• 
  (Photo: Reuters/Yves Herman)
  Cast member Brad Pitt attends a photocall for the film ''Killing Them Softly'', by director Andrew Dominik, in competition at the 65th Cannes Film Festival, May 22, 2012.

Brad Pitt has defended the Chanel No. 5 ads in which he appears to be a beatnik poet of yesteryear.

Chanel didn't exactly receive the publicity that they had expected when selecting Brad Pitt to appear in their fragrance ads. The ads were released in October and show Brad Pitt in a somber attire, attempting a soothing voice while talking about "deep thoughts."

But the reaction was anything but serious. Many found the ad hysterical and poked fun at Pitt, whom they referred to as a "beatnik."

"Wherever I go, there you are. My luck, my fate, my fortune," the actor says in the ad before introducing Chanel No. 5. "Saturday Night Live" later took it upon themselves to make a spoof of the ad featuring Taran Killam.

"I'm sorry – is there really no script? 'Cause I've been talking to myself for like two hours straight and I'm starting to sound insane," Killam says in the spoof, imitating Pitt. "What? You want me to sound less coherent? Really? Okay, I can just start making up words? You like that. All right."

Now a month later, Pitt has admitted in a recent interview the he avoided much of the scrutiny the ads drew by being away for work in a different country.

Follow us

"I've been overseas, so I've been blissfully protected [from the backlash]," Pitt told Access Hollywood during a junket for his upcoming film. "I haven't [seen the parodies], but I say absolutely fair play, fair play."

But while the actor gave the go ahead for some to continue making jokes about his ad work, he went on to defend Chanel No. 5 adding that he "kind of liked" the ads.

"I kind of liked it ... I respect what they do. They do some really quality things," he said, though he also admitted that he probably couldn't identify the scent he was promoting on the street.