Musicians, load up your gear—Cleveland’s favorite set of raised eyebrows is holding a contest for music to be included in the upcoming Misny Movie.
In case you’ve never been on a road in Cleveland, CSU Law alum Tim Misny (Class of 1980) has been a prominent personal injury lawyer for the past few decades. Like many in that field, Misny turned to advertising to find clients, launching his first TV ads in the 1990s. His breakthrough came in the late 2000s, when he debuted a new slogan: Misny Makes Them Pay. Along with punchy TV and radio spots, Misny blanketed Northeast Ohio with hundreds of billboards, complete with the iconic image of Misny pointing at the viewer, brows furiously askance.
For a while, the only thing particularly special about Misny’s ad campaign was the volume (compare “Misny Makes Them Pay” with my native Cincinnati’s “Want More? Call 4!”). But about a half decade ago, Misny decided to shake things up. After all, blasting one slogan for years can have diminishing returns.
So, first came “Tim Misny: You Know What I Do”, a cheeky acknowledgement that, by now, everyone knew what he did. He then began putting out an assortment of encouraging messages and tidbits of wisdom, from “Stay Strong Ohio!” during the pandemic, to “Please Don’t Drink And Drive!”, to “Do Your Homework, Or Life Will Make You Pay!” Soon came commemorations of special occasions, including New Year’s billboards, holiday themed billboards with a clip art elf quipping “Santa’s All Right, But Misny Makes Them Pay!”, to “Go Flacco! Make Them Pay!” during the recent Browns season. He also began turning toward the avant-garde, from Misny Mt. Rushmore to Andy Warhol-style Misny Pop Art to, most notoriously, a blown-up image only showing Misny’s eyebrows (intentionally, I have to believe, placed on the interstate to maximize out-of-towners’ unease).
It’s not just billboards and commercials. Misny has also done news appearances, sold merch (my favorite: a clock that says “Time To Make Them Pay!”), held occasional music contests (2013’s winner: “Misny Makes Them Pay” by rap group Y.M.Z.), and built a growing social media following, in part through contests like winning a trip to “Misnyland” (Misny’s mansion).
So, Misny was primed to jump at the opportunity to make his next big splash. Filmmaker Moe Taylor of Brain Dagger Films, a local psychedelic documentary outfit, recently came up with his trippiest idea yet: a Misny Movie. Taylor’s co-producer Matthew Klesel described the concept to Cleveland Scene as “‘Millennial meme culture meets 60 Minutes meets ‘Billy On The Street’. And we’re gonna kind of weave it into a Documentary Now type of vibe.”
If you didn’t know anything about Tim Misny except his profession, you might expect him to recoil at the idea of being the subject of a mockumentary. But Misny has long recognized the commercial and personal value of being a meme—after all, his billboards Made Them Pay for Misnyland. So, he eagerly embraced the Misny Movie and promised to use his clout to promote it. He and Brain Dagger Films wanted to turn the Misny Movie into not only a fun curiosity, but a Cleveland cultural event, proceeds for which would go to the City Mission.
That’s where the latest music contest came in. A few weeks ago, Misny posted the following to his legions of Facebook followers:
Myself and BrainDagger Films are holding a musical competition to find songs to play in the soundtrack for the upcoming Misny Movie! Any style or genre is welcome - this is a celebration of Cleveland’s music scene and all are invited to enter. The first prize winner will receive 500 dollars, their song will become the official theme song of the movie, as well as a free studio session to record the song professionally. Runner ups will also be featured in the movie so please email moe.taylor.director@braindaggerfilms.com with submissions or questions. This contest will close on April 1st. Turn the volume up to eleven and let's have some FUN!
After a wave of submissions (apparently mostly of original tunes by local bands), Moe Taylor added the following clarification on braindaggerfilms.com:
These songs need to incorporate Tim Misny and the city of Cleveland in their lyrics in some way, we are not looking for previously created works of art. We are looking for new content, specifically for this project. This film is a mockumentary and the funnier the songs are the better lol. This contest is not about the prize money so much as it is just a chance to have fun as it is not payment for a product, it’s simply an award for being the best of the best. This is going to be a comically epic saga and there will be a scene in the movie for any type of music so LET'S CREATE.
We are looking for rock, rap, romantic ballads, country, parody, metal, punk or whatever your form of expression is, just follow the guidelines set forth and let’s make 2025 Cleveland’s year to show the world who we are as the ragtag collective of vibrant culture that embodies us all.
On top of the contest, Misny recently announced a free metal music festival for March 29th, 2025 at 5 O’Clock Lounge in Lakewood. The festival will be called, naturally, “Misny Metal Fest”, and Misny and Brain Dagger Films will use it to film scenes for the Misny Movie.
Call it tacky, cynical, egomaniacal. All true, to some extent. But I, for one, appreciate Misny getting weird with it. It lets Cleveland be known for something other than being the “Mistake On The Lake” or the “City Whose River Caught On Fire.” I’ll take the “City With The Weird Eyebrows.” And I’m looking forward to hearing your entries for the Misny Music Contest.
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