Nov
27
27
Things that should never be
I’m not trying to stir up another YouTube war with Atrios or John Cole. Really, I swear. But if I were trying to start a skirmish, I wouldn’t hesitate to use the MDA Senior Management Rap to kick everyone’s ass:
Just sayin’.
teegee said,
November 27, 2007 at 21:26
The war is won without a single battle engaged.
Holy mackeral.
owlbear1 said,
November 27, 2007 at 21:44
You know what saved my soul from being sucked from my body as I sat there stunned?
I realized the Director, Producers, Editors, and Actors very likely had to sit through that thing at least a dozen times or more(hopefully) but I would be able to stop it once I had regained higher motor functions.
22 seconds of excruciating pain to be sure but still…
norbizness said,
November 27, 2007 at 21:47
I’ll never forget when Amy Chua defeated Rakim in the Five Boroughs Freestyle-a-Thon in 1986.
Jeff Fecke said,
November 27, 2007 at 21:48
That’s oddly endearing, I think. Either that, or “The Song That Never Ends” destroyed my soul, and now I’m just a dessicated lump.
mikey said,
November 27, 2007 at 22:04
Y’know, I’ve sat in creative meetings where such idiocy as that is seriously proposed.
Typically it is rejected very quickly as being a path to large - scale corporate embarrassment and near instantaneous loss of a lucrative MarCom gig.
But people will come up with painfully stupid things, and sometimes, for reasons not clearly understood in the communications community, any firewall built of professional pride or actually efficacy will occasionally break down, and the outcome is something like this.
Very quickly realizing it is a terrible, embarrassing black eye, it disappears overnight into a media vault somewhere, never again to see the light of day.
It also doesn’t show up in the production shop’s portfolio…
mikey
InsaneInTheCheneyBrain said,
November 27, 2007 at 22:06
Finally, someone breaks out and moves beyond old grannies rapping to new heights of…. stiff Asian executives rapping.
Hoosier X said,
November 27, 2007 at 22:21
I’m trying to imagine a universe where this would be good.
Ouch.
Malignant Bouffant said,
November 27, 2007 at 22:32
You can’t fool me! I’m not clicking a damn thing except the next post.
Mithras said,
November 27, 2007 at 22:35
InsaneInTheCheneyBrain, if it makes you feel any better, it looks like the MDA is a government agency, not a private company. It’s charged with the task of “putting Singapore at the forefront of the media age.”[1] I’m sure we can all agree that it’s well on the road to its goal.
1. http://www.mda.gov.sg/wms.www/aboutus.aspx
Vin Scully said,
November 27, 2007 at 23:38
Awww - they’re having such a good time doing it, I’m with Jeff.
Still, I would’ve liked to see Flava Flav pop up, yelling “Yo, Chia, yo! I don’t think they believe you about Singapore-made content!”
Seanly said,
November 27, 2007 at 23:40
Best. Video. Evah.
I hope I would have the dignity to resign before performing in something like that.
Syndicalist said,
November 27, 2007 at 23:45
It would have almost worked if Pam Hu had dressed as a dominatrix and threatened to cane Sumner Redstone like Michael Fay.
christian h. said,
November 28, 2007 at 0:02
Are you fucking insane?? What if somebody with less mental fortitude than your regular readers clicks on that video? Jeez, don’t be so irresponsible and unserious!
Qetesh the Abyssinian said,
November 28, 2007 at 0:23
Well I liked it. [Ducks to avoid pelting with rotten fruit etc]
No, really. Okay, it wasn’t my favouritest song evah, but it had a certain charm. Asian cultures are different from uptighty whitey folks, you know. They have more fun. They’re less repressed. Karaoke is popular in Korea, Japan, China, and Hong Kong, and may well be in other Asian countries for all I know. Management there have no shame about getting completely rats-arsed (drunk, for those of you who can’t speak Aussie) and crooning into a microphone for the edification of the junior staff.
And I think there’s something endearing about a boss who’s willing to look like a dickhead on national television. I mean intentionally, not thinking that he’s being cool or smart or invincibly right.
Okay, go back to throwing stuff.
Doodle Bean said,
November 28, 2007 at 0:25
Wow! That Deputy CEO was smokin’ in his hoodie and chains!
I also liked how the CEO rhymed “one” with “everybody” instead of “everyone”. That and the fact that the Community and International Relations person’s car was on fire. Yum! Symbolic!
Northern Observer said,
November 28, 2007 at 0:28
Cassandra Tay is yummy.
Other then that … I know white men can’t jump, but asian men can’t even shuffle. That was some mean boogie in that there ‘performance’
Nylund said,
November 28, 2007 at 0:58
I watched the whole damn thing with a giant smile on my face. I loved every second of it. So endearing.
Regarding the CEO rhyme, he actually does rhyme “everyone” with “one” (and “everybody” with “city” (which wasn’t pretty). It was an A B A B rhyme.
They call me CEO, here me out everyone,
my aim, a vibrant media hub for the city,
singapore made content to be number one,
media choice and jobs for everybody,
But, the best, by far was “the numbers girl,” Heng Li Lang. When she says, “Market trends, thats like my very best friend, My eyes on KPI’s every now and then,” its fucking sick. I want a video of just her.
OK. Wow. On second thought, I just watched that 4 times straight and wasted about 20 minutes of my life.
Sadly, No! is evil.
mikey said,
November 28, 2007 at 1:13
Actually, if you want to really make that vid work, play it with the volume down while playing “Fool for the City” really loud.
Now that’s magic…
mikey
Nimrod Gently said,
November 28, 2007 at 1:32
oh god oh god
Willy said,
November 28, 2007 at 2:28
That video needs somethign to take it beyond the absurd, like a cameo by Snoop Dogg, or maybe Busta Rhymes.
Robert Green said,
November 28, 2007 at 2:53
“my eyes on KPI every now and then”
dropping science like galileo dropped the fucking bomb.
BBBBBBBBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
next up: Arthur Anderson and Co. Speedcore video from 1983.
Smiling Mortician said,
November 28, 2007 at 2:56
Fool for the City? Oh my. I’m gonna go put on some scary platform shoes and do a little low-impact headbanging now.
cowboy trapped in an existentialist TV show said,
November 28, 2007 at 2:57
The problem with watching a china-man rap videos is that two hours later you want to watch them again.
(’Two Hours Later’ concept lifted from Mad Magazine’s take on ‘Kung Fu’)
objectivelypro said,
November 28, 2007 at 4:52
…but it had a certain charm. Asian cultures are different from uptighty whitey folks…
April 2003: me wandering Bali Airport’s departure lounge, awaiting the long flight home. This was 6 or 7 months after the Kuta bombings. Shock & Awe had begun weeks earlier; SARS hysteria was in full media roar.
It was an anxious and discouraging time for travellers. The airlines were hurting.
I heard singing … a group of singers … not the piped-in music. I’m killing time; better check it out. A flight crew was gathered at a departure gate (Cathay Pacific, IIRC, captain, co-pilot, attendants, all Asians). One fellow had a guitar and they were singing “Take Me Home, Country Road” as the passengers entered the boarding tunnel.
Goofy, sure, but you had to smile.
Harry Whitington said,
November 28, 2007 at 5:02
Ok, ObPro.
Enough with the stories that make me tear up.
I’m an old man with a bucket of sad.
I LIKE shit like that….
mikey
objectivelypro said,
November 28, 2007 at 5:44
Oh, me too, mikey…
I mean Harry…
That wasn’t my flight but the vibe helped me weather a very arduous 36 hours getting back to Canada.
Let’s see: wearing surgical masks and sleeping on the floor in the Bangkok airport; my Swiss knife confiscated in Tokyo; searched and interrogated at LAX; trapped beside smelly dude on one leg; crazy woman who had to be subdued on another.
Smiling Mortician said,
November 28, 2007 at 6:35
I heard singing … a group of singers …
1986. Tianjin, China. A group of expats singing “Those Were the Days, My Friend” to a girl who was weeping at the train station, preparing to board for home (Germany via Mongolia & the then USSR). Good times, actually. Seriously good times.
Qetesh the Abyssinian said,
November 28, 2007 at 10:44
objectivelypro, that’s so cool. And Smiling Mortician.
As for the “Asian guys can’t dance”, well, dat’s crap. Check out Leon Lai Ming shakin’ his funky groove thayng (get to about 2.13 for the really vigorous stuff). Or Aaron Kwok (and if you want some musical softcore, check him here. Lordy lordy. And yes, there is a thriving slash fiction community for the likes of these guys).
The American Street » Blog Archive » Shizzle, Nein! said,
November 28, 2007 at 11:13
[...] is dedicated to The Hon. Dr. St. Rev. Bradley S. Rocket, Esq, PhD, MD, over at Sadly, [...]
NickM said,
November 28, 2007 at 16:19
I dunno - I thought that was awesome, quite sincerely. The stilted English and “jobs for everyone” sentiments were as others mentioned, endearing. The art direction I thought was very interesting throughout. And the poses affected seem no more contrived than in most rap videos. Plus a good hook and a beat. A “9″.
Doodle Bean said,
November 28, 2007 at 16:29
Nylund,
You get some sort of award for not only repeatedly viewing the video, but analyzing the rhyme scheme!
I’ve got a half-full tin of sugar-free ‘Myntz!’ if you want them!
Seriously, thanks for the analysis and resulting laughter. I need all the laughs I can get!
Jamey said,
November 28, 2007 at 18:13
It really wasn’t THAT awful, guys. I guess the imperialist swine in me still finds it endearing when peeps from consciously non-”down” cultures try to get jiggy with it.
And the video even gave me my new comment sig:
iJam, iRock, and Futurescape
mdhatter said,
November 28, 2007 at 18:55
That is why i stay tuned.
I am waiting for channel X.
tc said,
November 28, 2007 at 19:10
Don’t forget the classic cover of U2’s “One” by the middle management tier of Bank of America:
tc said,
November 28, 2007 at 19:10
Link didn’t work. It’s at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmIObmv2t6M
Gundamhead said,
November 28, 2007 at 21:44
“#
Qetesh the Abyssinian said,
November 28, 2007 at 0:23
Well I liked it. [Ducks to avoid pelting with rotten fruit etc]
No, really. Okay, it wasn’t my favouritest song evah, but it had a certain charm. Asian cultures are different from uptighty whitey folks, you know. They have more fun. They’re less repressed. Karaoke is popular in Korea, Japan, China, and Hong Kong, and may well be in other Asian countries for all I know. Management there have no shame about getting completely rats-arsed (drunk, for those of you who can’t speak Aussie) and crooning into a microphone for the edification of the junior staff.
And I think there’s something endearing about a boss who’s willing to look like a dickhead on national television. I mean intentionally, not thinking that he’s being cool or smart or invincibly right.
Okay, go back to throwing stuff.”
I’m with her. Any boss willing to appear in something like this deserves our respect. I mean, they’re willing to “walk the walk” rather than just ordering some underling to do it after all.
Ginger Yellow said,
November 29, 2007 at 15:09
Saw this a couple weeks ago. It knocks the socks off the PriceWaterhouseCoopers and KPMG efforts.