Open Post: Hosted By Heathrow Baggage Handlers Doing A Freddie Mercury Number
The cursed object that is the Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody continues to wreak havoc on the lives of anybody even tangentially involved. The latest victims of The Curse Of Freddie Mercury are the baggage handlers at London’s Heathrow Airport who had to learn a bunch of choreography and “surprise” travelers with a dance routine, costumes, fake mustaches, and lip sync for their lives/jobs to “I Want To Break Free“. All as a marketing stunt for the movie.
According to New Now Next, Freddie was a baggage handler at Heathrow himself so it’s not a completely random tie-in. They did their performance yesterday which marked what would have been Freddie’s 72nd birthday. Here’s the performance.
Freddie for take-off! Watch our baggage handlers pay tribute to former Heathrow baggage handler Freddie Mercury, as we celebrate the Queen legend's birthday ahead of the launch of “Bohemian Rhapsody”, the new Queen movie released on October 24th. pic.twitter.com/aiikvWW0UW
— British Airways (@British_Airways) September 5, 2018
I guess if I were a baggage handler at Heathrow I wouldn’t mind getting paid to be in a commercial. I’m sure it was optional and they probably had a lot of fun. Plus, I’m pretty sure I spotted Keegan-Michael Key in there. NNN says that the handlers “took lessons to learn choreography from Strictly Come Dancing and X Factor choreographer Lyndon Lloyd”, which is cool. My cousin and I have been trying to learn all the choreography from the “Thriller” video for years with piss poor results. I’d love to learn choreography from a professional.
The baggage handlers aren’t the only ones at the airport with Freddie Fever. The corporate shilling for BR doesn’t end with this routine.
The airport will also feature Queen songs on arrival boards, and band memorabilia will be on display next month.
Additionally, anyone departing from Terminal 5 named Freddie, Frederick, or Farrokh—the singer’s real name—will be invited to use the British Airways first class lounge, along with their traveling companions.
Also, if Mercury is in retrograde, anybody whose star sign is ruled by Mercury (where my Geminis and Virgos at?), or anybody who has ever had mercury poisoning (Jeremy Piven, here’s your chance!), are also welcome to use the first class lounge (please see Bryan Singer for details). I guess there are fewer benefits for women with this particular promotion. For a movie that’s supposed to be about “the band“, not just Freddie, they sure are leaning into the Freddieness of it all. One thing is for sure, if the producers are this desperate for promotional opportunities, they are seriously shook about the film’s chances at the box office.
Pic: Twitter