Open thread 7/1/21
Music videos from the 1980s are often so bizarre that a literal video treatment only makes them slightly funnier:
Here’s the original video. I put it up for the spectacular tenor voice of Russell Hitchcock, which cannot be imitated:
Jim Steinman wrote the song, by the way (see this).
Michael Rectenwald, author, and NYU professor from 2008-2019, has a new essay on John Stuart Mill’s famous essay On Liberty: The Tyranny of the Minority Is Just as Dangerous as the Tyranny of the Majority:
https://mises.org/wire/tyranny-minority-just-dangerous-tyranny-majority
He links the first essay in the new one. Both concern current implications of an accurate interpretation of Mill’s position — particularly, state-subsidized concern for minority opinion.
An excerpt:
The title is consistent with my only additional comment when I linked his first essay, how James Madison defined “faction” in Federalist 10:
Federalist No. 10
https://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/document/federalist-no-10-2/
Air Supply? What next, Firefall.
No. That is not a challenge.
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/06/30/donald-rumsfeld-what-the-world-got-wrong-497275
That’s a Politico obit for Don Rumsfeld that essentially doubles as an obit for America’s ruling class. It’s really crystallized by one statement about how Rumsfeld could be an abusive a-hole to people (subordinates) who made the most insignificant and meaningless of mistakes contrasted against the author never even vaguely implying that Rumsfeld EVER felt the slightest bit of regret, shame, anger, or responsibility over his part in the failures of the Iraq War.
The only thing that bothered him was feeling like he was being made the scapegoat for the whole mess. The tens of thousands of lives snuffed out or ruined by the Iraq War apparently never entered his mind.
It’s all just a story to elites like Rumsfeld where they are the main characters and the rest of us are barely even plot devices. If America gets washed away be a flood of narcissism, it’s people like Rumsfeld who removed the first bricks out of the dam.
Mike
Bunge:
Whatever.
Lee Smith on political prisoners in the USA held by the fascist feds:
https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/lee-smith-insurrectionists-january-6
Here’s a holiday appropriate parody. There are a few different themes tucked away in it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kqu57JYp9zg&t=132s
om:
For the full, patriotic Whatever:
_______________________
For this is my United States of Whateva!
–Brookers, “United States of Whateva!”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s35NaNkKwR4
_______________________
There are the original nerd-punk and sock-puppet versions, but give me Brookers or give me death.
It’s a good day for 80s pop parodies:
Original Music video of Safety Dance:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjPau5QYtYs
Bollywood satire of “Safety Dance”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_sA8UJAE4k
Walter Sobchak:
I remember doing aerobics to “Safety Dance” in a class led by instructors in pastel spandex and headbands. That was the 80s.
According to wiki, Men Without Hats were Canadian (thought they were Aussie) and the song was “a protest against bouncers prohibiting dancers from pogoing to 1980s new wave music in clubs.”
So, Walter, does the Dude still abide?
SCOTUS 2, Democrats 0 in rulings made today before the summer recess.
OlderandWheezier:
I just put up a post on the matter just a few moments ago.
Funniest literal video: Safety Dance
Hmm…I was wondering why “Making Love Out of Nothing At All” blended in my mind with “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” Turns out they were both written by the same guy, Jim Steinman, and they were 1 and 2 at the same time on Billboard in 1983.
Not only that, Steinman produced Meat Loaf’s “Bat Out of Hell.” Steinman got around in the music biz. Very long wiki entry.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Steinman
Steinman composed “Bat Out of Hell.”
Quite like this public service announcement:
https://media.gab.com/system/media_attachments/files/078/177/368/original/1b93b22297e1ddc8.png
Zaphod:
Hell no, I ain’t growing up!
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“Trigger warnings,” classroom devices once used to warn students of potentially controversial or offensive language, are now considered oppressive and violent speech, according to Brandeis University, because the word “triggered” is connected to gun violence.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/trigger-warnings-are-now-triggering-violent-language-brandeis-university-says
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Where does it end? I worry that the loophole, “n-word,” will become equally toxic and then where will we be?
Maybe we should just start calling everything problematic, That Which Must Not Be Named.
@Huxley:
With all these Taboos proliferating, there’s only one thing a man can do: open a Tiki Lounge. Hipster Irony is the way — it’s not like there’s an oversupply of virgins to sacrifice to the Volcano Gods..
Cappy on July 1, 2021 at 10:20 am said:
Air Supply? What next, Firefall.
No.. the Monkeeys (daydream believer)
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x71wj1o
David Hasselhoff – Hooked on a Feeling
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtdT-MWjyFk
Penny Lane? (Beatles)
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x71wj1p
another strange fish that gets lots of hits are “how they died” videos
How Each Addams Family Cast Member Died
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKfkrLbeN8I
odd to see what vids get huge numbers…