Published 7:00 a.m. ET
Sometimes two apples fall from the tree in very different directions…
Brad Pitt oozes such charisma that he’s become one of the quintessential leading men of his generation -- you just can’t but help pay attention -- his brother Doug, however, not so much.
With his sleepy Missouri drawl, blank face and moribund movements, 45-year-old Doug appears to be the exact opposite to "sexiest man alive" Brad, 48.
And Virgin Mobile Australia have tried to capitalize on this incongruity by featuring him in an odd, Cribs style ad where he shows us around his tepid, suburban world.
It’s a neat idea, except for the fact that it never seems to quite hit the right comedic note and the end result is more cringe worthy than funny.
In the video, entitled “Meet Doug Pitt, the second most famous Pitt in his family,” viewers are introduced to Doug, who physically bears an uncanny resemblance to Brad, but without his Hollywood accoutrements.
Doug takes the cameras through the rooms of his perfectly nice suburban home. The video starts with a shot of Doug standing on the front steps of his picket fence home while rap music blares in the background.
“Hello everyone, my name is Doug Pitt and welcome to my home,” says Doug, dressed sedately in khakis and a white collared shirt. “C’mon inside, let me take you on a tour.”
Doug goes through multiple rooms of his house, detailing what activities go on in each room.
“This is the family living room,” he says while seated on a tan-coloured leather sofa. “This is where I usually don’t get to pick what’s on the TV because of the wife and the kids… but good place to hang out."
Doug is next seen in the “man room,” listening to music through headphones and dancing on the spot.
“The family doesn’t have my appreciation for 70's classic rock, especially loud, so headphones come in handy,” he explains.
In one scene, Doug is pictured seated at his desk marveling at his three-in-one printer-phone-fax machine. “This baby right here—it scans, it prints, it faxes—1200 dpi, black and white. I’m going to upgrade to color but for right now, this baby gets it done,” he says, a line that Steve Carrell would have probably killed, but falls flat in this instance.
Doug then struggles to get the lawn mower started, lamenting that “it usually starts on the first pull.”
He’s also seen washing his white minivan. “What do I like about this car? Look at it!” he quips. “It’s sporty, it’s stylish, it’s me.”
The voice-over explains: “While his brother lives the life of a Hollywood A-lister, Doug’s life is a little different. Virgin Mobile believes in a fair go for all and want to give Doug a taste of his brother’s lifestyle starting with his first-ever celebrity endorsement.”
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