Vision Pro Parody: Stephen Fry Banned From Apple Music

Apple doesn’t understand that much fun: the British singer-songwriter Tim Arnold, together with the actor Stephen Fry, recorded a kind of parody advertisement for a VR headset for his song “Start with the Sound”. He has now been banned from Apple Music for this.

This advertisement actually bears little resemblance to Apple Vision Pro, it just shows an imaginative iPhone helmet. Nevertheless, according to the online magazine 9to5Mac, among others, one feels that Apple has stepped on its toes.

Little About The Vision Pro Parody Ad

The parody shows an “iHead product” and was shown for the first time around four years ago – long before Apple came onto the market with Vision Pro. Now that has consequences. British singer-songwriter Tim Arnold revealed that his new album Super Connected was released on Spotify as planned, but was banned from Apple Music for containing the “joke advert” for the iHead.

Only on Spotify

The first video (“A Commercial Break”) is a short clip in which popular British actor Stephen Fry humorously describes the benefits of the “iHead”, a fictional immersive headset that is central to the concept album’s narrative by Arnold Stands. The second video is a song in which “iHead” plays an important role.

“A Commercial Break” is clearly tongue-in-cheek and serves as a commercial parody for a non-existent product. Still, he seems to have “hit a digital nerve at Apple,” according to 9to5Mac.

Apple will therefore only accept the album if Arnold excludes the track in question. Who in turn thinks the track is the key to the album concept. Arnold was therefore told that Apple had a problem with the concept of “fake advertising”. It’s probably not about Vision Pro being the target of satire. “It’s a humorous take on how digital services fit into our music and lives by inserting advertising. [Apple’s response] underscores the very point Arnold is making with his album: Tech companies and streaming services have no sense of humour,” explained Tim Arnold.

An open letter urging Apple to reverse the ban was signed by a number of entertainment names, including Kaiser Chiefs singer Ricky Wilson and Spandau Ballet songwriter Gary Kemp.