Ghost of Bob Ross Haunts Anti-Coal Campaign from Mekanism

By Kiran Aditham 

Ah, Bob Ross, how we miss the man behind the Joy of Painting, a show that lulled us to sleep many a night and featured an artist who could craft oil paintings as soothing as his voice in a matter of minutes. Well, 17 years after his death, he returns somewhat in a new campaign from Mekanism and the Sierra Club that tries us to warn the masses about the deadly effects of coal. Here, Ross’s voice is replaced by that of an obnoxious coal advocate aptly dubbed “Mr. Coal,” who will indeed serve as the overdub for a series of clips featuring other  ’80s TV personalities.

This latest effort is part of Sierra’s ongoing “Beyond Coal” project, which was launched two years ago and is aimed at replacing coal-fired power plants with clean energy such as wind and solar power. We’re all for environmental causes and what not, but if you’re plucking ’80s TV personalities for this campaign, may we ask that you at least leave Gary Coleman alone? You can also check out the Facebook component here.

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