I agree with John and JMM that selling the rights to yesterday’s Obamapalooza to HBO was a mistake. The smart move would have been to reach out to conservatives by selling the rights to Fox. We still are a right-center nation, after all.
But my biggest problem with the festivities was the presence of people like James Taylor. That’s the kind of thing that makes us look weak to our enemies.
Making this the official version of the national anthem — the one they play at the Olympics and everything — would make us look strong again. I remember seeing it live as a kid and thinking “I’ve never heard people clap along with the national anthem before.”
Consider this an open thread, but, please, no reprisals.
Comrade Mary, Would-Be Minion Of Bad Horse
GAH!
That was beautiful. I never, ever saw or heard that before, and I love Marvin.
Keith Patrick
Given the hype, I was kinda expecting Wyld Stallyns to debut.
DougJ
I had no idea who Marvin Gaye was when I watched it as a kid, though I’d probably heard a few of his songs without knowing who sang them, and was just blown away. The only really good version of the song I’ve ever heard.
Mazacote Yorquest
Out of respect for our host I won’t say what Michelle Malkin would call this version of the national anthem, but we all know what she’d call it.
Ninerdave
Red State is teh funny.
Which Biden will land Obama in Jail First
Apparently Jill’s slip up on Oprah today is indeed a federal case.
And just more proof that irony is dead on the right side of the blogosphere:
Farewell to Bush: Mission Accomplished
It’s priceless, here’s a small gem:
He closes with:
No Caleb, I’m actually laughing at you. I’ve never understood the obsession of those on the right with trying to "piss off the liberals". Most of the stuff that I see that’s supposed to "piss me off" actually makes me laugh uncontrollably.
TheHatOnMyCat
I assume that there will be no cries of outrage since the singer, is, you know, Gaye.
gwangung
People may think you’re snarkin’ here, but…this is the truth. Marvin is the man.
(And he, Stevie and Smokey Robinson make up the Motown Trinity. Could spend a whole evenin’ with these gents and count it well spent. Hm. Think i will..)
The Other Steve
Not gay enough.
clearly
chris mohr
Similarly powerful was the late Ray Charles’ public renditions of "America the Beautiful" (which I think makes a far better, more singable national anthem than "Star Spangled Banner"). However, as done by Marvin Gaye, I have to admit it puts the "Star Spangled Banner" in a far better light than ANY version I’ve ever heard before. This gets my vote for the new "official" version.
TenguPhule
Arm the donut torpedoes.
DougJ
@gwangung
I’m certainly not snarking. I really believe it would change the whole way the world looks at us if this was played at the Olympics.
JGabriel
The NY Times is borrowing a quarter billion dollars from Mexican (pace 30 Rock, am I allowed to call him that? it sounds wrong) telecomm billionaire (of course, as a billionaire, I don’t suppose he gives a shit what anyone calls him) Carlos Slim Helu.
(By the way, as an agnostic cutural Catholic, I know damn well that middle name is supposed to be from a saint, but fuck me if can remember a Saint Slim anywhere.)
(h/t Atrios)
Which raises the question, why the hell do the Sulzerberger’s need to borrow 250 million dollars? I mean, WTF?
At 14%, it sure looks like someone is getting screwed here – and I can’t friggin’ tell who. It’s too low for a risky borrower and too high for a good one. Does the Times have a plan for that money? Or is just to pay expenses and keep publishing until the recession/depression is over?
.
DougJ
@Ninerdave
Okay, that is even dumber than I expected from Red State.
sgwhiteinfla
Its funny listening to wingnuts nowadays talking about "pissing off liberals". Maybe they haven’t noticed but most Americans and especially liberals are pretty much happy with who won the Presidential election as is evidenced by the record approval ratings for President Obama (no more elect for me) and the wall to wall to the point of annoying coverage of this historic inauguration. I wonder when it will be that they will wake up to the fact that liberals aren’t doing things to "piss off conservatives" because they are simply no longer relevant. Pretty soon RedState will be relegated to the credibility level of all of those 9-11 truther sites and maybe a half a step above the Area 51 sites. And the great thing about it they are going to take a substantial amount of the ditto head appeasers in the GOP with them.
Good riddance.
Fern
@DougJ:
Well, between the tune and the words, it is an awfully difficult anthem to warm up to. I was surprised how much I enjoyed the version above.
JGabriel
Fuck.
The top of that (post 12) was supposed to start with:
but it somehow got deleted during editing and I didn’t have any time left to fix it. I fucking hate the way the editing box handles tags sometimes.
(If Doug or John could fix it, the post that is, it would be much appreciated.)
.
Mike in NC
Can we get some legislation introduced into Congress to have them tarred and feathered and/or castrated for the last eight years of treason? Just askin’
Fern
@Mike in NC:
I believe that is generally discouraged these days.
Ivan Ivanovich Renko
Proof positive that the soul of America was imported from West Africa.
burnspbesq
Is there a betting pool on how long it takes Dana Peroxide to find a new job?
KRK
Never heard that one before. Thanks.
Also: Jack Sikma! Used to love him back when the Sonics were Super.
Scott H
Unfortunately for George W Bush it won’t be history judging his Administration – it will be the future. He’s well screwed.
DougJ
@JG
I fixed it.
Martin
Um. It’s a business decision, you know. Who says Fox was even willing to put up money? The concert does need to be paid for, after all.
gwangung
I’d just take Sonics, right now…super or not…
Wonk
Anyone see Flowbee trying to stuff the Obama-hate genii back into the bottle today?
Someone clearly doesn’t realize that the crazy train has already left the station.
Whitey!
DougJ
@Martin
You don’t think Murdoch’s got the money? And think of all the bipartisan goodwill that would be generated by having Hannity or Cavuto emcee the thing. If Democrats want to get serious about competing in Red States, that’s the kind of outside-the-box thinking they’re going to need.
Brick Oven Bill
Music is the expression of the soul. I have experienced this during my time as the lounge act at a Chinese restaurant in a very small town. The food was excellent before around 6:30pm but Tony started drinking at 5, so after 6:30, you were taking your chances. He no kidding lit the kitchen on fire one night and the place had to be evacuated.
A drunk pulled a knife on me another night and Tony, in his 7:30 status, retained complete discipline, charged, and with a perfect kick sent the knife flying. Another datapoint as to the state of development of the modern human mind. This trait did not appear in either of my two European fans, who just kind of sat there drinking dollar drafts.
Reverend Wright, at the National Press Club said:
“Being different does not mean one is deficient. It simply means one is different, like snowflakes, like the diversity that God loves. Black music is different from European and European music. It is not deficient; it is just different.”
I agree with this because the music at the Reverend’s talk today sounds pretty much like Marvin Gaye’s rendition presented by DougJ, which sounds nothing like James Taylor, which sounds nothing at all like my version of “Truckin’” at Tony’s.
My guess is that 90% of the ‘blank slate’ theorists are white Democrats.
JGabriel
@DougJ:
Thanks, Doug!
.
Delia
I didn’t even get to watch the HBO concert yesterday since my teevee went to the great junkyard in the sky a few weeks ago, and my new one hasn’t come yet. Also, I don’t get HBO even when I have a set, and when I tuned in to the HBO internets site last night it was just a little bitty picture and it seemed to be near the end of the show.
But now I’ve seen the Rt. Rev. Robinson on Youtube and I’m in the middle of downloading the whole HBO show from one of those horrible piratical sites that no one knows about. So I’m happy.
And I’m going to get up bright and early tomorrow to go watch the inauguration at a local coffeehouse/pizza parlor that has a big screen teevee. So I’ll see it all and there will be no Republicans there.
DougJ
@Brick Oven Bill
What kind of music did you perform?
JGabriel
@Brick Oven Bill:
Wow.
Life just doesn’t get any better than this.
Well, except for maybe a few little moments, like Obama’s inauguration tomorrow.
But that was a beautiful moment, BOB. Just beautiful. Like a very unique snowflake landing on a wingnut’s car hood while driving, standing on all six of tiny crystal points, and tap-dancing to the Village People’s YMCA.
.
Notorious P.A.T.
What is signified by "teh" again? That must mean *something*, since people willingly use it, but I’m damned if I know what. What is supposed to cross my mind when I see that–"not only are Republicans hateful bigots, but they can’t spell, either! ! !"?
Brick Oven Bill
I believe I am being baited.
Our song list ranged from JT’s ‘Sweet Baby James’ to ‘Rape Me’ from Nirvana. It basically depended on the women in the audience.
DougJ
How many people in the band?
Notorious P.A.T.
Hahahahaha!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/19/AR2009011902609.html
rikyrah
I absolutely love that version. Marvin was an original. And, it was profoundly American.
bago
Richard Cheese does the best version of "Rape Me".
Brick Oven Bill
Definitely being baited.
Depended on the night. But one of them played with Marshall Tucker and was released from that service for a reason which I do not know but have theories. Usually two. Sometimes just me. I think we had a dozen once, but they were very drunk.
We also did children’s songs. I know Barney’s "I Love You, You Love Me".
slag
Hate to sound all MUPpy Hopey and all, but I really enjoyed Obamapalooza. Those guys can really put on a show. It was well-choreographed, strongly thematic, and deeply moving. I could nitpick, but really, no point. Good stuff!
Martin
I know Murdoch has the money. Half my poker group has the money too, but they’re not going to buy the rights either. Murdoch has to want to drop the money for what he gets. HBO only got the rights for 6 months, so they have limited time to recoup their costs – HBO is pretty damn good at that, by the way. Fox really doesn’t do exclusive deals like this anyway.
And going to Fox for this wouldn’t do shit. Conservative voters aren’t about to pony up $19.95 for the commemorative DVD of Beyonce and Usher and an invocation by a gay minister – this wasn’t their event. Obama is already working on the red states by having Warren up there tomorrow, among other things. Hannity and Cavuto? No, they’re never coming around to a position that Obama needs to carry to voters. Warren might. That’s why Warren is there. Obama doesn’t do posturing bullshit – he has a plan for Warren.
Dave Menendez
Marvin Gaye is all right, but he’s no Bleeding-Gums Murphy.
J. Michael Neal
James Taylor should only be allowed to sing the role of Charlie Mason.
CIRCVS MAXIMVS MMIX
I always thought there was something really wrong with you, now I think I’m beginning to understand. Tell me about your mother…
JGabriel
@CIRCVS MAXIMVS MMIX: But this is far more disturbing:
I really can’t tell if BOB is a spoof or the real deal. But if he’s not a spoof, that Barney bit is terrifying.
.
Brick Oven Bill
Be very afraid JGabriel. We’re a happy family.
gwangung
Really. It’s a piss-poor Chinese restaurant or a very small town that doesn’t have karaoke….Had to have been a real dive….
Roger Moore
Sorry, but if we really want to look strong to the world, we’re going to have to use this version of the national anthem instead.
JGabriel
@Brick Oven Bill:
Ha! To be honest, I was really commenting on the awfulness of the song. The pedophilic reading, while obvious in retrospect, was actually unintended.
.
Brick Oven Bill
Two cocktail rule violation. There was a guy named Lee who had fought in Korea that worked there for tips and free food too. Lee and Tony would get into fights after Lee drank too much of Tony’s Black Velvet. In was fun to watch. Lee was the braggart and Tony kept his cool.
Lee did not have complete control of his systems and would fart while serving food. I don’t think he meant it. We watched and laughed. Lee later died in his trailer and nobody found him until the smell.
Tony’s business went under and he was known to urinate while spinning. I later saw his beautiful wife, who a man had once offered to rent for a thousand dollars, working at a casino.
Brick Oven Bill
Mothers used to bring their children to the restaurant. That is why we learned those songs. Any other reading is unhealthy.
Fern
@Wonk:
Could have something to do with his traffic, which appears to be tanking over the last few months.
sus
James Taylor is genius.
Also, I love little places that have acoustic music. It’s nice to have dinner with live music. And, who wants to hear loud, pounding music while they’re eating dinner?
Jazz or acoustic for dinner. Anything is not right.
AnneLaurie
He was trying to kick Joe Biden’s new puppy, but the little bugger already moves too fast for Darth Cheney.
Vlad
As far as the SSB is concerned, I’ve always liked this version as well as any: Jose Feliciano at the 1968 World Series.
Mazacote Yorquest
@Brick Oven Bill:
"Two cocktail rule violation. There was a guy named Lee who had fought in Korea that worked there for tips and free food too. Lee and Tony would get into fights after Lee drank too much of Tony’s Black Velvet"
Is your real name Carl Douglas?
DougJ
@Vlad
With Jose Feliciano, you got no complaints.
Dan
Too bad. A Star Spangled Banner done like Marvin did it would have made us look sexy to our enemies.